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An old story being billed as new - but other than that, this is interesting "news." If the researchers do a good job of tracking what they are seeing, there might even be something actively beneficial learned from this experiment.
The 100 or so high schools participating in the initiative are pioneers in a pilot project that organizers hope will eventually spread to all schools in those states, and inspire other states across the nation to follow suit.
High school students will first begin the new coursework in fall 2011 in schools in Connecticut, Kentucky, Maine, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Vermont.
Kentucky’s commissioner of education, Terry Holliday (http://www.education.ky.gov/KDE/Administrative+Resources/Commissioner+of+Education/ - broken link), said that high school graduation requirements there have long been based on having students accumulate enough course credits to graduate.
“This would reform that,” Mr. Holliday said. “We’ve been tied to seat time for 100 years. This would allow an approach based on subject mastery — a system based around move-on-when-ready.”
That should have said "when academically ready." Expect a lot of flack from parents who are not going to be ready to let kids go away "early."
I also anticipate that this will exacerbate the gap that already exists between those who thrive in school and those who don't, though it will certainly give a few kids motivation to focus, briefly, just to get out of school sooner! And there is the hope that the students left behind will benefit from increased attention - but I have a hard time seeing that actually happen, unfortunately. I expect they will have fewer resources and less hope as a result, rather than more.
My real concern is that, as with so many educational ventures, the research done on this will not be solid enough to actually prove or even heavily suggest that it works or does not work.
Quote:
The program is being organized by the National Center on Education and the Economy, and one of its goals is to reduce the numbers of high school graduates who need remedial courses when they enroll in college. More than a million college freshmen across America must take remedial courses each year, and many drop out before getting a degree. Unquote
Here's a silly idea: Work with their learning styles so they WON'T NEED remedial courses in the first place. A lot of countries that are alleged to "kick our rears" with testing scores do exactly that.
Oops, I forgot. Learning fads and those who fund them, don't make money that way do they?
Please pardon my sarcasm, but I've simply had enough of watching kids who I know could do so much better with better curriculum ending up in remedial courses or special ed, not because they're incapable, but rather, immature or need a slower pace.
I guess I better be prepared because I see that my own state (who appears to become a champion of this type of lunacy btw) is on the list.
And here we thought we had enough of the exodus of kids who want to make decent money now...
Dozens of public high schools in eight states will introduce a program next year allowing 10th graders who pass a battery of tests to get a diploma two years early and immediately enroll in community college.
Students who pass but aspire to attend a selective college may continue with college preparatory courses in their junior and senior years, organizers of the new effort said. Students who fail the 10th-grade tests, known as board exams, can try again at the end of their 11th and 12th grades. The tests would cover not only English and math but also subjects like science and history.
The new system of high school coursework with the accompanying board examinations is modeled largely on systems in high-performing nations including Denmark, England, Finland, France and Singapore.
I think this is a great idea. What are your thoughts?
I so wanted to do this in HS. I did end up at a great little school for my last two years so I am kind of glad I did not get the opportunity, but I would have loved this.
I think this is a great idea. What are your thoughts?
I think it would be a better idea to actually ensure that all students are sufficiently educated so as to not need remedial courses in college (which is one of the reasons listed for this program). That, singlehandedly is one of my biggest beefs. Instead of focusing on what actually works for the majority (that is actually being able to spell without crack-like addiction to spell check, perform math accurately, and to write a sentence with clarity) we continue (IMHO) to forge down the latest pedagogical "fad" only to find out too late, that we have to remediate in college. There seems to be a big disconnect out there in terms of that.
There are those students in my area who qualify and do take classes at local colleges, and when they graduate high school, they have some college credits as a result. I do support this.
15 is awfully young to me to be exposed to college life in general. Yes, some kids are mature enough, but many are not.
15 is awfully young to me to be exposed to college life in general. Yes, some kids are mature enough, but many are not.
Very few kids enter 11th grade at 15 years old, with the widespread requirement of being 6 at the outset of 1st grade. Most of them won't even still be 15 at the end of 10th grade.
1st grade - 6 at a minimum.
Ten years later:
11th grade - 16 at a minimum.
Children born during 3/4ths of the year will have a birthday during the school year - so, if they are 15 at the start of 10th, they will be 16 at the end.
Very few kids enter 11th grade at 15 years old, with the widespread requirement of being 6 at the outset of 1st grade. Most of them won't even still be 15 at the end of 10th grade.
1st grade - 6 at a minimum.
Ten years later:
11th grade - 16 at a minimum.
Children born during 3/4ths of the year will have a birthday during the school year - so, if they are 15 at the start of 10th, they will be 16 at the end.
p.s. "forge down a fad?"
That's what I get for typing directly before running out the door. Mea Culpa.
"Fad" as in constructivist math programs that are touted as a rousing "success" despite the fact that many kids are pulled from the regular classroom for extra help in math because they simply don't get it, or those who so lack a basic idea of how to set up a problem that they continue to draw pictures of boxes to help them with basic calculations.
Worse yet, there are those who are allowed to redo papers until they actually have a decent grade. Maybe it's just my area, but somehow I doubt that after reading many posts here.
Beyond that, IMHO, "faddish" programs to help with reading comprehension that use spelling words that are tied to reading comprehension from their reading books (thus, requiring that my second-grader spell words such as "pharmacist" meanwhile misspelling words she used in everyday writing, say for example, "varry" for "very").
I think it would be a better idea to actually ensure that all students are sufficiently educated so as to not need remedial courses in college (which is one of the reasons listed for this program). That, singlehandedly is one of my biggest beefs. Instead of focusing on what actually works for the majority (that is actually being able to spell without crack-like addiction to spell check, perform math accurately, and to write a sentence with clarity) we continue (IMHO) to forge down the latest pedagogical "fad" only to find out too late, that we have to remediate in college. There seems to be a big disconnect out there in terms of that.
There are those students in my area who qualify and do take classes at local colleges, and when they graduate high school, they have some college credits as a result. I do support this.
15 is awfully young to me to be exposed to college life in general. Yes, some kids are mature enough, but many are not.
My high school allowed 11th and 12th graders to take classes at the local community college. I thought it was a great idea.
Of course I agree with you about students being educated to not need to take remedial classes in the first place. It's kind of a no-brainer.
My high school allowed 11th and 12th graders to take classes at the local community college. I thought it was a great idea.
Of course I agree with you about students being educated to not need to take remedial classes in the first place. It's kind of a no-brainer.
We do that now with kids who are above AP classes, they are taking one or two college level classes at the local university. They are the exception 'tho, and I have to wonder about the rest that wouldn't be able to do that. I suppose it would depend on where they live as well as a myriad of other differences. I think that's great, but taking all of their classes at the university - not so much.
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A lot of countries that are alleged to "kick our rears" with testing scores do exactly that.
High School Students Can Skip Two Years...
