Table: Taking Action

The “Action Agenda for Improving America’s High Schools” outlines strategies states can take to ensure that high schoolers graduate ready for work or college.

• Postsecondary and business leaders should work with K-12 educators to verify that high school academic standards reflect the knowledge and skills needed to succeed in well-paying, entry-level jobs and in credit-bearing college and university courses.

• States should require all students to complete a common set of high school courses that provide that knowledge and those skills, including specifying the core...