A lot has changed since 1985. It was high time for Washington’s high school diploma requirements to catch up.
Last week, the State Board of Education voted to require all high school students to pass Algebra II to graduate, with few exceptions — the first revisiting of requirements in 23 years. The board also agreed that Washington diplomas need to be more meaningful; the curriculum should fully prepare students for postsecondary education, be it at a trade school, community college or university.
The retooling of graduation requirements would also include more mandatory credits, something already in place in most school districts.
These are necessary, forward-thinking changes that could become reality by 2013. High-schoolers who face a cold-shouldered job market deserve as much.
Yet the proposals will mean nothing without the money to implement them. The board had the foresight to cancel the plan if the Legislature doesn’t come through with the funding — a worry we wish was unfounded. This request for cash is only one of about a bazillion lawmakers will see, but also one of the most integral. Schools have to prepare students for an increasingly competitive world, and they can’t do it on the cheap.
Though the state board found several diploma components lacking, it started with the right one: math. Nearly half of Washington freshmen at community and technical colleges need remedial math classes, which drains the progress of their coursework and the resources of college math departments. Passing college math has proved instrumental to completing a degree, and opportunities for women and minorities in math and science have skyrocketed. If students currently treat math like the measles, that’s all the more reason to prioritize money, including financial incentives, for attracting effective, qualified math teachers.
According to a 2005 study, one-third of two-year college students felt high school left them unprepared for college math. For students trying to secure a future, that unease is unnecessary and unfair. The Washington Assessment of Student Learning has helped pressure schools to make sure students get the basics, but successful students need an understanding of math that is both rudimentary and conceptual. The issue is not solely academic — balancing bank statements, calculating interest payments and other math-related life skills attest to that.
Math is one of those cases where the “get ‘em early” philosophy holds true. Eighth-graders who take Algebra I get ahead of the game, and students who pass Algebra II will have the opportunity to take statistics, calculus and other advanced math courses.
Give schools the money and make sure they give students the math. The State Board of Education has the right idea.
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