Are California’s High Schools Succeeding?
December 1, 2005

High drop out rates, low test scores, overcrowded classrooms and young people ill-prepared for college and/or work are just some of the concerns being voiced about the state of California’s public high schools. Policy makers and school officials are grappling with reform through initiatives such as the exit exam, increasing access to AP courses, and the creation of “small learning communities” designed to provide a more personal learning experience. Many California schools have adopted approaches that are geared towards work force preparation in careers such as health care, criminal justice, business and science. Is your school doing a good job at preparing its students for life beyond high school? Have any of the reform efforts mentioned above been implemented at your school? If so, how successful have those efforts been?