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GSCS concurs with points made in these editorials - .................................................... ASBURY PARK PRESS 9-22-08 ‘Plan in need of remediation’ "State education officials are considering a proposal aimed at reducing the appallingly high percentage of students who need remedial courses in college because they weren't properly prepared by the end of high school. But instead of trying to bolster basic skills, they want to require more advanced-level math and science course work that some fear could come at the expense of vocational education.... Davy should head back to the drawing board, and bring the proposal's critics with her. The education board shouldn't move ahead unless all the academic and financial concerns raised about the program have been fully addressed."
STAR LEDGER 'Strengthen education first'
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
"New Jersey is planning to strengthen math, science and language requirements for high school graduation. The Education Department, however, says it may take eight years to polish the plan. And that's not a bad idea...."
ASBURY PARK PRESS EDITORIAL September 22, 2008, ‘Plan in need of remediation’
State education officials are considering a proposal aimed at reducing the appallingly high percentage of students who need remedial courses in college because they weren't properly prepared by the end of high school. But instead of trying to bolster basic skills, they want to require more advanced-level math and science course work that some fear could come at the expense of vocational education.
There are several troubling aspects to the proposal. Foremost is moving toward a one-size-fits-all curriculum aimed at steering more students into a college-prep track, regardless of their career aspirations.
In New Jersey, nearly 80 percent of community college students require remedial classes. Forty percent of four-year college students need the extra help. But how will forcing a more rigorous curriculum on students who haven't mastered the basics of grammar and math fix the problem? State Education Commissioner Lucille Davy's nonchalant attitude toward funding to cover new initiatives makes the proposal even more troubling.
Courses in chemistry, Algebra II, biology and geometry would be required, as would a second language. The proposal includes plans for new science labs, new technology, teacher training and increasing the number of standardized tests.
Davy should keep the proposal, presented to the state Board.
Davy should keep the proposal, presented to the state Board of Education Wednesday, on the table for further consideration and debate with a variety of education professionals. There are too many examples in New Jersey of top-down departmental decisions that have been made without full consideration of the educational and financial ramifications.
A cost analyis of the program should be a prerequisite to any decision by the state board. For new science labs and other costly projects, Davy said money is available from the $3.9 billion the state agreed to borrow for school construction. Isn't that money already earmarked? After the last school construction fiasco, Gov. Corzine should insist that funds be spent on what has already been promised, not directed toward new programs.
Pushing more advanced work on students having difficulty with the fundamentals makes no sense, and would likely result in even more of them dropping out. Vocational school educators fear, perhaps rightly, that their programs would be a casualty of the push toward an enhanced college-prep curriculum.
Davy should head back to the drawing board, and bring the proposal's critics with her. The education board shouldn't move ahead unless all the academic and financial concerns raised about the program have been fully addressed.
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Strengthen education first Wednesday, September 24, 2008 New Jersey is planning to strengthen math, science and language requirements for high school graduation. The Education Department, however, says it may take eight years to polish the plan. And that's not a bad idea. Yes, every New Jersey diploma must connote value. But the situation in some of the state's high schools suggests that forging ahead quickly with more demanding academic requirements could be disastrous for many students. Already 20 percent of high school seniors statewide get their diplomas via an alternate test ing program. Making it even more difficult to pass state high school exit exams without improving students' chances of passing would be counterproductive. Certainly some school districts will shrug off the state's new course list and testing requirements because their schools already excel. But other districts are struggling to raise test scores to respectable proficiency. There is an overall shortage of math teachers who understand the material that the state requires and who know how to transmit that knowledge to troubled or underprepared learners. There is also a shortage of science and language arts teachers, particularly in schools unable to handle the current curriculum. More aggressive requirements in math, science and language cannot succeed without first improving teacher training, recruitment and retention in many districts. It has been proposed that every child have a "personalized learning plan," starting in the sixth grade. That's a good idea if it means an outline that uses information from standardized tests, class performance, teacher observations and a student's interest to shape an individualized learning program that teachers and schools take seriously. It is dangerous to demand so much -- despite a lack of teaching resources -- that some kids shut down rather than subject themselves to more failure. It is also possible that some students who have difficulty understanding concepts in a traditional classroom might understand their usefulness if they were taught them in the context of a mechanics course, for example. The state should develop an educational template that has the flexibility to meet the needs of different students, which is the only hope for meeting the needs of all students. |
