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-------- ACHIEVEMENT INDICATORS -------- International Achievement in Mathematics and Science Reading Achievement Mathematics Achievement -------- OTHER INDICATORS -------- Dropout Rates Public School Revenues and Expenditures School Crime and Safety High School Transcripts, 2005 Bachelor's Degree Recipients, 10 Years Later -------- PAST INDICATORS -------- Dropout Rates, 2005 International Performance of U.S. 15-Year-Old Students in Science and Mathematics Literacy Public School Revenues and Expenditures Mathematics Achievement Reading Achievement Dropout Rates Computer and Internet Use High School Career and Technical Education (CTE) Students Food and Exercise in Elementary Schools Trends in Adult Literacy First Generation Students in Postsecondary Education Mathematics Achievement Reading Achievement The High School Senior Class of 2004 Trends in Academic Progress Dropout Rates 2002 Dual Credit in U.S. Public High Schools Gender Differences in Postsecondary Education School Crime and Safety, 2002 International Comparisons in Science and Math Trends in Education Equity of Girls and Women Full-day and Half-day Kindergarten Reading Achievement Mathematics Achievement Dropout Rate 2001 Trends in Academic Progress International Comparisons in Reading Literacy Postsecondary Enrollment of Language Minorities Volunteer Service Civics Achievement Geography Achievement History Achievement Science Achievement Writing Achievement The High School Transcript Study Postsecondary Remedial Education Student Victimization Out-of-Field Teaching Postsecondary Attainment School Crime and Safety, 2001 Internet Access

The High School Transcript Study

Total Course Credits Earned

Figure 1 shows the mean number of course credits earned by high school graduates for the years 1990, 1994, 1998, and 2000. The graduates' mean course credits increased over the 10-year period from 1990 to 2000. In 2000, high school graduates earned an average of 26.2 course credits. In 1990, high school graduates earned an average of 23.6 course credits. An increase in earned mean course credits occurred for each transcript study from 1990 to 2000. Between 1998 and 2000, for example, the mean course credits increased by nine-tenths of one credit, from 25.3 course credits to 26.2 course credits.

Figure 1. Mean course credits earned by high school graduates: 1990, 1994, 1998, and 2000

NOTE: "Course credits" refers to standardized Carnegie units.

SOURCE: Figure 1 in U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. The High School Transcript Study: A Decade of Change in Curricula and Achievement, 1990-2000. NCES 2004-455, by Robert Perkins, Brian Kleiner, Stephen Roey, and Janis Brown. Project Officer: Janis Brown. Washington, DC: 2004.

Mean Grade Point Average

Figure 2 shows the overall mean GPA of high school graduates for the years 1990, 1994, 1998, and 2000. High school graduates earned a higher overall mean GPA in 2000 than in 1990. In 2000, high school graduates earned a 2.94 overall mean GPA; in 1990, high school graduates earned a 2.68 overall mean GPA. Increases of 0.11 points occurred in the overall mean GPA between 1990 and 1994 and between 1994 and 1998.

Figure 2. Mean grade point average of high school graduates: 1990, 1994, 1998, and 2000

SOURCE: Figure 10 in U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. The High School Transcript Study: A Decade of Change in Curricula and Achievement, 1990-2000. NCES 2004-455, by Robert Perkins, Brian Kleiner, Stephen Roey, and Janis Brown. Project Officer: Janis Brown. Washington, DC: 2004

Mean Grade Point Average, by Course Subject

Table 1 shows the mean GPA of high school graduates in the 16 course subjects¹ covered by the 1990, 1994, 1998, and 2000 transcript studies. Of the 16 course subjects covered by the 2000 High School Transcript Study, mathematics and science courses proved the most difficult for high school students. High school graduates in the year 2000 earned 2.60 and 2.67 mean GPAs, respectively, for mathematics and science courses. Both the mathematics and science mean GPAs were lower than the mean GPAs the HSTS 2000 graduates earned for each of the other 14 course subjects.

¹ The High School Transcript Study uses the 16 course subjects established by the Secondary School Taxonomy. These course subjects are as follows: Mathematics, Science, English, Social Studies, Fine Arts, Foreign Languages, Computer-Related Studies, Consumer and Homemaking Education, General Labor Market Preparation, Specific Labor Market Preparation, General Skills, Personal Health and Physical Education, Religion, Military Science, Special Education, and All Other Courses.

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