High School Coursework: Policy Trends and Implications for Higher Education

A new wave of national attention has been directed to beefing up the high school curriculum and statewide policy changes are taking place with or without the involvement of the postsecondary community. To assure that the changes move in the right direction, higher education leaders must be involved.

Context
It is common knowledge that quality high school coursework is critical to college and workplace success. A Nation at Risk pointed this out in 1983, arguing that high school students need to complete a more rigorous curriculum if the nation is to remain competitive in the global economy.Since then, research has confirmed the wisdom of this recommendation. Longitudinal studies by the U.S. Department of Education have found that the academic intensity of high school courses counts more than any other pre-collegiate factor in predicting college success, and that the highest level of mathematics is a key marker in “pre-collegiate momentum.” Research by ACT, Inc. has documented that students who take the ACT-recommended core curriculum, particularly Algebra 2 and beyond, as well as biology, chemistry, and physics, have a greater chance of enrolling in college, succeeding in first-year college courses, and persisting in college.