In This Edition...

States stepping up efforts to increase high school rigor

Read the research behind the recommendations

Schools and districts put college-prep into practice

Get Involved

Academic Preparation and Support is one of the Pathways to College Network's four focus areas. The goal is to help schools, districts, and states graduate all students ready for college and for the workplace through informing policy, improving practice, and engaging in and supporting research. Our work is focused on making a college-preparatory curriculum the standard program for study for all high school students. In this, we support the work of our partners, including Pacific Resources for Education and Learning, a Pathways Network lead partner, the National High School Alliance, Council of Chief State School Officers, National Association of Secondary School Principals, ACT, College Board, Education Commission of the States, and the Center for State Scholars.

This newsletter briefly surveys activities around the country geared toward preparing all students for postsecondary study.

ACADEMIC PREPARATION AND SUPPORT: POLICY
Many states stepping up efforts to increase high school rigor
States that have joined Achieve's American Diploma Project Network and the states and communities that are implementing the State Scholars Curriculum, among others, are answering the call to improve high schools by increasing academic rigor. Here are a few notable recent state policy developments:

• Indiana – Indiana will replace the traditional three-track high school curriculum with a more rigorous college-prep program that applies to all students. [Read the bill]
• Mississippi – The State Board of Education approved increasing graduation requirements to include four years each of English, math, science, and social studies. [News release]
• North Carolina – High school students will have to pass end-of-grade tests in five core subjects and complete a senior research project in order to graduate. [News article]
• Oregon – New graduation requirements for students include developing an education plan and demonstrating career-related knowledge and skills. [High School Redesign Monthly]
• Texas – The college-prep curriculum has become the default for all students, with the less rigorous option only available if a student and his or her parents choose to opt out. [EdWeek article]

For regular updates on state policies related to education, check out ECS E-Connection from the Education Commission of the States.

ACADEMIC PREPARATION AND SUPPORT: RESEARCH
Read some of the research behind the recommendations

• Why this is important - Crisis at the Core, A New Core Curriculum for All, Answers in the Toolbox, Transforming High School for All Youth
• How we're doing - The Expectations Gap
• What a college-prep curriculum looks like - Indiana Core 40 Curriculum, Scholars Course of Study by State, On Course for Success

The Pathways Network also is planning several research projects in the area of Academic Preparation and Support, including "Using System, District, and State P-16 Pipeline Data to Improve Student Performance and College Access," and "Identifying Exemplary Practices in High Performing High Schools." For more background information on the college-prep curriculum, visit the Issue Information page on the Pathways to College Network website.

ACADEMIC PREPARATION AND SUPPORT: PRACTICE
Schools and districts put the college-preparatory curriculum into practice
K-12 leaders are also playing a key role in advancing the college-preparatory curriculum. For example, the Colorado Commission on Higher Education established 14 regional teams of K-12 leaders, pre-collegiate providers, and college admission counselors, administrators, and faculty, to discuss how to prepare all students for college success. The Pathways Network's College Readiness for All toolbox has been integral to training these teams. One of the exciting tools developed as part of the College in Colorado campaign is a "one-stop" information and college-planning website. Here are more examples of progress, including efforts facilitated by the College Readiness for All toolbox:

• Chattanooga, Tennessee – In collaboration with Lumina Foundation's "Partnerships in College Access and Success," the Pathways to College Network has engaged leadership teams from the 17 Hamilton County high schools in systemic planning for the implementation of a single-track curriculum starting in Fall 2005.
• California – The University of California, Office of the President is using Pathways' College Readiness Toolbox to train outreach professionals and school leadership teams.
• Bluffton, South Carolina – In conjunction with the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation's Pathways to Success initiative, leaders are using the Pathways "school college-readiness" profile to plan future professional development efforts.
• Bellevue, Washington – Bellevue is using the College Readiness Toolbox to implement a social support system to enhance access to the college-prep curriculum in their district.
• Florida - The College Board's Florida Partnership aims to improve student academic performance through improving curriculum and teaching methods. Since 1999, the number of African American students in Florida public schools participating in the AP Program has increased by 132.68% and the number of Hispanic students by 137.99%.

Get Involved

Use the Toolbox: Check out the College Readiness for All Toolbox that is getting rave reviews from educators around the nation.

Share your examples of progress: We want to know what you've been doing to improve high schools! E-mail cheng@teri.org with your news and stories.

Suggestion Box: Have ideas for future newsletters? Submit them to cheng@teri.org.