Since the 1983 publication of "A Nation at Risk," most states have responded to public demand for educational improvement by enacting legislation increasing the number of units in academic subjects required for high school graduation. Required courses now consume three-quarters of the high school years, countering the former trend to large offerings of various elective courses. This task force report to the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development examines the observed and anticipated consequences of these requirements for the curriculum, for students, and for teachers. Major findings include: (1) students are required to make greater effort, and those going on to college will be better prepared to succeed; (2) negative consequences are more likely for those students not going to college as evidenced by the accelerating dropout rate; (3) inadequate attention has been paid to requiring carefully balanced programs; (4) time for elective courses has decreased, and increased requirements reinforce past artificial divisions of knowledge; and (5) teachers' professional latitude is being sharply curtailed. It is recommended that educators closely monitor, document, and evaluate actual consequences of increased graduation requirements on students and teachers, and that these findings be relayed to parents and legislators to ensure that future policy changes are enacted with wisdom. (LMO)