New Plans to Graduate Kids in 10th Gradeby Mary Ann Romans | More from this Blogger 07 Nov 2008 01:08 PM
An announcement made by education officials of one state may speed up graduation from high school from senior year to sophomore year, with graduation at tenth grade instead of 12th. On October 30th, education officials in New Hampshire announced that they will be giving students a rigorous new series of state board exams to tenth graders. Students who pass the test will be allowed to move on to any of the state's community or technical colleges. For those students who wish to get into more prestigious colleges or universities, or for whom their chosen colleges and universities don't accept the tenth grade graduation, students will be allowed to continue for two more years in high school and then take a second more intensive series of exams. The reasoning behind these new tests and tenth grade graduation is a belief that it will "guarantee higher competency in core school subjects, lower dropout rates and free up millions of education dollars," the officials say. By graduation some students earlier, they believe, there will be more resources available for students who require more help to graduate. Many other industrialized countries expect students to be ready for college at 16. The recommendation for this new system comes from the New Commission on Skills of the American Workforce. New Hampshire has been very progressive in terms of education and has as its goal to bring New Hampshire classrooms much closer to the classrooms of high-performing European and Asian ones. What do you think? Is it a good idea for students to be given the chance to graduate in tenth grade? Mary Ann Romans.Related Articles: Types of Distance Learning Education Does "Bully Education" Really Work? Should You Hold Your Child Back a Year? Learn more about Mary Ann Romans  Mary Ann Romans is a freelance writer, wife and mother of three children. She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, the kids and a 16-pound cat. Relevanteducation tags User Comments Samual (11722) 07 Nov 2008 02:03 PMHere everyone leaves school at 15-16 depending when their birthdays fall so if they choose to go onto college they start at 16. It works brilliantly here, but if it was only in certain places in America then surely those leaving school at 16 would have either no choice in college or have to wait until they were 18 until going to college.  Valorie Delp (49340) 07 Nov 2008 03:04 PMNo. . .a 16 year old could go to college here. . .just most don't. And many colleges would accept a 16 yo if they merited acceptance. Samual (11722) 07 Nov 2008 03:08 PMThats good then jonesx6 (1606) 07 Nov 2008 08:04 PMOur son is in 10th grade and he may start taking college courses next year. I don't think it's for everyone. It should be based on the individual child and family. Laura  Mary Ann Romans (26876) 08 Nov 2008 05:33 AMThe unique thing about the NH announcement is that it will apply to a large group of students and essentially graduate them early. Valorie Delp (49340) 09 Nov 2008 05:09 AMAcademically, I think it makes a lot of sense honestly. However, as a parent over my dead body would my 16 year old go living on his own. LOL Well I guess it depends on the child but we will very likely be faced with this issue as my son will finish early. DanielleD (5) 11 Nov 2008 02:33 PMI feel that high school is a very important time period for individuals to grow both academically and socially. A freshman and senior in high school are usually on two very different levels. I feel that allowing students to graduate two years earlier is in a way robbing them of two important years in their life. Yes, some students hate high school and want to drop out, but if the curriculum is so rigorous to provide all the information and skills that they need to graduate in two years will that not make them hate school even more? I fear that allowing tenth graders to pass the exam and go to a community or technical college will produce large numbers of students choosing that option, and less choosing to go to a four year college. And for those that do want a four year high school education, and want to go to more prestigious colleges, are in a way getting punished because they are required to take two sets of intensive exams. Personally, I feel that I was no where near ready for high school when I was 16, and I went to the second best college prep school in the state. Thinking about my 15 year old sister going to college next year terrifies me. While I am well aware that some students may be ready for college when they are 16, I think that it is safe to say that the majority are not. Mary Ann Romans (26876) 12 Nov 2008 06:17 AMThanks for that very well thought-out comment Danielle! I am inclined to agree with you, but having no experience with teenagers, I can't say what is right. Anyone else out there have an opinion? Andilei (70) 16 Nov 2008 03:25 PMWhile I agree that attending college at 16 may not be the best idea, attending a junior college is a good idea for some. It was a dream of mine to attend a four year college when I graduated high school. But since I went to a very small high school jumping straight into a big university would not have been a good idea for me. I think that if a 16 year old went to a major university there would be a big maturity difference between them and most of the other students that they may not be able to handle. nbusheyphoto (5) 02 Dec 2008 09:33 AMI am a secretary for a middle college high school. The students get to take college classes for free and receive dual credit. A student in good standing can graduate with an associates degree at the same time as a high school diploma. It is a great idea. Community Tags college readiness, education, graduation, high school Discuss this article
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