GOOD NEWS FOR GRADUATION RATES: Nation’s High School Graduation Rate Highest Since 1974 Article

On January 22, the U.S. Department of Education released new data showing that the nation’s high school graduation rate rose 2.7 percentage points to 78.2 percent, the highest level in more than three decades based on a measurement called Averaged Freshman Graduation Rate (AFGR).

STRENGTHENING TEACHING AND LEARNING: New Hampshire’s Shift Away From “Seat Time” Offers Lessons for All States, New Alliance Report Finds Article

For a century, most students have advanced from grade to grade based on the number of days they spend in class, but New Hampshire schools have moved from “seat time” and toward “competency-based learning,” which advances students when they have mastered course content.

FEDERAL UPDATE: U.S. Department of Education Receives Requests for NCLB Waivers from Seven More States; Receives Intent from Nearly 900 Applicants Under Race to the Top-District Competition Article

On September 10, the U.S. Department of Education announced that it received requests for additional flexibility under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act.

THE CONDITION OF COLLEGE AND CAREER READINESS 2012: Only 25 Percent of 2012 High School Graduates Considered “College Ready” in Four Core Subjects, According to ACT Results Article

Only one in four high school graduates from the Class of 2012 who took the ACT college- and career-readiness exam were considered “college ready” in English, reading, mathematics, and science, according to The Condition of College & Career Readiness 2012, released by ACT on August 22.

STATE OF THE STATE ADDRESSES: Spotlighting Speeches by Governors in Illinois, Mississippi, New Hampshire, and Tennessee Article

Thirty-five States and DC Committed to Celebrate Digital Learning Day: States Pledge Support for National Awareness Campaign Highlighting Technology’s Role in School Reform and Strengthening Instructional Practices Article

To date, more two-thirds, or thirty-five, of the fifty states, plus the District of Columbia, have signed up as partners in support of the first-ever national Digital Learning Day taking place on Wednesday, February 1, 2012.