What's New?
SEOC Chapters work together on Statewide High School Reform Campaign
As State Focuses on High-
Stakes Tests, SEOC Asks
What Students REALLY
Need to Succeed
For over eight months, SEOC parents from all chapters have been testifying, protesting, and meeting directly with State Board of Education (SBOE) members to get them to see the flaws in the NJ Department of Education’s (DOE) “High School Redesign Plan.” It adds tougher graduation requirements, but the DOE has neglected to assess the resources and changes needed to enable teachers and students to meet the new requirements. Graduation rates in our cities hover around a tragic 50%, and this plan is likely to drive these down further.
Despite these problems, the SBOE voted on June 17 to endorse the DOE Plan. We should take heart, however, that our organizing had some positive impacts. The final approved Plan included some good changes. (1) There will be more flexibility in the proposed set of required math and science courses. (2) DOE will initiate capacity assessments of the districts’ ability to carry out these reforms. (3) SBOE has told the Commissioner that 3 to 5 tests should be used for graduation purposes (instead of one “exit exam” per new course), that there should be alternative assessments, and that there should be measures to protect special needs and English language learners. (4) Finally, DOE has conceded that the exit exams should be “piloted” instead of mandated everywhere at once.
Taken all together, these changes mean that the worst parts of the DOE plan, those that would most likely lead to increased failures, frustration, and dropping out, have been softened. SEOC will continue our campaign for a better plan for our youth, working at both the city and state levels on high school reform issues.
Contact your local chapter to share
YOUR thoughts about what our
students and schools need in
order to increase graduation rates.
