Tennessee revamps high school curriculum
Tennessee education officials have revamped the state’s school curriculum ‘ particularly for high schools ‘ in an effort to bring Tennessee students more in line with national academic standards.
The new curriculum also gives those who don’t plan to attend college the skills needed to enter, and succeed, in the 21st century workplace.
The state school board, which unanimously approved the enhanced curriculum last week, has been lauded by Gov. Phil Bredesen for being a ‘forward-looking, modern’ group, calling its decision a ‘milestone.’
Bredesen initiated the process last year after meeting with business leaders who voiced a litany of complaints, including the fact Tennessee’s high school students who enter the workplace directly after graduation lack basic math and English skills.
Local educators say they think the upgraded state curriculum is a step in the right direction, but have some concerns about potential challenges, both economic and academic, in implementing the changes, particularly in rural school systems.
Director of schools, Dr. Jerry Hale says state officials are concerned about the statistics that show Tennessee students are falling behind their peers nationally in some test scores.
When asked if the new curriculum is the answer to some of the state’s educational issues, Hale was pragmatic.
‘Ideally yes,’ he said. ‘I don’t see any problems with raising the standards, but at some point we’ll have to deal with the practicality of it. All the moves look good on paper, but one of the things I think that’s going to be a problem, like with adding the year of math, is that we have trouble finding enough math teachers now.’
Raising the graduation requirements from 20 credits to 22 shouldn’t be a major issue, according to Hale, since there is actually time in four years of class work to achieve 24 credits, and in addition there are a number of ways to make up credits, such as summer school, the system’s credit recovery program and even the adult education annex, but he does admit there is potential for a negative effect on graduation rates.
‘That could be,’ Hale said. ‘Because some students actually struggle to get the 20 units. So it will have some effect, but I don’t know how much at this point.’
As far as turning out students who are more prepared for the workplace, Hale says Warren County has already been working to address that issue with strategies that include developing internship program with local industry.
‘The Business Roundtable Action Committee has been meeting with us to develop students at the high school who meet business and industrial needs,’ Hale said. ‘Todd Herzog is a big proponent of these programs, which can provide a good foundation for employees down the road, and to me that’s a win-win.’
Director of instruction Bobby Cox agrees it is important to provide students who plan to go into the job market with basic academic skills.
‘The business world has changed so much,’ Cox said. ‘A lot of the jobs that students will get right out of high school are very technical, and they’re more reading oriented. When you look at some of the technical manuals that an 18- or 20-year-old is going to have to read, those skill sets of math and language arts and problem solving are obviously skills that businesses look at.’
Cox says the state is also taking into account the overall health of students with the increase in physical education requirements, which he sees as a good move, even though it might not seem to directly affect academic performance.
‘It does relate to it a way that might not be obvious,’ Cox said. ‘We have been a pilot site for Coordinated School Health, and we have really seen a difference in attendance since we’ve been paying more attention to the health of our students. I think this is a state-wide effort to make sure students are healthy by putting this new physical education requirement in, hoping this will improve their health, therefore improving their academics as well because they will be in school more and be more active in the classroom.’
Hale says, even though it has a year to prepare, the system will start planning and preparing for the changes in the near future.
Examples of the more stringent graduation requirements in Tennessee that will go into effect in the fall of 2009:
‘ Four units of math instead of three.
‘ One and a half units of physical education instead of one unit.
‘ Half a credit in a newly created personal finance class.
‘ Gateway exams replaced with more challenging end-of-course exams.
‘ A minimum of 22 credits for graduation instead of 20.