Align Graduation Requirements and Diplomas to State Readiness Metrics

High school graduation requirements, for the most part, indicate which classes a state believes are necessary for learners to take to become ready for life after high school. In listening sessions with learners, administrators, and community leaders across the country, the Commission heard that four years of English class was not the only goal they have for high schoolers. The Commission heard about dreams of giving back to parents and local communities, finding meaning in their work, and securing financial stability.

To fully capture expectations for high school graduates, state policymakers, education leaders, employers, and other community stakeholders should define metrics for youth thriving and learner success, potentially through tools such as the Portrait of a Graduate.1 State leaders should also consider the skills that will help graduates adapt and succeed in a rapidly changing economy, especially as AI increasingly impacts on the future of work and reshapes society. This process could then inform a realignment of high school graduation requirements to ensure that learners are set up to succeed and thrive upon graduation.

Upon implementation of the Every Student Succeeds Act in 2015, a majority of states chose at least one college and career readiness indicator for high school accountability.2 Many of those states also embarked on a process of updating how high school accountability metrics were communicated to learners and families through school report cards and other means. The Commission believes these metrics can be improved to clearly define and communicate readiness across employment in the labor market, enlistment in the military, engagement in service, and enrollment in college. This change would allow learners and families to understand the quality and value of their high school education.

North Dakota’s Choice Ready Framework outlines the essential skills, knowledge, and experiences that all learners will graduate with, including financial literacy and community service, and defines indicators of college, career, and military readiness.3 High schools are then held accountable for the growth in the number of their graduates who demonstrate readiness to undertake at least two of the three pathways. By aligning definitions for the success of high school graduates with the state’s school accountability system, North Dakota has increased coherence and transparency for learners and educators alike.