High School

Gene Bottoms
Senior vice-president
Southern Regional Education Board's "High Schools that Work"
Atlanta, GA
404-875-9211

Mike Cohen
President
Achieve, Inc.
Washington, DC
202-419-1540

Carmon Cunningham
Communications director
Jobs for the Future
Boston, MA
617-728-4446

Jennifer Dounay
Project manager
ECS High School Policy Center
Denver, CO
303-299-3689

Mike Feinberg
Co-founder
KIPP Schools
San Francisco, CA
415-874-7377

David Bloomfield
Associate professor of educational administration and policy
Brooklyn College
Brooklyn, NY
718-951-5608

Michelle Fine
Professor of Social Psychology
Graduate Center of the City University of New York
New York, NY
212-817-8710

Naomi Housman
Director
National High School Alliance
Washington, DC
202-822-8405

Lorna Jimerson
Policy analyst
Rural Schools and Community Trust
Charlotte, VT
802-425-2497

James Kemple
Director of K-12 education
MDRC
New York, NY
212-532-3200

Susan Robinson King
Vice president, Public affairs
Carnegie Corporation
New York, NY
212-371-3200

Michael Klonsky
Director
Small Schools Workshop
Chicago, IL
773-384-1030

Leslie Santee Siskin
Professor
Columbia University Teachers College
New York, NY
212-678-3726

Becky Smerdon
Director
National High School Center
Washington, DC
800-634-0503

Marty Strange
Policy director
Rural Schools and Community Trust
Randolph, VT
802-728-4383

Christopher B. Swanson
Director
Editorial Projects in Education's Research Center
Bethesda, MD
301-280-3103

Tom Van der Ark
Executive director, Education division
Gates Foundation
Seattle, Washington
206-709-3400
(Marie Groark is communications director)

Elliot Weinbaum
Researcher
University of Pennsylvania's Consortium for Policy Research in Education
Philadelphia, PA
215-573-0700

Bob Wise
Director
Alliance for Excellent Education
Washington, DC
202-828-0828

FEC's Campaign Finance Disclosure Data Search

Find out who's giving money to which candidates, read summary reports about the political parties and more at the Federal Election Commission's Campaign Finance Disclosure Data Search Web site.

Characteristics of the 100 Largest School Districts

The National Center for Education Statistics provides a synopsis on 2008-09 data for the nation's largest school districts. It looks at graduation rates, per-pupil expenditures, teacher characteristics, among other things. National Center for Education Statistics, November 2010

College- and Career-Ready
This report released by Education Sector examines graduation rates and data can be used to hold high schools accountable for student achievement. Chad Aldeman, Education Sector, Jan. 12, 2010

The Career/Technical Education Statistics

If you are writing a story about career and technical education and need some data, check out the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) website. The Career/Technical Education Statistics section includes information on the secondary/high school, post-secondary/college career education and adult education. You can get information on 10-year educational trends, student enrollment, financial aid, faculty and state data.  5/1/2009

The Condition of Education 2009 is an integrated collection of the indicators and analyses and is produced by the National Center for Education Statistics. 6/2/2009

Teens and Internet Life
Friday, March 20, 2009

Teens and Internet Life

Early College High School Initiative: Lessons from the Lone Star State
Jobs for the Future released this report which analyzes the challenges of blended high school and college programs targeted to low-income, first-generation students in the state of Texas which is considered the national leader in this initiative, with 29 programs. 3/5/2009

The Misplaced Math Student: Lost in Eighth-Grade Algebra
The Brookings Institution analyzes the disadvantages of eighth graders taking Algebra I when they are not prepared. Tom Loveless, senior fellow and director of the Brown Center on Education at Brookings, is the lead author of the report.
by Brookings Institution , 12/12/2008

IF IT CATCHES MY EYE pdf
Teenagers aren't much into following serious news online, but news organizations can -and should - cultivate their interest by learning how to catch their eyes, diminish their angst, go where they are, enlist parents and teachers in the cause, and help teens develop a "news persona," according to a study released by the Media Management Center at Northwestern University.
Media Management Center, Northwestern University - Vivian Vahlberg, Limor Peer, Mary Nesbitt,, 1/18/2008

Why Rural Matters 2007
Why Rural Matters 2007 is the fourth in a series of biennial reports analyzing the importance of rural education in each of the 50 states and calling attention to the urgency with which policymakers in each state should address rural education issues.
The Rural School and Community Trust - Jerry Johnson and Marty Strange, 10/23/2007

The Postsecondary Achievement of Participants in Dual Enrollment: An Analysis of Student Outcomes in Two States
The Community College Research Center has released a report about the positive outcomes of dual enrollment programs for high school students. Researchers tracked high school and college outcomes for dual enrollment participants in New York City and Florida.
Community College Research Center - Melinda Mechur Karp, Juan Carlos Calcagno, Katherine L. Hughes,Dong Wook Jeong & Thomas R. Bailey , 10/17/2007

Are Private High Schools Better Academically Than Public High Schools?
The study released by the Center on Education Policy (CEP) examines 12 years of data that finds students who attended private schools didn't have much of an advantage over their peers who attended public high schools in regard to test scores, career happiness, and civic engagement. Family involvement is key and the study finds that low-income students from urban public high schools generally did as well if they had a good support system.
Center on Education Policy (CEP) - Harold Wenglinsky, 10/10/2007

Restoring Value to the High School Diploma: The Rhetoric and Practice of Higher Standards pdf

'07 Knight survey shows most high school students haven't heard about Constitution Day
Three years after a new federal law took effect requiring schools to educate all students about the Constitution and the First Amendment, a new survey shows that a majority of America's students aren't even aware that Constitution Day exists.
The Knight Foundation - David Yalof and Ken Dautrich, 9/17/2007

GRADUATION MATTERS: How NCLB allows states to set the bar too low for improving high school grad rates
Despite the national focus on reforming America's high schools, most states are setting woefully low goals for improving graduation rates and are not setting goals for ensuring that more low-income, minority, disabled and English language learner students graduate, according to this report from The Education Trust.
The Education Trust - Daria Hall, 8/1/2007

Pathways to Prevention:The Latino Male Droput Crisis
Institutional barriers within schools, such as tracking, along with cultural factors, create significant obstacles in the pathways to success for Latino males, according to this report. Its conclusion is that by dropping out, these young men are greatly affecting their futures, their future families, and their community in ways that someone so young cannot readily understand.
Arizona State University Center for Community Development and Civil Rights, 7/13/2007

Southern Regional Education Board's Fact Book on Higher Education
Billed as one of the nation's most comprehensive collections of comparative data on higher education, the Fact Book has data on long-term trends and developments in higher education in 16 southern states. State-by-state summaries and quick facts are also included.
Southern Regional Education Board, 7/1/2007

The Condition of Education 2007
High school students in the United States are taking more courses in mathematics and science, as well as social studies, the arts, and foreign languages, according to an analysis of high school student coursework that is highlighted in this government report. Statistics on student achievement, school environment and a wide range of other topics related to early childhood education through postsecondary education are also included.
by National Center for Education Statistics, 5/1/2007

Graduation Rate Map: Read District-by-District Reports
A new Web site from the Editorial Projects in Education Research Center and EdWeek.org allows users to find a school district on a map and read a custom report about high school graduation rates in that district. The creators plan to add more features to the site in the next few months.
Editorial Projects in Education Research Center and EdWeek.org, 1/30/2007

Tough Choices or Tough Times
A bi-partisan commission, comprised of former Cabinet secretaries, governors, college presidents and business, civic and labor leaders, is calling for a total shakeup in how America educates its people. Its findings include ending high school at 10th grade, revamping and reducing pension systems, collective bargaining at the state -- instead of local -- level.
by The New Commission on the Skills of the American Workforce , 12/15/2006

How Well Are American Students Learning?
The report looks at the "happiness factor" in education, analyzing international data to see whether students' self-confidence and enjoyment of math and the relevance of lessons that students experience in classrooms are correlated with higher math achievement. Do nations with happier students score higher on math tests than nations in which students are not quite as happy?
Brookings Institution - Tom Loveless, 10/18/2006

High School Graduation in Texas: Independent Research to Understand and Combat the Graduation Crisis pdf
A report from the Editorial Projects in Education Research Center estimates that more than 120,000 public high school students in the state of Texas failed to graduate with a regular diploma last school year. The report found Texas' graduation rate to be 66.8 percent, much lower than the 84.2 percent the state reports.
Editorial Projects in Education Research Center - Christopher B. Swanson, 10/13/2006

Highlights of High School Initiatives
ECS launched a new database that includes highlights of promising state and district-level high school reform initiatives.
Education Commission of the States - Jennifer Dounay, 9/1/2006

State High School Exit Exams: A Challenging Year pdf
This is the fifth in a series of studies about high school exit exams in 25 states. the study concludes that despite a leveling off in the growth in state high school exit exams, the issue still affects two-thirds of high school students.
Center on Education Policy, 8/16/2006

Who's Counted? Who's Counting? pdf
This study explains why so many different graduation rates and statistics exist, addresses why states report them differently and discusses the limitations and benefits of each method.
Alliance for Excellent Education - Lyndsay Pinkus, 6/30/2006

Rethinking High School Graduation Rates and Trends
The authors argue that recent analyses of high school graduation rates exaggerate the problem. Black students, for instance, have a completion rate of 75 percent, not 50 percent, Mishel and Deepjoy of the Economic Policy Institute charge.
Economic Policy Institute - Lawrence Mishel and Joydeep Roy, 4/21/2006

Leaving Boys Behind: Public High School Graduation Rates pdf
This study shows public high school graduation rates in 2003 for the U.S., all states and the 100 largest school districts in the country. According to the data, the overall graduation rate was 70 percent. Female students graduated at a rate of 72 percent while male students graduated at a rate of 65 percent - this gender gap was more pronounced for minorities.
Manhattan Institute - Jay P. Greene and Marcus A. Winters, 4/19/2006

Troubling Questions About Online Education

Colorado taxpayers will spend $100 million this year on online schools that are largely failing their elementary and high school students, state education records and interviews with school officials show. Burt Hubbard and Nancy Mitchell, Education News Colorado, Oct 4th, 2011.

Public High School Grads Struggle at College

A Tribune analysis of data available to Illinois citizens for the first time raises fundamental questions about how well the state's public high schools are preparing their students for college. The data show these students struggle to get a B average as freshmen at the state's universities and community colleges, even after leaving top-performing high schools with good grades. In fact, public school graduates at 10 of the state's 11 four-year universities averaged less than a 3.0 GPA their freshman year. Diane Rado, Jodi S. Cohen and Joe Germuska, Chicago Tribune, Aug. 31, 2011

Segregation Nation

Omaha’s radical experiment in school integration could serve as a national model—though local resistance indicates it might be a tough sell. Sharon Lerner, American Prospect, June 20, 2011

Diplomas Count 2011: National Graduation Rate Rebounds

A new national report from Education Week and the Editorial Projects in Education Research Center finds that the nation’s graduation rate has increased significantly, following two consecutive years of declines and stagnation. With this dramatic turnaround, the nation’s graduation rate stands at 72 percent, the highest level of high school completion in more than two decades. Education Week, June 9, 2011

Diploma in Hand, But Unprepared for College

Large numbers of high school graduates are surprised to learn the diplomas they were handed in June don't necessarily mean they're ready for college in the fall. Nearly 45 percent of community college students and 27 percent of four-year college students have taken at least one remedial course, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. Alfred Lubrano, Philadelphia Inquirer, June 6, 2011

Are high school seniors Googling their way to graduation?

Former staffers of a Denver high school claim that seniors in the credit recovery program were allowed to cheat on computer-generated tests in order to graduate last year and that they were encouraged and even helped by an administration desperate to improve graduation rates. Melanie Asmar, Westword, May 25, 2011

Ranking America's High Schools

Since 1998, The Washington Post’s Jay Mathews has ranked Washington-area public high schools using the Challenge Index, his measure of how effectively a school prepares its students for college. In 2011, the Post expanded its research to high schools across the United States. May 22, 2011

High School Classes May Be Advanced in Name Only

Even though students are getting more credits in more advanced courses, they are not scoring any higher on standardized tests. Sam Dillon, New York Times, April 25, 2011

High School Diploma Mills Issuing Virtually Worthless Diplomas in Florida

In today’s competitive economy getting a high school diploma or its equivalent has become almost mandatory for people struggling to find a job. But there’s an entire industry taking advantage of those who need that diploma. CBS Miami, Feb. 21, 2011

Suicide Turns Attention to Fairfax Discipline Procedures

Nick Stuban was all about football, a quick-footed linebacker at W.T. Woodson High School in Fairfax County, Va. who did well in the classroom. His history teacher described the 15-year-old as a "model student," and his German teacher was impressed by his enthusiasm for language. His attendance record was nearly perfect. That changed Nov. 3, when Nick was suspended from school for buying a capsule of a substance known as JWH-018, a synthetic compound with a marijuana-like effect. Donna St. George, Washington Post, Feb. 20, 2011

Pa. Teacher Strikes Nerve With 'Lazy Whiners' Blog

A high school English teacher in suburban Philadelphia who was suspended for a profanity-laced blog in which she called her young charges "disengaged, lazy whiners" is driving a sensation by daring to ask: Why are today's students unmotivated — and what's wrong with calling them out? Patrick Walters, Associated Press, Feb. 16, 2011

A School Where Grades Are Tops, But Test Scores Are Not

Students at the San Diego Metropolitan Career and Technical High School, known as the Met, were more likely to get As and Bs than kids at any San Diego high school last year. Nearly three out of four students had at least a B average in grades 10 to 12, almost twice the average at local schools. But Met students didn't have the highest scores on the range of tests eyed by colleges and the state. Emily Alpert, Voice of San Diego, Jan. 17, 2011

Virtually Worthless

Students filing complaints against an online school that lacks proper accreditation underscore a fundamental problem in distance learning and online education. Dozens of organizations accredit schools, but the U.S. higher education community at large only recognizes a handful of accrediting organizations as legitimate, education experts said. If you obtain a high school diploma from an organization not widely recognized by colleges and post-secondary schools, as Rodriguez did, then your degree is worthless. Mc Nelly Torres, Florida Center for Investigative Reporting, Dec. 22, 2010

Nearly 1 in 4 Fails Military Exam

Nearly one-fourth of the students who try to join the U.S. Army fail its entrance exam, painting a grim picture of an education system that produces graduates who can't answer basic math, science and reading questions, according to a new study released Tuesday. Christine Armario and Dorie Turner, Associated Press, Dec. 21, 2010

How Will Suburban Schools Handle the New Influx of Immigrants?

In the next 20 years, the schools in need of the most help may not be the schools in inner cities like Newark or Detroit. Instead, they may be in far-flung suburbs and exurbs, where immigrants are flocking in increasing numbers, according to new projections from the U.S. Census Bureau. Sarah Garland, Hechinger Report, Dec. 15, 2010

After Rioting, Students Reflect on Changes at Murry Bergtraum

Teachers said hundreds of students began running through the hallways of the Manhattan high school, screaming and pushing each other, after new executive principal Andrea Lewis told students that the schools’ bathrooms would be closed for the day. But students said the incident was fueled by frustration over changes Lewis has made since she became principal at the beginning of this year. Kate Schimel, GothamSchools, Dec. 10, 2010

Kentucky Auditors Put Microscope on 3 Low Performing Louisville Schools

Doss, Fairdale and Seneca high schools — among six Jefferson County schools recently placed on a list of Kentucky's 10 “persistently low achieving” schools — are under the microscope this week by auditors who will judge whether the staff at each school has the leadership and teaching capabilities to raise low test scores. Chris Kenning and Antoinette Konz, Louisville Courier-Journal, Dec. 8, 2010

Report: 'Dropout Factories' on Decline in U.S.

The number of so-called "dropout factory" high schools in the United States has declined since 2002, translating into at least 100,000 more students getting a diploma, a new report shows. Dorie Turner, The Associated Press, Nov. 30, 2010

Some Central Falls High School Teachers Rated 'Unsatisfactory' in New Evaluation

Until this fall, teacher evaluations at Central Falls High School, like many other schools in Rhode Island, didn’t mean much. Unlike previous evaluations, the new ones carry consequences. Administrators said they would use the findings to make hiring decisions for the 2011-2012 school year. Jennifer D. Jordan, Providence Journal, Nov. 29, 2010

Isle Grads Ill-Prepared for College

More than a third of Hawaii public school graduates who enrolled in the University of Hawaii system following graduation last year needed remedial instruction in math or English, according to a new school-by-school report that helps paint a picture of the college- and career-readiness of the 2009 graduating class. Mary Vorsino, Honolulu Star-Advertiser, Nov. 22, 2010

College-Bound, But Not College-Ready

Eight of 10 public high school juniors in Illinois weren't considered ready for college classes in all subjects based on ACT testing last spring — and many students missed the mark even at posh suburban Chicago schools that graduate some of the state's brightest kids. Diane Rado, Tara Malone and Joe Mahr, Chicago Tribune, Nov. 12, 2010

Your Child Left Behind

When researchers compared the best and the brightest from individual states to similar students in other countries, not a single state made it into the top dozen contenders on the list. Massachusetts came closest at no. 17. Mississippi ranked with Thailand and Serbia. Amanda Ripley, The Atlantic, December 2010

Sci Academy a Bright Spot in New Orleans School Landscape

New Orleans Charter Science and Mathematics Academy -- known as Sci Academy -- is posting the best test scores of any high school in the city outside of Lusher and Ben Franklin, both of which have selective admissions. Many of the city's other non-selective high schools, particularly those run by the Recovery School District, are languishing. Cindy Chang, The Times-Picayune, Nov. 7, 2010

Dropouts Try to Find Their Way Back In

Frederick Dixson is No. 104 on a waiting list of about 800 students at Indianapolis' Excel Center, a charter school that opened this fall to give dropouts a second or third chance.The center, operated by Goodwill Education Initiatives, set its enrollment at 200 students, then increased it to 300. But that isn't enough. Sarah Butrymowicz, The Hechinger Report, Oct. 31, 2010

Needing Students, Maine School Hunts in China

Faced with dropping enrollment and revenue, the high school in Millinocket, Maine has fixed on an unlikely source of salvation: Chinese teenagers. Abby Goodnough, The New York Times, Oct. 27, 2010

Fewer Black Males are Dropping Out in Baltimore

Black male students in Baltimore are staying in school and receiving their diplomas in higher numbers, school officials said on Wednesday, raising hope that future generations of city youths will gain skills needed for success in life. Liz Bowie, Baltimore Sun, Oct. 20, 2010

College Grads Expand Lead in Job Security

Two classmates illustrate a divide between the fortunes of Americans with college degrees and those without. It's not only that the college educated earn more, but that they are far more likely to keep their jobs when times get tough. By some measures, recession has exacerbated the divide. The unemployment rate for workers 25-and-older with a bachelor's degree or higher was 4.6% in August, for example, compared with 10.3% for those with just a high-school diploma. By Conor Dougherty, Wall Street Journal, Sept. 20, 2010

Gwinnett schools still grapple with growth
When Julia Stausser began freshman year at super-sized Mill Creek High in Hoschton, her parents gave her these tips on surviving crowds: Don’t be afraid to ask for help if you get lost in the hallways or on a difficult assignment. D. Aileen Dodd, Atlanta Journal Constitution, Sept. 9, 2010

Young illegal immigrants get chance to learn but not earn
Federal law bans public schools from denying admission to illegal immigrants. Between 50,000 and 70,000 of them graduate each year from American high schools, up to 16,000 of them in Texas. No such law exists for public universities, though 10 states including Texas provide some form of in-state tuition aid to illegal immigrants. Jessica Meyers, The Dallas Morning News, June 29, 2010

Florida high schools boosting graduation rates by removing struggling students from rolls
Florida high schools have been boosting their graduation rates for years by transferring thousands of struggling students to adult-education centers and then removing them from school rolls as if they didn't exist.Dave Weber, Orlando Sentinel, May 11, 2010

As College Wait Lists Grow, So Does The Anxiety
An unusually large number of high school seniors this year are still waiting to find out where they're going to college this fall, because colleges have put more of them on wait lists. One of the 10,000 students wait-listed this year at the University of California is Jevante Davis, who had his heart set on UC-Santa Barbara. Tovia Smith, National Public Radio, April 22, 2010

No Child Left Behind embraces 'college and career readiness'
The current buzz phrase in education is 'college and career readiness.' It's even part of Obama's vision for a revised No Child Left Behind law. But what does it mean? Is it real progress in education reform? Amanda Paulson, The Christian Science Monitor, March 24, 2010

13% of seniors may miss out on high school diplomas
More than 8,000 Minnesota high school seniors are in danger of not graduating this spring because they have not passed state tests that for the first time will be required for a diploma.Emily Johns, Minneapolis Star Tribune, March 2, 2010

New Approach Would Let High Schoolers Graduate Early
In an experiment that could reshape American secondary education, high schools in eight states will introduce new courses next year, along with a battery of tests for sophomores, that will allow students who pass to get a diploma two years early and immediately enroll in community college. Sam Dillon, The New York Times, Feb. 17, 2010

Homeless in high school
The number of high school students who become homeless after turning 18 has increased dramatically in recent years, far outpacing the few housing assistance programs available to them, say advocates for the homeless. Some youths leave home voluntarily to escape abusive situations, and others are forced out by parents or relatives. Brian R. Ballou, The Boston Globe, Feb. 16, 2010

Large High Schools in the City Are Taking Hard Falls
The boos cascaded over the auditorium as a city education official read out the case against Christopher Columbus High School, one of the last remaining large high schools in the Bronx.Columbus has had "long history of sustained academic failure” and “chronically poor performance and low demand,” Santiago Taveras, a deputy chancellor, told the standing-room crowd. As a result, he said, it should be closed. But the frustrated teachers, soft-spoken students and former football players who stood up at the hearing said otherwise. They described a school that had served some students well, despite the difficult circumstances faced by many. They told of a school that, even after the city identified it as struggling, continued to receive ever-growing proportions of the city's most demanding students — the very students that needed the most help. Sharon Otterman, The New York Times, Jan. 25, 2010

Where They Are, Why They're Gone: Three 9th Grade Dropouts

About 12,000 kids drop out of school in Chicago every year. At Robeson High School, a special project this year has tried to keep freshmen on course to graduate. Despite that, students have slipped away—they’ve stopped coming to school for a whole variety of reasons. Once they’re gone, the chances that anyone will find them are slim. Linda Lutton, Chicago Public Radio, June 12, 2009

Two students, two schools -- 20 miles and a world apart
Meet Kyle Gosselin and Henry Ramirez. Kyle attends La Cañada High; Henry was at South L.A.'s Jefferson High before moving to Texas. Their backgrounds may be worlds apart, but their dreams are similar. Mitchell Landsberg, Los Angeles Times , June 22, 2009. 

Taking the $ATs

Before the financial crisis hit, eighth-graders across the country were scheduled to take a new test this fall*, their first to get into college. The exam is called ReadiStep, and it's a new standardized test that simultaneously says it's "low-stakes" while also being a "vital step" toward getting ready to get a bachelor's degree. But the test is not provided by the federal government. Nor is it a brainchild of state and local school boards or mandated by No Child Left Behind. It's provided by the College Board, the same organization that administers the PSAT and the SAT. Chadwick Matlin, The Big Money.com, 5/15/2009

No easy road

The Notebook explores what it takes to keep freshmen students on track to graduation.

Let's Talk About Sex
by Alison Lobron
With US sex education heading into its second century, some educators are suggesting that sex ed can, and should, be about more than just all the things that can go wrong, that adults need to do more than robotically recite statistics about condom failure or the merits of abstinence. This new approach, almost too small to be called a movement, exists largely outside the public schools, but it's a new twist in a debate that often gets bogged down in finger-pointing and name-calling.
The Boston Globe, 2/1/2009

The Local List: Challenge Index 2008 Well-Connected Parents Take On School Boards
For a new generation of well-wired activists in the Washington region, it's not enough to speak at Parent-Teacher Association or late-night school board meetings. They are going head-to-head with superintendents through e-mail blitzes, social networking Web sites, online petitions, partnerships with business and student groups, and research that mines a mountain of electronic data on school performance.
The Washington Post - Michael Alison Chandler, 1/30/2009