States Notch Slow, Steady Progress Toward Consistent Graduation Goals

From exit exams to workplace-readiness standards, lawmakers and education officials are gradually adding rigor to the task of earning a high school diploma. The details vary.

By Sterling C. Lloyd

What does it take to graduate from high school in 2008? A casual glance at newspaper headlines across the country reveals the wide range of issues that state policymakers consider when addressing that question. As they set graduation requirements, political leaders and educators weigh such factors as the potential impact of graduation requirements on dropout rates, whether coursetaking requirements adequately prepare students to meet the expectations of postsecondary institutions and the workplace, and the balance between state authority and traditions of local control.

To explore an array of policies related to high school graduation, the Editorial Projects in Education Research Center surveyed the states and the District of Columbia in fall 2007. Relying mostly on data from that survey, Diplomas Count 2008 examines 18 key indicators across three general categories of state policy: definitions of college and work readiness, high school completion credentials, and exit exams.

The 50-state review conducted for Diplomas Count shows substantial variation for each...