While few teens graduate high school in three years -- around 3 percent nationwide -- the idea is gaining traction. I know a lot of kids, including one of mine, who would have benefited by compressing high school into three years.
It is possible in Georgia to finish high school in three years, but it falls on the students to push the issue.
Twenty-four other states explicitly allow early diplomas for students who earn required credits. Others are expanding ways students can earn college credit in high school, or high-school credit in middle school or junior high.
Proponents argue that the programs cut states' school spending and help families with college costs. They also eliminate "senioritis," a time when some students slack off on learning, says Jennifer Dounay Zinth, a senior policy
