Raising the Grade: How Secondary School Reform Can Save Our Youth and the Nation

Written by Bob Wise, former governor of West Virginia and current president of the Alliance for Excellent Education, Raising the Grade describes the alarming cost of our long-time neglect of secondary education. At a time when technology and postsecondary education requirements are rising dramatically in the workforce, the literacy skills of adolescents are not keeping pace. With most federal dollars targeted to elementary schools and higher education, few resources are allocated to improve high schools, to address the achievement gap threatening nearly 6 million students at risk of dropping out in the United States. Raising the Grade is rooted in the stories of real Americans whose high school experiences failed to engage or adequately prepare them for work or college.

Bob Wise, former governor of West Virginia from 2001–2005 and nine-term member of Congress, is president of the Alliance for Excellent Education, a national policy and advocacy organization that works to ensure that all students graduate from high school prepared for success. In his term as governor, Wise gained renown for his many education initiatives. Since joining the Alliance in 2005, Wise has become a sought-after speaker and advisor on education issues. The Alliance is based in Washington, DC (www.all4ed.org).