Opening Doors: College- and Career-Ready High School Graduation Requirements

Tuesday, June 29, 2010Printer-friendly version

Five years ago when Achieve first started tracking progress on the college- and career-ready policy agenda, there were only three states that had set their high school graduation requirements at a level that would ensure college and career readiness for all students. Today, that number stands at 21 states, covering more than half of the students in the U.S.

The states that have college- and career-ready graduation requirements are: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas and Washington - and the District of Columbia. These states have made the commitment to ensure that all students have access to a well-rounded, rigorous curriculum that will prepare them for success in life after high school. 

But what do "college- and career-ready" graduation requirements actually mean? Simply put, "college and career readiness" refers to the core foundational knowledge and skills high school graduates must possess to be prepared for further education or training after high school. One way states can ensure students gain these knowledge and skills is by requiring them to take a well-rounded, rigorous curriculum in order to earn a diploma. Achieve's research suggests that for high school graduates to be prepared for success in postsecondary settings, they need to take four years of challenging mathematics - including content at least through Algebra II or its equivalent - and four years of rigorous English aligned with college- and career-ready standards. Taking such a rigorous course of study in high school aligned to college and career expectations is one of the strongest predictors of whether a student ultimately will meet his or her postsecondary goals.

Earlier this month Achieve hosted a convening for states that have raised their graduation requirements or are in the process of doing so. Teams included representatives from state departments of education, governors' offices, higher education, legislators, and business and advocacy organizations. The meeting focused on the most significant implementation challenges states are facing, including academic supports for students, teacher capacity, the availability of quality curricular pathways, strategies for increasing graduation rates, alignment with postsecondary placement standards and first year courses, and communications and outreach strategies. Time was also spent on strategies for sustaining the graduation policies through political transitions, as many of the states may experience turnover in governors or other key officials as a result of the 2010 elections.