Education, Careers & Professional News
High School Reform Discussed By Education Leaders
Tougher graduation standards, more testing and smaller schools could all become part of high school students` futures in Michigan.
Educators dove into reform possibilities Thursday at a special state Board of Education meeting, the first of many that could help shape potential changes to the state`s high schools. The goal is for more Michigan students to be ready for college and career training when they leave the state`s K-12 system.
About 24.4 percent of Michigan`s population aged 25 and older has at least a bachelor`s degree, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. That ranks Michigan 36th among the states, below the national average of 27.6 percent. Gov. Jennifer Granholm has said the state must double its number of college graduates in the next 10 years to remain economically competitive.
The world has changed, board President Kathleen Straus said at the start of Thursday`s meeting. The type of jobs has changed, so education has to change. That`s understood.
Several states are undertaking similar reviews of their high school systems as the United States faces an increasingly global world where well-trained workers in other countries are threatening to take away U.S. jobs.
Michigan is one of 10 states to receive a National Governors Association grant to support the reforms. The state could get up to $1.8 million over a two-year period from the grant, funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
Michigan already is moving toward a shake-up of its high school system. The education department has hired a high school redesign consultant who will work with six different teams addressing areas of potential reform ranging from student testing to teacher development.
The state plans to replace the current Michigan Educational Assessment Program test in the 2006-07 school year with one more geared to college entrance requirements. The current test primarily is taken by high school juniors but is not used by colleges or universities in their admission decisions.
The department also is reviewing the possibility of a test for 10th graders to gauge their readiness for college. Assessment tests to be given at the end of selected courses also are being considered.
Michigan has relied on local school districts to set their own high school graduation standards, but the state could push for more control beyond its current lone civics class requirement. Some states set more exact graduation standards for math, science and language.
The size and type of high schools also will be a major topic as educators discuss reforms. Research has shown that smaller high schools help prevent students from falling through the cracks and allow more varied themes such as specialty schools for vocational training and arts.
Reforms also could address fundamental changes in high school schedules and use of technology to be more in tune with how todays student learns.
Much of this involves changing what we`ve been used to our whole lives, state superintendent Mike Flanagan said.