An Action Agenda for Improving America’s High Schools

Business leaders have a particularly important role
to play. They must be a strong and consistent voice
for reform. They can communicate to parents,
students, their employees and the public the skills
and knowledge it takes to succeed in the new
economy and insist states assess whether students
possess the requisite skills and knowledge.

They
also need to encourage states to collect and report
data on the performance of each high school, so
successful schools are recognized and unsuccessful
by setting meaningful benchmarks, intervening in low-performing schools and demanding increased accountability of postsecondary
institutions.

• Streamline educational governance so that the K–12 and post-
secondary systems work more closely together.

An Agenda for Action

To ensure that all high school graduates are prepared for postsecondary
education and work, governors and business and education
leaders must develop a comprehensive plan for their states to:

• Restore value to the high school diploma by revising academic standards,
upgrading curricula and coursework, and developing assessments
that align with the expectations of college and the workplace.

• Redesign the American high school to provide all students with the
higher-level knowledge and skills, educational options, and support
they must have to succeed.

• Give high school students the excellent teachers and principals they
need by ensuring teachers and principals have the necessary knowledge
and skills and by offering incentives to attract and retain the
best and brightest to the neediest schools and subjects.

• Hold high schools and colleges accountable for student success
by setting meaningful benchmarks, intervening in low-performing
schools and demanding increased accountability of postsecondary
institutions.

• Streamline educational governance so that the K–12 and post-
secondary systems work more closely together.

Sponsored by Achieve, Inc., and National Governors Association
in partnership with Business Roundtable, the Education Commission of the
States and the Hunt Institute

Full Report: http://www.achieve.org/dstore.nsf/Lookup/actionagenda2005/$file/actionagenda2005.pdf