A blogger for the U.S. Chamber's ChamberPost blog singled out Tennessee and Governor Bredesen as the leaders in making positive changes in education policies.
Lydia Logan of the U.S. Chamber writes, "While many reformers pay lip service to the idea that ready for college and ready for work are the same thing, Tennessee is walking the talk."
She cites the increased graduation requirements and one-track diploma programs as positive catalysts for change that have been made recently in Tennessee under Bredesen's leaderhip.
The Tennessee Board of Education today voted to raise the standards for Tennessee high school students to graduate.
These standards include additional math and science courses, as well as changing policies in physical education, foreign languages and other requirements.
The Board also voted to discontinue the Gateway exams and instead implemented end-of-year tests in key subject areas.
The US Chamber of Commerce blogger David Chavern had an interesting analysis of a New York Times story on strengthening graduation requirements for high school students.
Sara Rimer of the New York Times writes, "By contrast, many urban and low-income districts, which also serve many immigrants, are experimenting with ways to teach more than the basic skills so that their students can not only get to college, but earn college degrees. Some states have begun to strengthen their graduation requirements.
"'This is transformational change,' said Dan Challener, the president of the Public Education Foundation, a Chattanooga group that is working with the area public schools. 'It’s about the purpose of high school. It’s about reinventing what high schools do.'"
Read the New York Times article here.
Chavern, of the U.S. Chamber, quips, "It is about 20 years too late, but at least someone in the public education environment is acknowledging that there is a connection between public secondary education and our economy – and that there is a core obligation on the part of schools to give students the skills they need to obtain – and keep – meaningful employment."
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