The American Diploma Project (ADP) Network now includes 33 states that are dedicated to making sure that every high school graduate is prepared for college or work. Together, Network member states are responsible for educating nearly 80 percent of all U.S. public school students.

What Are States Doing?

Governors, state superintendents of education, business executives, and college leaders are working to bring value to the high school diploma by raising the rigor of high school standards, assessments and curriculum and aligning expectations with the demands of postsecondary education and work. The Network is building on the work begun by the American Diploma Project (ADP), an initiative launched by Achieve in partnership with The Education Trust and the Thomas B. Fordham Foundation.

In 2004, ADP published Ready or Not: Creating a High School Diploma that Counts, the result of two years of research. The report includes English and mathematics benchmarks that describe the specific content and skills that graduates must have mastered by the time they leave high school if they expect to succeed in postsecondary education or in high-performance, high-growth jobs. Subsequent reports have assessed the rigor of state high school exit exams and high school requirements.

Research shows that ADP expectations are significantly more rigorous than current high school standards, resulting in an expectations gap that explains why many high school graduates aren't prepared to succeed when they arrive at college or the workplace.

How Are States Closing the Expectations Gap?

To close the expectations gap, ADP Network states have committed to the following four actions:

• Align high school standards and assessments with the knowledge and skills required for success after high school.
• Require all high school graduates to take challenging courses that actually prepare them for life after high school.
• Streamline the assessment system so that the tests students take in high school also can serve as readiness tests for college and work.
• Hold high schools accountable for graduating students who are ready for college or careers, and holding postsecondary institutions accountable for students' success once enrolled.

Although all Network states are committed to a common set of key policy priorities, there's no one-size-fits-all approach. Each state has developed its own action plan for carrying out the agenda. Read a summary of ADP Network state action plans and view each state's profile.

Closing the Expectations Gap 2008 reports on the progress states have made.

These states are part of the ADP Network: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin.