Legal Analysis
Throughout the course of our work, we have been conscious of the need to ensure that the American Diploma Project (ADP) recommendations can be implemented within the framework of current state and federal law. This "brief" addresses the issues surrounding the purpose, validity, administration and potential use of state graduation assessments for various purposes such as college admission, college placement or hiring, as well as the issue of students' opportunity to learn. It analyzes federal legal issues to reveal how federal laws and legal principles may be implicated by the implementation of ADP goals, to provide a legal framework for states to analyze their ADP-related efforts, and to recommend ways to minimize legal risk. It also recommends ways in which states might anticipate legal requirements as they seek to achieve ADP goals.

For more information, download a PDF file of Standards Reform, Federal Law, and the American Diploma Project: A Framework for Making Legally Sound Decisions.