National Governors Association

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National Governors Association Center for Best
Practices
High School RedesignHonor States Grant Program
Education Trust 2007 National Conference
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Our Theory of Action

• (Political Will Discretionary Resources) X
  (Critical Friends)

Policies that increase readiness for
college/careers
Redesigning the American High School NGA Center
for Best Practices Honor States program
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So, what are we doing?

• Build Political Will
• 2005 NGA/Achieve National Education Summit on
  High Schools
• Unveiled Action Agenda and Graduation Rate
  Compact
• Launched the Innovation America Initiative and
  other Next Generation reform efforts
• Invest Resources
• High School Honor States Grant Program
• 23.6m Governor-led initiative across 26 states
• Supported by coalition of national Foundations
• 2007 STEM-focused challenge grants
• Act as Critical Friends
• NGA, Achieve, others

Redesigning the American High School NGA Center
for Best Practices Honor States program
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Building and Sustaining an Agenda Through State
Action

• Restore Value to Diploma college/ work
  standards, end of course exams, graduation
  requirements, dual enrollment options
• Redesign High Schools adolescent literacy,
  dropout recovery and prevention, C/TE, whole
  school redesign, ninth grade transition programs
• Teacher Quality instructional practice change
  strategies
• K16 Governance K16 Longitudinal Data Systems,
  K16 Councils, postsecondary accountability systems

Redesigning the American High School NGA Center
for Best Practices Honor States program
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Building and Sustaining an Agenda Through State
Action

• Five Non-negotiables
• Each state must
• Set 2 and 10yr performance goals to improve
  high school graduation and college ready rates
• Enact P16 governance structure
• Participate in National Education Data
  Partnership
• Implement a communication campaign
• Adhere to Graduation Rate Compact

Redesigning the American High School NGA Center
for Best Practices Honor States program
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Phase I accomplishments
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for Best Practices Honor States program
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Lessons Learned

• Ph1 grants catalyze a broader reform agenda
• Quality control -gt systemic approach
• Common goal, shared responsibility
• Maintain focus on changing systems, not
  programmatic improvements
• Critical friends are needed to sustain state
  change

Redesigning the American High School NGA Center
for Best Practices Honor States program
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Next Generation Issues for Governors

• STEM education
• Career/technical education
• Middle grades literacy/numeracy
• Postsecondary productivity
• Human capital
• Dropout prevention/recovery

Redesigning the American High School NGA Center
for Best Practices Honor States program
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www.nga.org Alex Harris [phone] aharris_at_ng
a.org
Redesigning the American High School NGA Center
for Best Practices Honor States program