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Pete Swafford
At Ridgeland High School in Walker County, Ga., the career technical curriculum has been expanded and revamped so graduates are ready for secondary training or entry-level jobs in nearly a dozen trades.
Similar efforts are under way in some Southeast Tennessee schools, where students can get a variety of career experiences before they graduate.
Both states have upped the number of math, science and English credits required to earn a diploma, a move aimed at ensuring success in college.
The work in both states to align high school standards with work and college expectations has been recognized by Achieve, an organization created by the National Governors Association.
“Overall, both Tennessee and Georgia are among the leading states on this agenda right now,” said Matt Gandal, executive vice president of Achieve. “They have both worked very aggressively, especially in Tennessee’s case led by (Gov. Phil Bredesen) in just a very short period of time, to do what most other states have either taken years or haven’t been able to do yet.”
Georgia and Tennessee are among 19 states with standards requiring high-school graduates to be college- and career-ready standards, according to Achieve’s third annual report, “Closing the Expectations Gap 2008.”
Both states reworked their graduation requirements to line up with what colleges and employers expect of high school graduates: pass college-level English and math, read directions and work collaboratively.
Both states also raised the number of credits in core academic subjects — English, math and science — required to earn a diploma. Those requirements go into effect this fall in Georgia and next year in Tennessee.
Dana Tofig, spokesman for the Georgia Department of Education, said the Achieve report emphasizes the need for one rigorous curriculum.
“We can’t have a different set of expectations for different students,” Mr. Tofig said.
“College and the work world expect you to have a unified set of expectations, especially in the core areas,” he said. “The math that gets you ready for college is the same math that gets you ready for the work world and the 21st-century jobs that are out there.”
Pete Swafford, assistant superintendent for Sequatchie, Tenn., schools, said recent reforms aimed at keeping students in school also prepare them for life after high school. Educators are working on students’ technical skills too, he said.
“We’ve added courses in what used to be called vocational learning,” Mr. Swafford said. “We are doing Internet learning and we have a nursing program where they can earn a certificate. We have 75 students in the class, where two years ago, we didn’t even have the class.”
Melody Day, superintendent of Chickamauga, Ga., city schools, said employers play a key role in the district’s classrooms.
“We have business representatives to speak to our students on what they look for in a prospective employee and also what they look for to promote,” Ms. Day said. “Students need good communication skills, technical skills and be able to work in a group.”
The Achieve report said Georgia and Tennessee have made less progress on assessments, data and accountability systems than on curriculum alignment.
Education officials from both states said efforts to address those areas are under way.
Georgia education officials are working on a testing system. Tennessee has replaced the Gateway exit exams for algebra, English and science with end-of-course exams that students must pass to graduate.
Achieve also recommends that states track student cohorts from ninth grade to graduation and keep up with how many graduate from college.
“When kids leave high school, no one knows what happens to them,” Dr. Gandal said. “There needs to be a sharing of data (between high school and higher education). If students are continually needing remediation in math or science, someone needs to ask hard questions about what is going on at those high schools. States can take the lead on that.”
Tracking the performance of students who go directly to work will be harder, Dr. Gandal said.
Ridgeland principal Robert Smith said educators are working to prepare students for work. But he said it will take time for employers to see results.
“The kids that give a bad picture to the business world, the ones that can’t read or write, all those things they like to throw up in our face, those are the kids who barely graduated from high school,” Mr. Smith said. “They are the ones that go through your safety nets, summer school, through your remediation, everything you do to try and get them through school.”
Grades on preparing graduates
A national report rated states’ educational systems on how well they did in five areas:
* Align high school standards with college and workplace expectations
* Align high school graduation requirements with college and workplace expectations
* Administer college readiness test to all high school students
* Develop a system to track student progress from preschool through postsecondary education
* Hold high schools accountable for graduating students college and career ready
Source: Achieve Inc.
