In 2005, ten states were awarded the Phase One Honor States High School Grant. The grant was made possible with the support of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The work builds on the latest concepts and strategies to improve America’s high schools.

The National Association of State Boards of Education (NASBE) will use its information dissemination tools and professional development activities to keep state boards of education updated on the progress of the NGA Honor States Grant Program, various state and national projects, and best practices on high school reform.

The project, entitled the High School Redesign Initiative, is about providing vital information emanating from the many projects and initiatives on high school redesign across the nation to individuals who serve on state boards of education.

NASBE will provide states the opportunity to have their policies affecting high schools audited for alignment to best practices, with recommendations for policy changes. In addition, when appropriate, NASBE will also assist state boards of education in making substantive changes in their high school policies that will result in increased numbers of graduates who are prepared for work and college.

The goals and objectives of NASBE’s High School Redesign Initiative are:

• To use NASBE’s organizational expertise to analyze and evaluate state board of education policies on high schools and accompanying redesign efforts;

• To use the information dissemination tools and professional development activities of NASBE to share results from policy analysis, and to keep the membership updated on state and national projects, research and best practices on high school reform, and lessons learned from the NGA Honor States Grant Program;

• To facilitate an exchange of ideas and information on high school redesign and the Honor States Grant Program among state board members;

• To enable state boards of education to use the most comprehensive research available in making policy decisions on high school redesign; and

• To ensure that NASBE has the internal capacity to remain up-to-date on emerging issues in high school redesign and to participate in national conversations on this issue to better serve its constituency.

As the country focuses on redesigning the nation’s high schools, NASBE will continue its commitment to strengthening state leadership in education policymaking and promoting excellence in the education of all students through the High School Redesign Initiative.