Since the governor signed into law more rigorous requirements for high school graduates last April, the state has sent down more specific information on the requirements for the Class of 2011 and 2016.
Jim Schwarz, Executive Director of Curriculum for Oxford Schools, informed the school board last Tuesday of these specifications.
The state is mandating that students now complete four credits of math and language arts and three credits of science, three credits of social studies, one credit each of health/physical education and applied/performing arts.
Presently, the state only requires half a credit of civics to graduate, while Oxford requires three and a half credits of language arts, two credits of math and science and three for social studies.
The four credits of math required have become more specific in that it is now mandatory that students take Algebra I and II, geometry and another math class their senior year to help better prepare them for college.
‘It’s been common practice that in the senior year students tend to carry a lighter load of classes,? Schwarz said. ‘Universities have been pushing for that not to happen because when (students) get to that level they’re finding large gaps and have to re-teach the students.?
Schwarz said the state is leaving the districts in charge of deciding what science course students can take for their third credit, but the first two must be biology and either physics or chemistry.
He said Oxford is looking at requiring an Earth science course because the Michigan Merit Exam has many questions pertaining to that particular field of science.
‘We’d be foolish not to have Earth science requirements for our students at some point in their high school years,? Schwarz said.
Social studies credits must include a half a credit each of civics and economics and one credit each of U.S. and world history.
In addition to the requirements is two credits of a world language, which will begin when the Class of 2016 enters high school. Schwarz said these credits can be taken at anytime in a student’s K-12 career and will still be considered a fulfilled requirement.
School board trustee Pam Phelps was concerned with the new requirements and for students who struggle with math and science, but Schwarz said many of the required mathematics courses can be fulfilled through other classes, such as a business class or even an auto shop class.
Schwarz said the state is also implementing an assessment test at the end of the required courses that will in essence be the student’s final exam.
‘If they don’t pass that exam, they’d have to retake the course,? Schwarz said.
As of now, all of the new requirements, except for language arts, world language, applied/performance arts and physical education, will need to take these state mandated assessment tests. The state may add more tests in the future.
Currently, OHS requires 22 credits, which includes electives, to graduate. The new state mandated requirements will total 16 of those credits for the Class of 2011. The number of state mandated credits will jump to 18 for the Class of 2016, when the two credits of a world language will be required.
Schwarz said a graduation requirement committee is reviewing the requirements and discussing what the effects will be on the students, such as if they’ll increase graduation credits to allow more electives, or increasing the amount of class periods during the day.
He said the district has been revising many of their science and math curriculums already at the middle school level to better prepare students for the higher requirements.
‘We’re making changes course by course,? Schwarz said. ‘When we’re finished restructuring all this, it’s going to be quite amazing.?