Advancing High School Reform in the States: Policies and Programs

In this report, the author looks at the eight federal legislative recommendations provided by the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) for high school reform identified in their field guide, Breaking Ranks II. The recommendations include: (1) increasing academic rigor, (2) personalized instruction, (3) targeted strategies to support low-performing students, (4) improving reading and writing skills, (5) assessment, (6) high-quality school leaders, (7) highly qualified teachers, and (8) high schools identified as in need of improvement. This paper provides suggestions for how states can support implementation of these recommendations.