The nation's employers, college instructors and recent high school graduates are among the first to say that American high schools are not preparing enough students for success in college and the workplace. Surveys of these groups conducted by Achieve, Inc., indicate that as many as 40 percent of students who finish high school lack college- and work-ready skills and knowledge. That figure does not include the millions of young people (nearly a quarter of all students) who drop out of high school.

At the 2005 National Education Summit on High Schools, 13 states committed to making the necessary changes in policy and practice to address these challenges by joining Achieve's American Diploma Project (ADP) Network. This has doubled in size and now includes 34 states. Together, Network members are responsible for educating nearly 85% of all U.S. public school students.

Each state's governor, state superintendent of education, business leaders, and college and university leaders have committed to significantly raise the rigor of high school standards, assessments and curriculum, and better align these expectations with what graduates need to know and be able to do to be successful in college or the workforce.

ADP Network states have volunteered to pursue an ambitious agenda – beginning with the development of a comprehensive action plan – to achieve the ADP Network goals, including the following four actions:

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

Most ADP states have developed and finalized action plans. The plans publicly communicate each state's reform agenda and identify state implementation activities and timelines for the next several years. The reforms will be carried out by each state's ADP Network team, which is often led by the governor and includes state and local government officials, K–12 leaders, and members of the postsecondary and business communities, as well as leaders from civic, labor and community organizations. The makeup of these teams ensures a diverse range of input on critical decisions about each state's educational future.

Collectively, ADP Network states have moved the farthest and fastest on the first two policy goals: aligning standards and upgrading course requirements, two areas that are critical in laying the groundwork for the long-term results needed to ensure high school graduates are prepared. These areas must be addressed successfully before efforts to streamline assessments and hold high schools and colleges accountable can have the most impact.