Achieve is an independent, bipartisan, non-profit education reform organization based in Washington, D.C. that helps states raise academic standards and graduation requirements, improve assessments and strengthen accountability.

The American Youth Policy Forum (AYPF), a nonprofit, nonpartisan professional development organization based in Washington, DC, provides learning opportunities for policymakers, practitioners, and researchers working on youth and education issues.

AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) is a college-readiness system designed to increase the number of students who enroll in four-year colleges. Although AVID serves all students, it focuses on the least served students in the academic middle.

The Change Leadership Group (CLG) at the Harvard Graduate School of Education is a knowledge-development and capacity-building organization focused on effective strategies for school and district improvement.

The College Board is a not-for-profit membership association whose mission is to connect students to college success and opportunity. Among its best-known programs are the SAT®, the PSAT/NMSQT® and the Advanced Placement Program®.

The Education Trust's goal is to close the gaps in opportunity and achievement that consign too many young people—especially those from low-income families or who are black, Latino, or American Indian—to lives on the margins of the American mainstream.

EPIC's mission is to improve educational policy and practice that will increase student success, particularly with students historically underserved by public schools. EPIC conducts a range studies to support college and career readiness.

EPI International is a collective association of researchers and policy analysts from around the world dedicated to the mission of enhancing our knowledge of critical barriers facing students and families throughout the educational pipeline.

The Hechinger Institute exists to equip journalists with the knowledge and skills they need to produce fair, accurate and insightful reporting. Since its launch in 1996, the Institute has sponsored more than 63 Seminars for journalists covering education.

The International Baccalaureate® offers three programs for students aged 3 to 19 help develop the intellectual, personal, emotional and social skills to live, learn and work in a rapidly globalizing world.

IHEP's mission is to increase access and success in postsecondary education around the world through unique research and innovative programs that inform key decision makers who shape public policy and support economic and social development.

Lumina Foundation for Education, an Indianapolis-based, private, independent foundation, strives to help people achieve their potential by expanding access to and success in education beyond high school.

For over 30 years, the Manhattan Institute has supported and publicized research on our era's most challenging public policy issues.

The Pathways to College Network is an alliance of national organizations committed to working collaboratively to advance college access and success for underserved students.

The Pell Institute for the Study of Opportunity in Higher Education conducts and disseminates research and policy analysis to encourage policymakers, educators, and the public to improve educational opportunities and outcomes for low-income, first-generat

The Pew Charitable Trusts is driven by the power of knowledge to solve today's most challenging problems. Pew applies a rigorous, analytical approach to improve public policy, inform the public and stimulate civic life.

A nonprofit agency working at local, state, and federal levels, WestEd develops research-based programs, intervention strategies, and other resources to promote excellence, achieve equity, and improve learning for children, youth, and adults.

This report was done by J. P Greene and G. Forster of the Manhattan Institute's Center for Civic Innovation with funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Robert Balfanz of the Center for Social Organization of Schools, Johns Hopkins University, surveys the structure and demographics of today’s high schools and asks how well they are succeeding at preparing students for postsecondary schooling and training.

ACT has developed College Readiness Standards (CSRs) and their Educational Planning and Assissment System (EPAS) to help students increase their academic readiness for college.

Texas adopted the Texas College and Career Readiness Standards (CCRS) in 2008. Once fully implemented they will allow for a more seamless transition between high school and college and/or careers.