Colorado high schools need major changes if the state is going to lower its dropout rate and better prepare students for college, a report by the Colorado Commission for High School Improvement says.
“Raising the Bar: Policy Recommendations for High School Reform” is available online from the Colorado Small Schools Initiative. ()
The bipartisan group of education policy experts and community leaders from Colorado recommends adoption of a statewide standard for calculating high school graduation rates, a requirement that all high school students apply to a postsecondary institution, and systems to track student progress from middle school to college.
Colorado has one of the highest dropout rates in the nation, and only 29 percent of the state’s high school students take the coursework required to attend college, says the report.
