Originally published Tuesday, May 27, 2008 at 12:00 AM
Editorial
Increasing the rigor of Washington schools
An argument for increasing rigor in Washington state's public-education system comes from this factoid: High-school students can graduate with straight A's but still fall short of college requirements.
An argument for increasing rigor in Washington state's public-education system comes from this factoid: High-school students can graduate with straight A's but still fall short of college requirements.
The culprit is low academic standards, especially in math. State high-school graduation requirements include a math requirement that doesn't meet the level required by the University of Washington and other stateinstitutions.Credit the state Board of Education for seeking to inject rigor and accountability in the public system. If the board has its way — and it should — high-school graduation requirements will change for the better. Students will be required to pass Algebra II to graduate, a critical baseline since students unprepared for college-level math must take a remedial course, Algebra II.
Testifying before Washington Learns, the education panel convened by Gov. Christine Gregoire, representatives from state work-force training and vocational programs said young adults entering the work force need math knowledge at least at the Algebra II level. Increasing the credits required for graduation from 19 to 24 is another proposed change that offers rigor without sacrificing arts, music, civics and other key courses.
The state board is expected to vote on the new requirements in July. The vote should be a unanimous "yes." Why wait? Others haven't. The Bellingham School District changed its requirements to mirror admissions requirements at Western Washington University.
Improvements can only help at the local level. In Seattle, Superintendent Maria Goodloe-Johnson's five-year strategic plan seeks, among many things, to improve Seattle Public Schools' 62 percent graduation rate.
The rigor injected by new standards ought to address another weak spot: college readiness. Just 17 percent of Seattle's high-school graduates meet the minimum requirements for enrollment at Washington's state colleges and universities.
An increase in credits needed for graduation will require a shift at high schools from five periods a day to six. The state pays for five, forcing many districts, such as Seattle and Bellevue, to use levy funds. But this exacerbates the inequalities among large, small, rural and urban districts. The Legislature must fund the change in graduation requirements.
Copyright © 2008 The Seattle Times Company
UPDATE - 02:37 PM
Charles Krauthammer / Syndicated columnist: Iran's leaderless revolution: searching for a Yeltsin
NEW - 02:26 PM
Leonard Pitts Jr. / Syndicated columnist: The triumph and tragedy of Michael Jackson
NEW - 02:48 PM
Leonard Pitts Jr. / Syndicated columnist: What does a homosexual demon look like?

2009 fireworks time lapse
With strict parking rules enforced at this year's July 4th celebration on Wallingford Ave North, less cars and more spectators filled the streets.
Entertainment | Top Video | World | Offbeat Video | Sci-Tech
nwjobs

Post a comment

Michelle Goodman blogs about work/life balance.
Tax tips for new independent professionals
Post a comment
nwautos

Choosing a new SUV? Weigh the impact your choice will have on your wallet and on the planet.
Post a comment
nwhomes

Find a new home or condo that fits your lifestyle.
Search New Developments
Builder Directory
- Plasma and LCD beware; OLED screens ready to go mainstream
- Former NFL MVP McNair killed
- Landmark Smith Tower mostly vacant
- Russell Branyan, Mariners fight off the Red Sox
- Property taxes: Appeals shoot up in King, Snohomish Counties
- Palin takes to Web for hints of political future
- Fourth of July festivals and fireworks in Seattle, the suburbs and beyond
- Palin links resignation to 'higher calling' and blasts media in Facebook posting
- The Blotter | Man pistol-whipped after argument at nightclub
- Hard times for tourist towns means good deals for travelers
- Palin resigning as Alaska governor
780 - Seattle Mariners at Boston Red Sox: 07/05 game thread
247 - Palin links resignation to 'higher calling' and blasts media in Facebook posting
158 - Hatred for the NBA runs deep, but don't take it out on the players
115 - Former NFL MVP McNair killed
108 - Tukwila residents rally against light-rail noise
106 - Property taxes: Appeals shoot up is King, Snohomish Counties
93 - Tent City on campus: UW stalls decision
77 - Anti-tax rally in Olympia attracts about 1,500
53 - Seeking your questions
43
- Plasma and LCD beware; OLED screens ready to go mainstream
- Property taxes: Appeals shoot up in King, Snohomish Counties
- Merchant Marine veterans fight for recognition
- Hard times for tourist towns means good deals for travelers
- Landmark Smith Tower mostly vacant
- Close-up | Prison guards intercept carrier pigeon with a cellphone
- Pre-grill drill: marinate steaks
- Concert Review | Green Day blasts off 4th weekend with KeyArena show
- Amtrak cleared for 2nd daily train to Vancouver, B.C.
- Lake Washington's sockeye run may hit a record low





