Through stories of youth who have not fared well at the secondary level, Raising the Grade describes the devastating impact of rising education standards and federal sanctions on public high schools at a time when such schools are woefully under-funded. With most federal dollars being targeted to elementary schools and special needs education, few resources are available for high schools for upgrading teaching and curricula, and especially for assisting the vast numbers of under-achieving students in improving their academic performance. Without extra help, such students have limited prospects of passing standards-based tests, and even less of a chance of entering college. The book details the social and economic toll of neglecting our public high school systems—spiraling dropout rates, the loss in human productivity, the price of business and college remediation, the high cost of unemployment, welfare, and incarceration—all of which impose major burdens on the nation’s communities. Describing the types of high school programs that have been proven effective for preparing students for college, the book explains why redirection of public funding is needed to extend this opportunity to all students. With a goal of mobilizing broad public support for revitalizing the public high school system, the book outlines steps that can be taken at local, state, and federal levels to make quality high schools a reality.

Table of Contents

1. America’s High School Dropout Crisis
2. The High Cost of Leaving Adolescents Behind
3. Demography as Destiny: Race and Class Inequities
4. Inside the Dropout Factories: The Graduation Rate Charade
5. Creating Quality High Schools: What Works?
6. Strengthening Adolescent Literacy: A National Priority
7. Investing in High Schools: The Critical Federal Role
8. Revitalizing High School Education: An Agenda
9. Achieving the Vision

Appendices

A. In Need of Improvement: NCLB and High Schools

B. Hidden Benefits: The Impact of High School Graduation on Household Wealth

C. The High Cost of High School Dropouts

D. Paying Double: Inadequate High Schools and Community College Remediation

E. Saving Futures, Saving Dollars: The Impact of Education on Crime Reduction and Earnings

References