This document is an important companion to the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) report "Getting Serious About High School Graduation." Together, they make powerful statements to policymakers and education leaders about the problems in high schools and what can be done to fix them. Teachers, policymakers, and parents have long agreed that those bound for college should take an academically challenging curriculum. However, the latest research shows that the courses once prescribed only for students preparing for college are actually necessary for all students: English; mathematics courses including Algebra II; laboratory-based science; and social studies. This report spotlights trends in dual enrollment programs, some of which are disturbing. The five-fold, 10-year increase in high school students across the nation who are taking college-level courses for both high school and college credit shows the rising popularity of the program. Dual enrollment has clearly grown beyond an opportunity for the most accelerated students and now is available to a much more diverse group of students, including those in career and technical programs. While there are likely some benefits of this change, the program needs more oversight from policymakers. Appended is: Core Courses Required for High School Graduation in SREB States. (Contains 10 tables and 3 figures.) [For the companion report, "Getting Serious About High School Graduation. Challenge to Lead Series," see ED486515.]