Four years to three

Financial incentives are offered in Idaho, Indiana, Minnesota, South Dakota, and Utah to students who complete high school in fewer than four years, reports Kimberly Railey in USA TODAY. Although exact figures are elusive, the increasing creation of these programs, which lower district instructional costs, suggests their popularity may be growing among students. In Indiana, for example, scholarships to students who graduated early rose from 17 in 2011-12 to 204 in 2012-13, a 1,100 percent increase. They are also cropping up at the local level: The Dallas Independent School District, second largest in Texas, is creating a three-year high school proposal that would direct savings toward pre-kindergarten programs, which would take effect for 2014-15 if approved. Across the nation, fewer than 3 percent of students graduate high school early, according to the National Center for Education Statistics' most recent report from 2004. About half of states have policies that allow the practice. Proponents of the programs say they help reduce state spending and can give students a jump-start on college and careers. The programs often target low-income students, who face the highest barriers to access and success in college. More

Source:  Public Education News Blast

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Los Angeles Education Partnership (LAEP) is an education support organization that works as a collaborative partner in high-poverty communities