Vol. 39, No. 11

May 19, 2005

 

State Education Officials Will Hold Regional Meetings to
Discuss Proposed Changes in Graduation Requirements

The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education will hold 10 meetings across the state next week, May 2-5, to discuss proposed changes in Missouri’s minimum high school graduation requirements.

A state-level advisory committee, appointed by Commissioner of Education D. Kent King, has spent the past year studying high school reform issues. The panel presented its recommendations to the State Board of Education last week.

During next week’s meetings, state education officials will outline the recommended changes in graduation standards and seek feedback from educators and community leaders. The State Board of Education is expected to take action in June to begin implementing the recommended changes. The proposed changes include:

  • Increasing minimum graduation requirements to 24 units of credit, from the current 22-unit standard. This would include four units of English and three units each of math, science and social studies – an increase of one unit in all four subjects. A new half-unit requirement in health education also was proposed.

While not recommending the addition of a separate course, the task force also called for a requirement that all students acquire specific knowledge and competence in the area of “personal finance.”

  • Developing a new “exit test” to replace the current high school MAP exams. All students would be required to take an exam, such as the ACT or SAT, with an “add-on component” to address Missouri’s academic standards. Students would take this exam in the eleventh grade, but there would not be a state-mandated passing score.

  • Adopting a two-tiered diploma for public high schools. Students who earn 24 units of credit would qualify for a standard diploma. Students who also earn a specified score on the exit exam would receive an “advanced” diploma.