New Plan Will Allow Students to Graduate from High School Two Years Early
According to Sam Dillon’s recent New York Times article, eight states plan to allow some high school students to graduate two years early if they pass a series of exams. Those students would then be able to enroll in community college.
“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.”
I have mixed feelings about this plan. It is certainly true that many who enroll in community college must take developmental classes, even though high school was supposed to provide them with these basic skills. Still, unless these exams must be passed by all students receiving diplomas, I don’t see how this new plan will prevent some from graduating without certain necessary skills.
I worry, too, that sixteen-year-olds are not emotionally ready for college. After all, attendance is not compulsory. Many of my students are shocked to learn that I will not chase down missing assignments or give them second chances to turn in late work, as their high school English teachers once did. Others simply lack the maturity necessary to ignore the many distractions of the outside world, especially the pressure placed by those friends who are not enrolled in school and thus do not need to complete three or four hours of homework each night. These students often stop attending class, or continue to attend but fail to complete enough work to earn a passing grade. Younger students would likely struggle with this even more.
Maturity, unfortunately, cannot be measured by a battery of academic exams. If we allow high school students to graduate early, we must ensure they are not just academically ready to move on, but emotionally ready as well.
