State seeks to narrow study track choices for students
Proposal would give students just two choices for obtaining diploma.
By Carla Gwaltney Owens

A proposal from the North Carolina State Board of Education could severely affect a substantial portion of Clay County's student population if implemented in its current form.

According to Clay County Schools Superintendent D. Scott Penland, the NC State Board of Education has proposed doing a way with both the Career Prep and the College/Tech Prep tracks of study, leaving only two options for North Carolina's high school students.

The proposal leaves high school students, beginning with this year's seventh graders, only two options for obtaining high school diplomas in North Carolina. The first option is the current College/University course of study and the only other option is the Occupational course of study, which less than 3% of the current student body qualify for, Penland stated.

Penland told Clay County School Board members Monday night that this proposal has raised many serious concerns, as it limits the options for those students who do not plan to attend a four-year college or university or who simply are not able to meet the academic requirements of the College/University course of study.

Under the current courses of study offered by North Carolina schools, the average student has two other options instead of the more rigorous College/University track. The two options are the Career Prep and the College Tech Prep courses of study. These two degree options require a total of 20 credit hours just as the College/University track, but students are not required to have take a foreign language or advanced mathematics such as Algebra II, Geometry, Trigonometry, or Calculus. Currently only three math credits are required and the credits can be met with integrated math or technical math credits. Under the new proposal a fourth math credit would be required by all students and would require higher level math courses. Integrated and technical math courses would be eliminated.

Penland said that such requirements are just not possible for some students to meet. Hayesville High School Principal Dr. Gail Criss echoed Penland's concerns, telling board members that some students already have trouble passing the Alegebra I course and it would simply not be possible for some of the students to obtain credit in higher math courses as would be required under the proposal.

"This is just not going to happen," Criss commented at Monday's school board meeting. "There are some kids that we have a hard time just getting through Algebra I. A lot of kids won't be able to get through this (proposed course of study)."

Penland and Criss agreed that for some students it is just not realistic to require them to follow a course of study which is meant to prepare students for a four-year university. "I understand that they are trying to raise the bar, and it is a noble thing to do," Penland commented of the state's intent, but said that they need to take a really good look at what they are proposing and how it will affect both students and schools.

Penland said that such a proposal will dramatically increase the drop-out rate as students will become frustrated with the demands of the academic requirements and that schools will be hard pressed to find the additional teachers for math and foreign language, as those are the two hardest positions to fill.

Penland also commented that if one of the purposes of the state is to make sure all North Carolina students are proficient in a second language upon graduation that waiting until high school is too late. During a recent principals' meeting, Penland said the discussion of foreign language came up and everyone was in agreement concerning foreign language learning.

Principals agreed that if the goal is for all students to know a foreign language, starting foreign language learning in high school is too late. "If you want to make a difference you must start sooner. If you want students to be fluent in a second language you have to start in elementary school," Penland commented.

"This proposal needs some more study," Penland commented. Some of the problems include the additional funding that would be necessary as schools would have to hire additional math and foreign language teachers. And because students would no longer be able to take the elective courses they are currently taking, Penland said some teachers would be out of jobs. "You would have to dismiss some teachers in order to hire others," he said.

Those teachers who could possibly be out of jobs would be those who teach elective courses. Criss explained that the proposed changes would make it much more difficult for many of her students to take elective courses such as band, choir, art and vocational training courses. "We feel such courses are of great value to our students and produce more well-rounded individuals," Criss said, adding that it would also eliminate elective PE for some.

Penland added that there should be a lot of discussion and input from all those who would be effected by such major changes. Such dialogue will begin to take place as regional meetings have already been planned across the state, Penland stated. Dr. Criss and a delegation from HHS plan to attend a meeting on March 22 to share their concerns with other educators.

Dr. Criss added that it doesn't make much sense to simply do away with the College Tech Prep course of study after the state spent so much time and money on developing the course of study. Add to that the fact that many students who are currently enrolled in the College Tech Prep track will simply not be able to meet the new academic requirements proposed, and Criss voiced great concern for her students.

Criss said that the proposed changes to the graduation requirements would impact a significant number of students. "I would say that approximately a third of our students are currently enrolled in either the career prep or college prep," she commented. She added that only a couple of students graduate with the career prep degree each year, but that a good number receive the college tech prep degree. Therefore, if these were eliminated a good portion of students who plan to go on to a technical or community college to obtain a one or two-year degree would no longer have the option of the college tech prep track which prepares them for such an education.

Criss said the goal of Hayesville High School is to meet the needs of each of their students and to prepare each of them to go on to some form of secondary education, whether that be technical training or a four-year university. The state's proposal takes away the option for many students who do not choose, for whatever reason, to go on to a four-year college. "I think it will create problems for a number of students who do not have the ability to complete the math and foreign language requirements," she stated. "From my experience as an educator, I see it as shutting the door for a high school diploma for a number of students. Some students just don't want to go on to college." She added that some students will become discouraged by the additional requirements and dropout of school. "I fear that the number of students who would drop-out will increase." Criss said that the State Board of Education is aware of test scores of students across the state and that must see that a lot of NC students won't be able to perform at the levels in math that they are proposing be required for graduation.

The State Board of Education, which is made up of regional representatives appointed by the Governor, is very serious about the proposed changes, Criss said. Hearing about the proposed changes for the first time last fall, Criss said she was "shocked" and that it was very difficult to get information about the state's plans. But just as serious as they are about making the changes, several other groups are just as serious about making sure the changes don't occur as proposed. "There are groups who are serious about it not happening," Criss commented, specifically naming the Superintendents' Association and career and technical educators.

Although Criss sees that the goal of the state is to help NC students compete in a very competitive, global society where math and foreign language skills in other countries often excel ours, she says that they need to slow down the process. Criss said to begin requiring students in just a few years to meet these new requirements is not realistic. Preparation for such changes, she said, must begin in the early grades and that changes will have to take place in elementary school and middle school curriculums to prepare students to perform at higher math levels in high school.

Over time, Criss said she sees these changes as a realistic possibility. "I think some things are going to happen in the earlier years of study which will allow students to gain the necessary skills to do this," Criss said of raising the academic requirements for NC high school graduates.

But preparation for students and teachers is needed, she stressed.

According to Criss, schools will have to have more time to prepare their faculties and to hire additional teachers. At least one additional foreign language and one additional math teacher would have to be hired at HHS, she said.

Criss said that she can see such academic requirement changes taking place eventually, but that time is needed. "They need to slow it down," she added. Criss said that this is definitely the biggest issue currently facing the State Board of Education.

Penland said the reasoning behind the proposal might be noble, but that if you are trying to offer everyone an education it might not simply be the best proposal. Penland continued to

explain that such a change would make NC high schools more a long the lines of high schools in Europe where only college bond students attend high school through the twelfth grade and other students finish high school in the tenth grade and then go on to receive a community college education or technical training. However, Penland said the United States philosophy of education is much different. "We try to keep everyone in high school and educate everyone whether or not they are planning on going to college," Penland stated, adding that the drop-out rate in the United States is much lower than many European countries.

Penland added that making changes a little at a time might be a better answer if the state wishes to elevate the academic requirements of it's high schools, but that making such sweeping and drastic changes to requirements all at once is certainly questionable.

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