Hot Topic (2/22): Graduate two years early?

[Cafe GroupAdmin]

High Schools to Offer Plan to Graduate 2 Years Early

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.

The program is being organized by the National Center on Education and the Economy, and its goals include insuring that students have mastered a set of basic requirements and reducing 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.

“That’s a central problem we’re trying to address, the enormous failure rate of these kids when they go to the open admission colleges,” said Marc S. Tucker, president of the center, a Washington-based nonprofit. “We’ve looked at schools all over the world, and if you walk into a high school in the countries that use these board exams, you’ll see kids working hard, whether they want to be a carpenter or a brain surgeon.”

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has provided a $1.5 million planning grant to help the national center work with states and districts to get the program running, Mr. Tucker said. He estimated that start-up costs for school districts would be about $500 a student, to buy courses and tests and to train teachers.

To defray those costs, the eight states intend to apply for some of the $350 million in federal stimulus money designated for improving public school testing, Mr. Tucker said.

High school students will begin the new coursework in the fall of 2011 in Connecticut, Kentucky, Maine, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Vermont. The education commissioners of those states have pledged to sign up 10 to 20 schools each for the pilot project, and have begun to reach out to district superintendents.

The project’s backers hope it will eventually spread to all schools in those states, and inspire other states to follow suit. Supporters include the National Association of Manufacturers and the National Education Association, the nation’s largest teachers’ union.

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Your thoughts?

Are you in favor or against this idea?  Why?

What are the downsides of this plan?

[tericared]

 Wow Kids in Florida are already tested way to much...If you dont pass  the F-Cat in 10 th grade they put you in remedial classes and you miss out on so much in school...I think it starts even in the lower grades...any way these test are ridiculous....A few years a go there was such a stink that the school board was ask to take the test....Most failed.....

Kids need to be taught, and graded and if some can go on to the next grade early then fine....

[moneysaver6]

If the children were actually learning good study skills that would help them succeed in college up to that point then I think this is a wise option to consider.

Otherwise, you're releasing 16yr olds into the world without the skills necessary to do well in college.

Amy

[home-sweet-home]

I could have gone to college 2 years earlier. I would have loved it. I started at 17, but wasted my time in high school until then.

I graduated my son at 15. He finished all the curriculum. He tested well on the ACT and he took the ASVAB and tested high. I think for some children this would definitely be a benefit.

Now my 16 yr old is no where near ready to graduate. He will be lucky if he is 21 lol. I think it would be a good option for some children, it should not be a requirement though,

[katy_kay]

 Right now our state offers a program that allows Juniors and Seniors to take college courses while still participating in high school classes and programs.  They get credit towards their graduation plus work towards earning their associates degree.  The tuition is free and all a parent has to do is pay for books and lab fees. 

If a student graduates high school with an AA degree the state colleges have been set up to transfer that degree straight across rather than look at it class by class so a student then can go straight into University as a Junior. 

I prefer this program over a program that would allow students to stop attending school at 15. 

[grammie6]

Your thoughts? I for anything that gets kids to try harder in school.

Are you in favor or against this idea?  Why?It gives kids a goal that is attainable now. Too many kids are like my 15 y/o son, they just can't comprehend that "adult hood" is right around the corner. Decisions need to made Freshman year. If you "piss away" the first couple of years of HS you will pay dearly later on.  

What are the downsides of this plan? Might hurt kids that are not emotionally mature enough to handle college

[GoodMomma24-7]

 Well, there's nothing like that offered around where I'm from, but I'm all for getting my kids out of that public dump we call a high school as soon as possible.  No where else on earth will a girl get sexually harassed so much than in public high school.  So far this year, we've gone to uniforms, had up to 14 fights in timeframes of only 2 weeks, had cops at the middle schools more than ever, had the high school's principal and several teachers caught messing with the teenagers and thanks to thier unions they didn't even get fired, just moved to different schools within the district...  it's not that I want them to hurry up and grow up and move on to college, I just want them to be done with high school as soon as possible.  My son will graduate a semester early, but that's as much of an early graduation as anyone can hope for in this district so far.

[Mommy_of_Riley]

I wish that option was available when I was in school!  I was finished with my required credits to graduate 1st semester of my Junior year.  But my school would not give me the option to graduate early.  So...  I took an English and Math college credit classes through a night school program at my local community college and in high school I had to take at least a half day worth of credit so I ended up taking band, choir (I was involved since 6th grade anyway) photography, a weight class, and office aide.  Honestly, my whole senior year was a waste of time. 

I think this is a great idea for those who could do it.  I don't think they should force anyone to graduate early though if they are not ready and they need those extra 2 years.

[grammie6]

Quoting GoodMomma24-7:

 Well, there's nothing like that offered around where I'm from, but I'm all for getting my kids out of that public dump we call a high school as soon as possible.  No where else on earth will a girl get sexually harassed so much than in public high school.  So far this year, we've gone to uniforms, had up to 14 fights in timeframes of only 2 weeks, had cops at the middle schools more than ever, had the high school's principal and several teachers caught messing with the teenagers and thanks to thier unions they didn't even get fired, just moved to different schools within the district...  it's not that I want them to hurry up and grow up and move on to college, I just want them to be done with high school as soon as possible.  My son will graduate a semester early, but that's as much of an early graduation as anyone can hope for in this district so far.

Wow, sounds like your community needs to get active in replacing your school board.  If this happens in the area I live, the teachers are arrested if the child is under age, their names and pictures all over the news usually even before the whole story comes out.  No way they would ever get rehired anywhere in the state much less the same district. 

[Honeybun09]

I would loved to have been able to graduate two years early so I'm glad it's a great plan! I HATED high school. It was SO boring and way too easy for me! I took all AP classes and still had a hard time going to class because it was just so boring. I graduated with honors because even though I hardly went, I got all As and very few Bs. I know it's not the same for everyone and there are others who have more trouble than I did BUT it would be very awesome to give those who have the capability to graduate two years early the chance to do so!

[Peanutx3]

I agree with you katy_kay.  I wish this program had been more well know when I was in high school.  I might have actually finished college and have a degree.

Quoting katy_kay:

 Right now our state offers a program that allows Juniors and Seniors to take college courses while still participating in high school classes and programs.  They get credit towards their graduation plus work towards earning their associates degree.  The tuition is free and all a parent has to do is pay for books and lab fees. 

If a student graduates high school with an AA degree the state colleges have been set up to transfer that degree straight across rather than look at it class by class so a student then can go straight into University as a Junior. 

I prefer this program over a program that would allow students to stop attending school at 15.