High School Graduation Requirements Impact of the Future-Ready Core

What does it take to Graduate from High School Beginning in 2009-2010, every high school student in North Carolina must: meet the course and credit requirements based on when they entered high school as freshmen; successfully complete the North Carolina Graduation Project; earn passing scores on five essential end-of-course tests: Algebra I, Biology, Civics and Economics, English I and U.S. History; earn a passing score on the Computer Skills Test; and meet any local graduation requirements.

What is the difference between the old course requirements (for students who started high school before 2009) and the Future-Ready Core? Prior course requirements were divided into four courses of study – Career Prep, College Tech Prep, College and University Prep and Occupational Prep (for certain students with disabilities). The Future-Ready Core ends the courses of study (except for the Occupational Course of Study for qualified students). The primary changes in course requirements are the addition of a fourth math requirement and the expectation that all students will complete math at the Algebra II level. The state will now require 21 units to graduate instead of 20. Local districts still have the option of having additional requirements for graduation (e.g. number of units required to graduate).

Why did the State Board of Education change high school graduation requirements? “Today, many in the business community say that it takes about the same level of academic preparation to be successful in the workplace as it takes to be successful as a first-year college student. That was the guiding principal for the State Board in making its decision.” Public Schools of North Carolina Website http://www.dpi.state.nc.us/docs/promotionstandards/parents/futurereadyqa.pdf

Why did the State Board of Education change high school graduation requirements? Much of the influence has come from The American Diploma Project Network launched in 2005 by Achieve – national independent, bipartisan, non-profit education reform organization created in 1996 by the nation’s governors and corporate leaders. The next five slides provide some of the research arguments Achieve makes for its support of the Algebra II requirement.

Requiring a rigorous curriculum is key to better preparing students for college and careers Course-taking matters more for student achievement than social problems, family obstacles and student ability. Nearly every state requires students to study specific subjects for a certain number of years or take specific courses to graduate, but most do not require a college- and career-ready curriculum. Research by the American Diploma Project and others shows that students who go to college and students who go to work need the same knowledge and skills, particularly in English and math

ADP: Identifying knowledge and skills students need to succeed in college and the workplace Achieve, The Education Trust, and the Thomas B. Fordham Foundation launched the American Diploma Project to identify knowledge and skills students need in English and math to succeed in college or get a “good” job. Partnered with Indiana, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Nevada and Texas. Involved wide variety of K–12, higher education and business representatives.

How American Diploma Project defines “good” jobs Pays enough to support a family well above the poverty level, Provides benefits, and Offers clear pathways for career advancement through further education and training.

What does it take to succeed in good jobs? American Diploma Project research found that: 84 percent of highly paid professionals took Algebra II or higher in high school. Employees in vast majority of good jobs took four years of grade-level English. Employers emphasize importance of workers being able to think creatively and logically and to identify and solve problems. Fastest-growing occupations require some education beyond high school (e.g., certificate, bachelor’s degree, associate degree, on-the-job training).

Whether graduates are going to college or the workplace, they need the same skills Research by the American Diploma Project and ACT also found a high degree of convergence between the knowledge and skills students need to succeed on the job and in college.

To be college- and career-ready, students need to complete a rigorous sequence of courses To cover the content American Diploma Project research shows students need to be college and work ready, high school graduates need to take: In math: Four courses Content equivalent to Algebra I and II, Geometry, and a fourth course such as Statistics or Precalculus In English: Four courses Content equivalent to four years of grade-level English or higher (i.e., honors or AP English) Research, analysis, and logic and reasoning skills are critical elements of the math and English benchmarks

Algebra II seems like a difficult level of math for all students to complete. What if a student doesn’t want to take that level of math? “ Algebra II is a higher level of expectation than some students have had to meet in the past. However, most college bound students (community college or university) have already passed this level of math in the past. For students who truly do not see Algebra II as being in their best interest, there is an alternative for this Core math requirement, but this decision would be made with input from the student’s parents, teachers, and guidance counselor. If a student is able to complete Algebra II, it is in their interest to do so. Algebra II is a minimum requirement for many college, university and community college programs.” Public Schools of North Carolina Website http://www.dpi.state.nc.us/docs/promotionstandards/parents/futurereadyqa.pdf

With all the recent attention on high school dropouts, why make it harder to graduate? “The addition of one math requirement is the primary change to the course requirements and even in that area, there are options for students who need them. The purpose of high school graduation requirements is to make sure that students have the academic foundation they need for life after high school. In past years when standards have increased, there has been no impact on the state’s dropout rates. In fact, over half of the students who drop out of school do so because of attendance issues. Only about seven percent of students cite academic problems as the reason for dropping out of school.” Public Schools of North Carolina Website http://www.dpi.state.nc.us/docs/promotionstandards/parents/futurereadyqa.pdf

Types of the issues being worked on by the JAH Future-Ready Core Planning Committee Study/review/revise math course sequences to reflect student options in meeting the Future-Ready Core math requirements. Develop recommendation regarding the state suggestion of requiring a 4 elective credits concentration. Review, and make recommendations as needed, for all school board graduation and student accountability policies impacted by the new requirements. Develop with middle school a revised orientation/pre-registration plan that focuses on the new requirements. Develop a informational publication that explains the new graduation requirements for use with students, parents, teachers, and the public. Review of all guidance materials, as well as student and faculty handbooks, to determine needed changes related to the new requirements.