College & Workforce Readiness Blog

High School & Beyond

Some of the biggest policy debates center on high school: college and career readiness, testing, dual enrollment, career-technical education, transitions to college and work. Veteran reporter Catherine Gewertz explored them all here. This blog is no longer being updated, but you can continue to explore these issues on edweek.org by visiting our related topic pages: high schools, college & workforce readiness.

College & Workforce Readiness Dual Enrollment: Don't Restrict It to High-Achieving Students
A new study calls on states to end the practice of restricting dual-enrollment courses to high-achieving students. It argues that middle-performing students can do well, and reap big benefits, with the right support.
Catherine Gewertz, May 8, 2018
3 min read
College & Workforce Readiness Michelle Obama: Presiding Over a Much-Expanded 'College Signing Day'
In her ongoing role as cheerleader-in-chief for college-access causes, former First Lady Michelle Obama will host the 5th annual College Signing Day on May 2.
Catherine Gewertz, April 30, 2018
2 min read
College & Workforce Readiness New High School Award Hobbled by Missing Data
Many states don't report enough data to enable parents to make meaningful judgments about how well their high schools prepare students for college, GreatSchools says.
Catherine Gewertz, April 26, 2018
3 min read
College & Workforce Readiness Only 3 Percent of Adults Think High School Grads Are 'Very Prepared' for College
A new Gallup poll shows very few Americans think U.S. high school grads are "very well prepared" for college or work.
Catherine Gewertz, April 25, 2018
1 min read
Equity & Diversity African Student Wins Fight to Compete in National Poetry Contest
An African asylum-seeker won the right to perform in a national poetry competition, despite federal rules that require contestants to be citizens or permanent residents.
Catherine Gewertz, April 23, 2018
2 min read
College & Workforce Readiness Career-Tech-Ed Students: As Conscientious and Hardworking as Their Peers
Students who take a lot of career-tech-ed courses in high school are hard workers who tend to skip class less often, a new study finds.
Catherine Gewertz, April 17, 2018
2 min read
Education Social Media Is Seen as 'Fair Game' in College Admissions
A new survey finds that more than two-thirds of college admissions officers feel comfortable using students' Facebook posts as part of their deliberation process, though less than a third actually take a look.
Rachel Wegner, April 17, 2018
1 min read
College & Workforce Readiness Early-Decision Admissions as an Antitrust Violation? Justice Dept. Investigating
The U.S. Department of Justice is investigating whether colleges violate federal antitrust laws when they share information about students who have been accepted through early-decision programs.
Catherine Gewertz, April 9, 2018
1 min read
College & Workforce Readiness How High School Diploma Requirements Fall Short of College Admission Standards
A new study documents a tricky trap for students: the gap between what high schools require for graduation and what state universities require for admission.
Catherine Gewertz, April 2, 2018
5 min read
College & Workforce Readiness Obama Foundation Launches Workforce-Training Program for Chicago Youth
The Obama Foundation and the Urban Alliance have launched a program that will provide workforce training for high school students in Chicago.
Catherine Gewertz, March 23, 2018
4 min read
Federal North Dakota Is First State to Let Districts Use ACT Instead of State Exam
North Dakota has become the first state in the country to take advantage of a new kind of assessment flexibility: It won federal permission to give school districts the right to substitute the ACT for the state's own required high school test.
Catherine Gewertz, March 7, 2018
6 min read
College & Workforce Readiness Stoneman Douglas Students Get Fee Waivers for AP, SAT, and Might Get to Skip State Tests
Students at the Florida school where 17 people were shot on Feb. 14 have been exempted from fees on the SAT and Advanced Placement exams, and they might be excused from state tests.
Catherine Gewertz, March 5, 2018
2 min read
College & Workforce Readiness In Wake of Grad-Rate Scandal, D.C. Projects Sharp Decline in Diplomas
In the wake of a major graduation-rate scandal, the District of Columbia school system reports a big anticipated drop in this year's high school graduation rate.
Catherine Gewertz, March 1, 2018
2 min read
Assessment Arizona Approves a 'Menu' of Test Options, But Feds Are Concerned
Arizona has approved a new approach to testing that allows districts to choose among several high school tests. But the new system could violate federal education law.
Catherine Gewertz, February 27, 2018
1 min read