High School Graduation Standards: What We Expect and What We Get. Goals for Education: Educational Benchmarks, 1996

More than a decade ago, states in the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) region began raising high school graduation standards to ensure that all students would take the classes they need. Despite improvements, results have not met expectations. Today many more students in the SREB states are taking courses that appear to be more rigorous--more mathematics, science, English, social studies, and foreign languages. However, average scores on college entrance tests are up but not significantly so. Employers complain that students graduating from high school do not have the skills needed in the workplace. This report examines why the new policies have not met expectations. It concludes that some core courses were simply redefined and relabeled; challenging courses were not necessarily required for graduation; and no quality-control measures were implemented. Simply requiring students to complete credits in the core subject is not enough. Not requiring challenging courses results in mediocre test scores, high percentages of students entering college in remedial courses, and graduates who are unprepared for the workplace. Core curriculum courses must be challenging and build on prior learning. The course objectives must be linked to curriculum frameworks and described clearly for teachers, students, and parents. Finally, assessments must gauge the quality of core courses, and passing standards must be set high enough. Recommendations are offered for state leaders. (LMI)