From the Press of Atlantic City:
Panel seeks tougher standards for N.J. high school diploma
Almost 80 percent of students who enroll in community colleges in New Jersey need at least one remedial course. But only 66 percent of high schools in the state require all students to take algebra I, one of the most basic courses for students planning to attend college.
That disconnect between high school and college is costing students and colleges millions of dollars in testing and remedial work, and must be realigned to assure all students can succeed, according to a report issued Friday by the New Jersey High School Redesign Steering Committee.
The report makes four basic recommendations that call for more specific high school curriculum, end-of-course state testing, more teacher training, more personalized instruction for high school students and better alignment of all education from preschool through college. Changes would be phased in through 2012-13.
The report was presented at a joint meeting of the state Board of Education and the state Commission on Higher Education held at William Paterson College. It was largely applauded, but there were concerns about reaching students who don't plan to attend college, or are already struggling.
Gov. Jon S. Corzine, speaking at a press briefing on the report, said many students in the state already take challenging courses, but the goal must to set a higher standard for all students.
"We can't accept such a high percentage of remedial courses in college," he said.
Remedial rates at the state's four-year colleges are much lower, but still average 40 percent among students taking course placements tests.
Montclair State University President Susan Cole, co-chair of the committee, said placement testing and remedial courses are costly and demoralizing, and could be eliminated if students were better prepared in high school.
"One of the best predictors of success in college is the level of math a student took in high school," she said. "Algebra II is the requirement for entrance into college."
Only 43 percent of high schools surveyed require algebra II for graduation, according to the report. The current state high school requirements call for three years of math, but do not specify course content. The report recommendations would require algebra I, geometry and algebra II, and would also add a half-year of economics to the current three-year social studies requirement. State test results on high school tests could also become part of college entrance requirements.
Cumberland County College President Kenneth Ender, who served on the committee, said old high school requirements are no longer sufficient for today's jobs. Since he has begun working more closely with his local high schools, he said the percentage of students who need remedial courses at Cumberland has dropped from 80 percent to about 60 percent.
"I would look at student transcripts, and they just hadn't taken the courses they needed in high school," he said.
Judy Savage, executive director of the New Jersey Council of County Vocational Schools, said not everyone will need the same coursework.
"Our concern is that this not become a one-size-fits-all plan that may not work for all students," she said. "We need some flexibility for students who can develop the skills within a career and technical framework. "
Barry Ersek, of the New Jersey Association of School Administrators, said one challenge will be changing the public mindset that math is hard and only top students take courses like lab chemistry and algebra II.
"We will have to make sure all teachers learn to reach all students in different ways," he said. "We used to track students, and there is still that mindset about who takes what courses."
State Board of Education member Dorothy Strickland said it will be easy for some to see the recommendations as punitive. It will be supporters' job to show that the report is a visionary plan that supports all students.
"This is long overdue," she said.
The state Board of Education still must formally approve any high school graduation requirements, and no time frame for that process has been announced.
