A recent New York Times article I came across proclaimed potential good news for all the high school students out there with senioritis two years early: you might be able to graduate just when you want to.
The Feb. 17 article describes a plan that will allow 10th-grade students to obtain a diploma two years ahead of their peers by passing a series of tests, giving them a head start and opportunity to enroll in community college. Schools in eight states are poised to implement the new program, modeled on similar successful efforts in high-achieving European countries, in fall 2011.
After reading the article, I’m intrigued and curious to see how this plan pans out. According to the article, these board exams cause students to work harder than a traditional system in other countries observed, and it is believed that this could help reduce the rates of students who drop out of college or are required to take remedial courses. I’d like to see if that holds true.
What do you think, Columbia? Does this sound like a good idea? On the one hand, students get a jump-start on the rest of their lives if this program works. On the other, I know I was a very different person at the end of my sophomore year of high school and my senior year. The sophomore version of me was not ready for college. Could this be true of other students? Share your thoughts, Columbia. I’d like to hear what you think.
I see this as another way of dealing with a group of students that shows up in just about every school: the smart kids.
Some elementary and middle schools provide “Gifted and Talented” programs for students who learn faster or perform at higher levels than their peers. AP and IB programs allow students seeking a challenge to test out of college courses.
Now schools are allowing students to essentially test out of their last two years of high school.
I suspect “smart kids” have been around for a long time. I suspect previous generations have produced those worthy of a challenge program or of skipping grades, yet 50 or 60 years ago, I suspect these kids went through school in the same way as anyone else.
I sense a trend towards finding new ways for students to challenge themselves, get ahead and work through school faster. Why are the “smart kids” such a concern? We should look into this.
[…] 2, 2010 by Katelyn Amen After reading last week’s post, “Sophomoritis Cure?” concerning a New York Times article, I’ve been thinking about all of the ways students […]