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High School Curriculum and Instruction
Defining Rigorous High School Curriculum | High School Curriculum Standards
As the U.S. workplace continues to change, the skills and knowledge required of high school and college graduates change as well. Global economic forces and rapidly changing technology are placing an increased demand on students to graduate ready to perform at jobs that demand strong academic skills such as critical thinking, analytic capabilities, and literacy, as well as increased math and science proficiency. The National High School Center is dedicated to offering information, guidance, and support regarding what instructional approaches and curriculum are proven to work.
High School Curriculum Standards
Closing the Expectations Gap 2007
This report updates Achieve’s annual review of states’ progress on improving standards, graduation requirements, testing, P-16 systems, and accountability systems. Though focusing specifically on the progress made by the 29 states that comprise the American Diploma Project network, it touches on the development of these systems within out-of-network states as well.
Closing the Expectations Gap 2006
This report from Achieve, Inc. focuses on the expectations gap and its impact on high school graduates. According to the report, an increasing number of states are taking steps to align high school standards with college and workforce expectations to better prepare students and create a more meaningful high school diploma.
Deshler, D.D., & Tollefson, J.M. (2006). Strategic interventions: A research-validated instructional model that makes adolescent literacy a schoolwide priority. The School Administrator 63(4), 24-29. To access this article please click here.
Foundations for Success: The Final Report of the National Mathematics Advisory Panel
This report, the final by the National Mathematics Advisory Panel, describes the importance of mathematics education to the United States’ security and financial stability. It points out that high school education in particular is in need of repair and makes six core recommendations to strategically improve mathematics education.
High School Coursework: Policy Trends and Implications for Higher Education
This brief from the American Association of State Colleges and Universities suggests that the current trends of strengthening the high school curriculum and changing state policies could positively benefit from the involvement of the postsecondary community. For example, as noted in the brief, there has been discussion of aligning high school graduation requirements with college admissions requirements, but alignment efforts must continue to be strengthened.
Mixed Messages: What State High School Tests Communicate about Student Readiness for College
This 2003 study analyzed 66 state-administered standardized tests from 20 states to determine whether they adequately gauge whether students are prepared for introductory level college courses. The report concludes that state exams are largely not aligned with the standards generally thought to lead to college readiness and success.
Results that Matter: 21st Century Skills and High School Reform
Authored by the Partnership for 21st Century Skills, this report outlines a framework for redefining high schools in the 21st century by incorporating traditional high school core academic subjects with 21st century skills and content.
Rethinking High School: Supporting All Students to be College-Ready in Math
This report by WestEd for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation examines ways in which high schools can support students in becoming college-ready in math. More specifically, the report focuses on the following program elements which have been identified by the research: offering high-level math courses and supports; continually improving teachers’ skills and math content knowledge; and using student information to drive instruction. Profiles of three high schools that address these elements are included.
The New Educational Imperative: Improving High School Computer Science Education
This report draws attention to the need for an increased presence and standardization of a computer science curriculum within high schools. The report’s author, the Computer Science Teachers Association, compares and contrasts the ways in which computer science is taught in the United States to how the subject is taught internationally. It concludes by making suggestions to stakeholders of all levels on how to adopt a standardized and effective national computer science curriculum.
