States Must Beef Up Diploma Demands, Study Maintains

States should toughen their high school graduation requirements and test to reflect the English and math skills that students actually need to succeeds in college. To identify what those skills are, the American Diploma Project analyzed employment data and conducted research with more than 300 higher education official, front-line manager, and K-12 leaders. Findings revealed that benchmarks in mathematics reflect content from Algebra 1 and 2, geometry and data analysis and statistics. In English, they demand strong oral and written communication skills, as well as analytical and research skills typically associated with honors and advance-level courses. Most states require these benchmarks for their high school graduates however, such ambitious targets cause dismay among other states. Details of the report are presented.