A HIGHER BAR FOR GRADUATION

By MEGAN HAWKINS

Register Staff Writer

Carlisle High School Principal Mike Anthony is concerned how students in the school district will handle the tougher statewide graduation requirements that went into effect this fall.

But he knows students will benefit.

"Can they do it? I think so," he said. "But I think we've dumbed down some things over the years."

This year's crop of ninth-grade students is the first in Iowa to be required by law to take four years of English and three each of math, science and social studies. The increased requirements come as the nation's educational systems are under increased pressure from lawmakers who want higher test scores, parents who want brighter children, employers who want better-skilled workers and taxpayers who want more from their investment.

Only 50 of Iowa's 365 school districts had the new requirements in place when the law was passed last year, according to the Iowa Department of Education. Another 159 had a plan to have this year's freshmen meet the standards; 24 had agreements with other districts to meet the law. Officials in 132 districts say they are working toward implementing the requirements.

Carlisle students were required to take two years of math and science. Many students took no math after first-year algebra, Anthony said.

He said success will take more teachers, more classes and more tutors to help students.

"Once we get kids to challenge themselves and do it, we don't want to turn around and flunk them," Anthony said. "We've just got to be optimistic about our abilities, and our expectations have got to be higher."

The legislative mandate, on the other hand, did not come with new money.

Test scores show U.S. schools must improve to stay competitive with their counterparts in other nations. Results from the 2003 Program for International Student Assessment, for example, showed American students scoring below those from most other industrialized nations in math and science.

The bottom line, experts worry, is that the United States will face an economy-crippling shortage of mathematicians and scientists.

That's why Vicki Selinger of Johnston lauds the new Iowa standards. Selinger teaches chemistry at Des Moines Area Community College. Her son is a freshman at Johnston High School.

"I'm a science-oriented person. I see so many people who do not have the science they need to get by in society," said Selinger, who is a candidate in the Sept. 11 Johnston school board election. "I have so many students come in who don't know the basics of algebra."

Scores on standardized tests in Iowa have recorded slight improvement in math and slow but steady growth in science. Scores from 2004 to 2006 show 78.5 percent of high school juniors were proficient in math; 80.4 percent were proficient in science.

Many other states have increased graduation requirements over the past few years, especially in math and science. Iowa is one of 28 states that will require freshmen to take at least three math classes; nine states require four years of math, according to a report from the Education Commission of the States. Thirty states require three years of science, and only one - Alabama - requires four.

A Des Moines Register survey of area school districts found that math and science are where most students will need to step up. Many districts already required three and four years of social studies and English.

The effort will require schools to find qualified teachers and classroom space for them to do their work. The challenge for students will be to juggle heavier class loads.

"It might be overwhelming at times, but we're just gonna have to power through it," said Urbandale freshman Krista Garvin, 14. Urbandale's school board last spring increased the graduation requirements for this year's freshman class.

Researchers say those extra classes must also be more difficult if the class of 2011 is expected to be ready for life beyond high school.

Increased rigor and relevance was what lawmakers had in mind when they ordered new graduation standards.

State education officials will monitor districts to ensure the mandate is met, and if it is not, they'll intervene to help districts meet the law. Local school boards and administrators decide what courses will be offered.

State Rep. Christopher Rants, a Republican, said the law lacks detail. He and others want a rule with the goal that 80 percent of high school seniors will take the core curriculum outlined by ACT, the Iowa City college-admission testing company. ACT recommends specific courses such as Algebra I and II and geometry. Democrats and Gov. Chet Culver struck the specific language from the bill.

Rants, of Sioux City, called it a "horrible mistake."

"I think it is a big step backward in terms of making sure all kids - not just the kids in big, fancy urban districts, but all over the state - are getting the kind of education and course load they need if they're competing between those kids from Shanghai or Bangalore," he said.

But educators say students need choices, and the detailed courses outlined by the college-focused ACT "are not appropriate for every single child in the state," said Jeff Berger, the Iowa Department of Education's lobbyist.

The education department has developed its own recommended core curriculum and urges school districts to adopt it. It outlines specific lessons and skills, complete with examples, that students should master in each subject. It does not mention specific classes to take.

"The model core curriculum is definitely focusing on more rigor for all students across the board," said Judy Jeffrey, director of the education department. "We're not just talking about course titles, but the content that needs to be achieved by all of our students in reading, math and science."

Department officials hope to eventually make the model curriculum a requirement in all districts.

Many Iowa school officials say they have made high school classes tougher, but not because the Legislature told them to do so.

"This has not been a catalyst for additional rigor," said Liz Celania-Fagen, executive director of high school programs in Des Moines. "It has made more of our students 'college ready' as far as entrance requirements."

Des Moines officials have eliminated some general courses, such as an introductory science class. Students now choose biology, chemistry, physics or earth sciences. Likewise, in math, some of the basic courses are now classified as electives, and students must instead take algebra and higher-level math.

"In our opinion, they're taking more rigorous courses sooner," Celania-Fagen said. "There's a huge movement on the need for students to be college- and career-ready. There's a need for math, critical thinking, problem solving, 21st-century skills."

Des Moines and many other districts now make first-year algebra the minimum math requirement. Others, such as Norwalk, have tried to eliminate remedial and low-level courses.

Many, such as West Des Moines, have added remedial courses, such as a two-year algebra course. Donna Wilkin, who oversees curriculum in West Des Moines schools, defends the basic classes as a way to help more students tackle tougher math courses later.

"About 150 students of about 600 seemed not to be taking algebra. We thought to help those students learn algebra, we needed to provide something slower paced," Wilkin said. "Typically, those would be students that probably were not thinking about college. We know learning algebra helps development of cognitive thinking. So our issue is how to offer it in different ways."

Wilkin said remedial algebra classes are a good way to raise overall standards. "Otherwise they would have taken less-rigorous math classes," she said. "We're requiring algebra now."

The higher graduation standards caused few ripples in suburban districts such as West Des Moines and Ankeny, where the percentage of college-bound students who take challenging courses is already high and students already take many challenging classes. That's why the costs to meet the mandate vary widely from district to district.

Des Moines school officials this year spent $400,000 to hire additional math and science teachers. Carlisle schools have spent between $50,000 and $75,000 on curriculum and hiring. Ankeny school officials have devoted about $20,000 each of the past two years to teacher training geared toward adding rigor to their courses. Officials in other districts, especially those that are fast-growing, say they did not set aside money specifically to meet the new requirements, but they continue to hire teachers to keep up with enrollment.

Many parents believe the new requirements will be good for students, but some worry what the new emphasis on the basics will mean for art, music and foreign language classes as students try to squeeze them into their schedules.

Cindy Todd of West Des Moines said schools should be careful to not disrupt the balance between core classes and electives.

"Students need to be prepared in high school for what they're going to take in college; upping their requirements will only help that," Todd said. "But I don't want it to be at the detriment of students who would want to experiment with other things."

Todd's son Rob is a senior who will take a marine biology class this year at Des Moines' Central Campus.

"Parents are going to have to help their kids choose their electives carefully," Todd said.

Kim Jones, whose daughter, Riley, is a freshman at Urbandale High School, worries that with the additional credits, arts courses are "going to take a huge hit."