With the addition of four states to the American Diploma Project Network, just over half the states—26—are now involved in the high school improvement initiative.
Arizona, Hawaii, Maine, and New Mexico joined the network run by Achieve Inc., the Washington-based nonprofit group announced last week.
The network’s members agree to align high school standards, assessments, curricula, and graduation requirements with what employers and colleges expect of students.
The membership has doubled since Achieve formed the network after the February 2005 summit on high schools attended by state governors and national business leaders.
With the newly announced additions, the project’s member states enroll more than half the total U.S. public school population, or nearly 25 million students, Achieve said.