Graduation Requirements Are Changing
By Joe Miller, The Daily News, Jacksonville, N.C.
Feb. 27–Students at Southwest High School — as well as every other public high school in the state — soon will need to take more courses to get that diploma.
Educators throughout Onslow and surrounding counties came to Southwest Monday night to learn about the new requirements, give feedback to state officials on how those should be put in place and express some of their concerns.
The N.C. Department of Public Instruction is holding a series of meetings throughout the state.
Back in December, the State Board of Education approved the framework for the new requirements, which will begin with students who enter ninth grade in the fall of 2008.
The measures were taken for a reason, said Michelle Howard-Vital, a member of the State Board of Education.
“Students in the U.S. are falling behind in some core subjects,” Howard-Vital said.
Students will have to complete a 21-unit program, including four units of English; four units of math; three of science; three of social studies; two of a second language; one unit of health/physical education; and an endorsement of at least four units in one of the following areas — career-technical, arts education, Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps (JROTC), advanced placement/international baccalaureate, a second language or an approved alternative.
The changes don’t apply to students pursuing the occupational course of study. The goal, state leaders say, is to provide a similar education for students who plan to go to college as for those who will head straight to work.
“The skills that a student needs to go immediately into the work force to make a livable wage in our 21st century economy are really the same skills that a student needs if that student is going to (college),” said Wandra Polk, state director of the middle and secondary division for the N.C. Department of Public Instruction.
Career prep students currently take three credits of math and are not required to take a foreign language. Students in the college prep aren’t required to take the four-unit endorsement.
Students still will have to pass end-of-course tests in algebra, English, U.S. history, civics and economics and biology and complete a graduation project. Students can select specific courses to fulfill the 21 requirements, and there will be opportunities to substitute specific courses when appropriate.
About 25 people signed up to speak Monday night. Among the suggestions they had for state officials were including a requirement for arts education classes, putting more emphasis on second language courses before high school and allowing middle school students to earn high school credit.
The crowd asked how the new requirements might affect teacher retention and how, in a military community like Jacksonville, students who transfer in to a school after ninth grade will be able to graduate.
People also expressed concern that the state is in too big a hurry to make these changes. One person suggested this could cause many students to fail.
Onslow County director of secondary schools Cleo Croom said raising student expectations is fine, but the state must develop suitable course selections.
“I think we need to make sure we have the curriculum in place to adequately support what it is we’re wanting to do,” she said.
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