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New York's Board of Regents has phased out the general diploma
option and implemented technical endorsement instead. Schools have
to meet stringent criteria to earn the right to award technical
endorsements. Also, the City University of New York for several
years has used data from the New York Regents exams for placement
purposes. Despite predictions that doing so would cause applications
to decline, applications have increased steadily since the
implementation of the policy.
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Starting with the graduating class of 2008, all students in Texas
will be required to complete the state's college and workplace
readiness curriculum, known as the Recommended High School Program
(RHSP), to graduate. Texas requires the approval of both a counselor
and parent for a student to opt out of the RHSP and into the Minimum
Graduation Program.
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Additionally in Texas, last year the state department of education
revised all of its assessments to reflect the state's more rigorous
content standards, which compare favorably to ADP benchmarks. State
officials then set two different "cut scores" on the revised high
school assessments - one score to determine whether a student is
ready to graduate and another to determine whether a student is
ready for college. The revised assessments eventually may replace
the less rigorous test now used for college placement.
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Indiana's Education Roundtable has taken a similar step with its
college and workplace readiness curriculum (the "Core 40" curriculum),
and other states such as South Carolina and Tennessee are considering
doing so as well. The Indiana plan will require all students in the
state to follow a college and workplace readiness curriculum. The
state is revising the content of both its 10th grade Graduation
Qualifying Exam and its Core 40 end-of-course assessments to reflect
the fullest possible range of content deemed necessary by Indiana
postsecondary faculty and employers.
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The Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) weathered a
barrage of criticism when only 68% of the class of 2003 passed the
10th grade exit exam on the first try. Some urged the state to lower
the passing standard or delay the graduation requirement, but
officials instead concentrated on providing resources and support to
students who hadn't passed. By August 2003, the passing rate for
2003 seniors had climbed to 95%. Although the MCAS exit exam does
not sample all of the rigorous content in the ADP (American Diploma
Project) benchmarks, it is very strong compared to most other
states' exams.
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California education officials and faculty from the California State
University (CSU) system have developed an early assessment for use
in CSU placement decisions. Grounded primarily in California's
standards-based tests for 11th grade, the early assessment also will
provide students diagnostic information so that they have time to
receive the help they may need to be ready to enter credit-bearing
courses.
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Because a University of Washington study showed that the Washington
state high school assessment is as good a predictor of college GPA
as the SAT, postsecondary officials have agreed to use the state's
high school assessment data in scholarship, admissions and placement
decisions. Several technical revisions are being made to the K-12
and postsecondary systems before the new system is implemented.
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Two efforts are under way in Kentucky to connect secondary and
postsecondary expectations through assessments. The Kentucky Early
Mathematics Testing Program (KEMTP) offers a voluntary, online test
to help high school sophomores and juniors see if they are on track
for college math and close any learning gaps. Data have demonstrated
a correlation between students' KEMTP scores and their college
mathematics grades. School districts in Oklahoma, Tennessee and
Washington are using KEMTP or developing similar online testing
models. Some districts and postsecondary institutions in Kentucky
also are piloting the use of the state writing assessment as a
placement tool for freshman English courses, which may prompt
similar statewide use.
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As Nevada refines its high school proficiency exam to sample more of
the college- and work-ready content in its state standards, the
University and Community College System of Nevada (UCCSN) Board of
Regents is working to address college readiness in other ways. The
UCCSN gained legislative authority last year to define a core high
school curriculum as part of the eligibility requirements to receive
the state's Millennium Scholarship for college. Using the ADP
benchmarks to inform the process, the UCCSN will send a clear signal
about what students need to have learned to be successful in college.
Previously, the scholarships were awarded based primarily on grade
point averages (American Diploma Project, 2004).
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The National Association of System Heads (NASH) K-16 State Network
helps states to build a common framework among higher education and
K-12 leaders (such as chancellors, CEOs and superintendents) by
creating a K-16 approach to education reform; and to build capacity
of senior staff leaders (for example, vice chancellors of academic
affairs, deputy superintendents, etc.) participating in K-16 to
carry out the tasks of K-16 initiatives.
The following 22 states participate in the Network, each represented
by "teams" that include leaders from higher education, K-12, business
and community organizations.
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Alabama |
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Maryland |
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North Carolina |
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Arkansas |
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Mississippi |
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Ohio |
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California |
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Missouri |
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Oregon |
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Florida |
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Nebraska |
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Pennsylvania |
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Georgia |
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Nevada |
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Texas |
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Illinois |
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New Mexico |
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Vermont |
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Kentucky |
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New York |
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Wisconsin |
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Louisiana |
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