Diploma Matters

Book excerpt: DIPLOMA MATTERS In our current education system too many high school students wind up with too few choices. Students are locked into what is decided for them by a broken system. Too often, they are handed a diploma that holds an empty promise. This practical field book is filled with effective tools from The Education Trust–West. Diploma Matters helps school leaders and teachers examine the current high school experience and develop a detailed action plan that will transform curriculum and ensure that all students are ready for college and the workplace. “This is a book for practitioners who have seen it all. Linda Murray captures in a straight-forward way the nuts and bolts of how to do the work of reform. Linda, who was an extraordinary superintendent, proves to be a captivating storyteller.” —PETER J. NEGRONI, senior vice president, College Board “This is a story worth reading, including the specific implications for schools and districts nationwide.” —MICHAEL W. KIRST, emeritus professor of Education and Business Administration, Stanford University; president, California State Board of Education; author, Political Dynamics Of American Education “This book is a definitive ‘how to’ for effective, meaningful, and lasting school reform.” —KATHY BURKHARD, former president, San Jose Teachers’ Association