Making Diplomas Meaningful
VOLUME 13, NUMBER 2.
On the cover
Are today’s high school graduates prepared to face the challenges of college and the workplace? Some indicators, such as dropout rates, college remediation rates, and employer surveys suggest that many are not. This issue of Northwest Education explores states’ efforts to address this issue, from increasing graduation rates to requiring high school exit exams to improving career and technical education.
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Features
High Stakes on the Home Front
Alaska’s Graduation Qualifying Exam presents challenges and opportunities for the North Pole School District.
Keeping It Real
The Boise School District’s Career and Technical Education Center closes the gap between academic and occupation-based knowledge.
Proficiency 101
Freshman academy teachers home in on what students need to know and be able to do to succeed in high school and beyond.
Finding Success in Indian Country
A Title I Distinguished School with a large Native population shrinks dropout rates with the help of parents and community members.
Helping High Schools Achieve
Michael Cohen, head of Achieve, Inc., talks about the American Diploma Project and how his organization works with states to align high school standards with postsecondary and workplace needs.
Ready, Set, Go
A Washington district boosts graduation requirements and provides supports so students are ready for college, careers, and citizenship.
Departments
Research Brief
Ensuring Students Are Ready for Life After High School
Region at a Glance
Graduation Rates and College Participation
Voices
Blazing a Trail to College
NWREL News
NWREL Experts Host National SLC Conference
Combating the Dropout Epidemic
What the Research Says (or Doesn’t Say)
A look at the best support programs for preventing ninth-grade dropouts