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Education Commission of the States' High School Policy Center

The Education Commission of the States (ECS) is an interstate compact dedicated to education policy and state efforts at improvement. ECS hosts meetings, and its Web site is an online resource for policymakers containing current state policies, vetted research, and issue-specific projects, including projects in Early Learning, High School, Leadership, Postsecondary, and Teaching Quality. Launched in 2005, the High School Policy Center (HSPC) gathers, analyzes, and disseminates information about issues and trends in high school reform at the state level. A database of state-level high school policy contains state statues, regulations, and executive orders organized under the categories of:

  • Providing opportunities for college-level credit
  • Alignment
  • High school graduation requirements
  • Curriculum and standards
  • Assessment
  • Student support and remediation
  • Accountability

The HSPC also maintains a database of high school research that has been vetted and summarized, and it produces policy briefs on emerging research and trends. In addition to its state focus, the HSPC highlights district-level initiatives with demonstrated effectiveness.

The HSPC manages the ECS high school issue site which features some of the research and state policy information from their databases, as well as offering links to other organizations and projects devoted to secondary school improvement. The issue site has identified several issues as particularly important to states and schools as they try to ensure all students are college and work ready: