Students who earn the award also gain recognition from their schools and communities. Most schools honor award recipients at a school assembly, have award recipients wear special ribbons at graduation and prepare newspaper articles about the award and its recipients. Schools also may want to recognize award recipients who complete all three performance goals. The assessment is a good predictor of how students will perform on reading and mathematics placement tests at postsecondary institutions. Students who meet the HSTW reading and mathematics performance goals are more likely to pass such tests.
Schools benefit from having good information to develop and revise their improvement plans.
Each school receives reports that summarize students' average scores on the tests, reveal students' course-taking patterns and tell how students responded to survey questions about their high school experiences. These reports enable schools to link academic performance to school and classroom practices. Teachers, counselors and administrators use the results to raise expectations and strengthen curriculum and instruction in preparing youths for jobs and further education. Some HSTW sites hold a pep rally a month or so in advance to pump students up for the assessment. The principal tells why it is just as important for students to do their best on the tests as it is for them to excel on the basketball court or the football field.