NC State Board of Education
Regional Meetings
North Carolina’s Proposed
High School Graduation
Requirements
Wandra C. Polk, Ph.D
Director, Middle and Secondary Division
North Carolina Department of Public Instruction
Future-Ready Schools
Regional Meeting Agenda
• Welcome,
purposes, and format
of meeting
–
State Board of Education (SBE)
• Conceptual
framework for proposed
high school graduation requirements
–
Department of Public Instruction (DPI) staff
• Public
feedback to SBE
• Next steps
–
DPI staff
Future-Ready Schools
State Board of
Education’s Mission
FUTURE-READY STUDENTS FOR THE 21ST CENTURY
Every public school student
will graduate from high school,
globally competitive for work and
postsecondary
education and
prepared for life
in the 21st century.
Future-Ready Schools
Purposes of
Regional Meetings
• To
create awareness of the SBE’s
conceptual framework for Core Course
of Study – Revised Graduation
Requirements
• To gather feedback to help formulate
SBE graduation requirement policy
and DPI’s priorities
Future-Ready Schools
Why Do We Need to
Change Graduation
Requirements?
Future-Ready Schools
NORTH CAROLINA’S Educational Pipeline
In North Carolina, for every 100 ninth-grade students…
…64 students graduate four years later.
…41 students enter college.
…28 students are still enrolled in their second year.
…19 students graduate with either an Associate’s degree
within three years or a Bachelor’s degree within six years.
Source: www.achieve.org
Future-Ready Schools
Which is More Difficult?
War and Peace or
Auto Mechanics Journal?
Future-Ready Schools
When asked, the majority of
high school graduates would
have taken harder courses
KNOWING WHAT YOU KNOW TODAY ABOUT THE
EXPECTATIONS OF COLLEGE/WORK…
Would have taken more challenging
courses in at least one area?
College students
Students who did not go to college
62%
72%
34%
Source: Peter D. Hart Research Associates/Public Opinion Strategies, Rising to the Challenge:
Are High School Graduates Prepared for College and Work? prepared for Achieve, Inc., 2005.
48%
Future-Ready Schools
College students
Students who did not go to college
Would have taken
more challenging courses in:
Math
Science
English
62%
72%
34%
48%
32%
41%
29%
38%
College students
Students who did not go to college
62%
SOURCE: Peter D. Hart Research Associates/Public Opinion Strategies, Rising to the Challenge: Are
High School Graduates Prepared for College and Work? prepared for Achieve, Inc., 2005.
72%
Future-Ready Schools
American Diploma Project
(ADP) Network
28 STATES COMMITTED TO
IMPROVING STUDENT PREPARATION
Future-Ready Schools
What Does It Mean to
be a Skilled Person?
Future-Ready Schools
Skilled Person
1952
Six or more years of school
(US Census Bureau)
1960
Eighth-grade education
(US Office of Education)
21st Century
High school education plus
(US Education | The Conference Board)
Future-Ready Schools
College Ready = Work Ready
• American
College Test (ACT)
Study
Ready for College, Ready for Work:
Same or Different?
– Whether
planning to enter college or
workforce training programs after
graduation, high school students need
to be educated in a comparable level of
readiness in reading and mathematics.
Future-Ready Schools
Technical Jobs Require
High-level Skills
• Technicians
in the
telecommunications industry:
– Recommended
high school
content includes Geometry and
Advanced Algebra
• Electricians:
– Recommended
high school
content includes Algebra, Geometry,
Trigonometry, and Physics
Future-Ready Schools
Conceptual Framework for the
Core Course of Study
(2008-09)
•All
freshmen entering high school
in fall 2008 will participate in the
required Core Course of Study.
•They also will earn at least one
endorsement in a specialty area
based on their choice and interest
by taking at least four units in the
selected area of interest.
Future-Ready Schools
Conceptual Framework for the
Core Course of Study (continued)
The Core (17 units)
4 units of English
4 units of Mathematics
3 units of Social Studies
3 units of Science
2 units of a Second Language
1 unit of Health/Physical Education
Future-Ready Schools
Endorsements
(REQUIRES AT LEAST FOUR UNITS IN ONE AREA)
• Career and Technical Education (CTE)
• Arts Education
• Junior Reserve Officers’ Training
Corps (JROTC)
• Advanced Placement (AP) /
International Baccalaureate (IB)
• Second Language
• Other
Future-Ready Schools
Core Course of Study
Substitutions
Future-Ready Schools
Conceptual Framework for
the Core Course of Study
Students qualifying for the
Occupational Course of Study are
exempt from this requirement.
Future-Ready Schools
Mathematics Units
PROPOSALS
Based on student outcomes:
– Workforce
– Community
College
– University: Liberal Arts
– University: Science, Technology,
Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM)
Future-Ready Schools
Mathematics Units (continued)
Workforce
Math I
Math II Math III
Math IV
Algebra I
- or Integrated
Math I
Geometry
- or Integrated
Math II
Advanced
Functions of
Modeling or
Integrated Math
IV (non-honors)
- or New 4th course
with a technical
emphasis
Algebra II
- or Integrated
Math III
— OR —
Future-Ready Schools
Mathematics Units (continued)
Workforce
Math I
Math II Math III
Math IV
Integrated
Math I
Integrated
Math II
Applicationbased Math
developed to
be aligned
with a CTE
pathway
Applicationbased Math
developed to
be aligned
with a CTE
pathway
Future-Ready Schools
Mathematics Units (continued)
Community
College
Math I
Math II Math III
Math IV
Algebra I
- or Integrated
Math I
Geometry
- or Integrated
Math II
Advanced
Functions and
Modeling
- or Integrated
Math IV
Algebra II
- or Integrated
Math III
Future-Ready Schools
Mathematics Units (continued)
University:
Liberal Arts
Math I
Math II Math III
Math IV
Algebra I
- or Integrated
Math I
Geometry
- or Integrated
Math II
Advanced
Functions and
Modeling
- or Integrated
Math IV
- or AP Statistics
- or Discrete Math
- or Pre-Calculus
Algebra II
- or Integrated
Math III
Future-Ready Schools
Mathematics Units (continued)
Middle Math
Grades I
Math
University: Algebra I
STEM
Math
II
Math
III
Geometry Algebra II PreCalculus
- or - or Integrated Integrated - or Math II
Math III
Integrated
Math IV
Math
IV
AP
Calculus
AB or BC
- or AP
Statistics
- or Discrete
Math
Future-Ready Schools
Why Second Languages in
the 21st Century?
• Global
economy
• Living and working at home
and abroad
• National security
• Better communication in
native language
Future-Ready Schools
Second Languages
Program of Study
• What
should these courses
include?
– Communication
– Cultural
awareness
– Special focus on application
Future-Ready Schools
CTE and Second
Languages Project
• Level
I for all students
• Differentiation beginning at Level
II with focus on career-related
vocabulary and authentic activities
related to career interests
• Creation of activities, lessons,
and opportunities for graduation
projects
Future-Ready Schools
Heritage Language Speakers
• Speak
a language other than
English at home
• Need to improve heritage
language skills, especially in
reading and writing
• Spanish for Native Speakers –
curriculum can be adapted to
other languages
Future-Ready Schools
Technology and
Second Languages
• IPODs
–Ancillary
–Downloadable,
free resources
–Portable
–Listen & record
• Online
Courses
– Access
to more
languages via the
virtual classroom
– Require some realtime interaction
Future-Ready Schools
Public Comment
Future-Ready Schools
Next Steps
• SBE
discussion/action
• On-going communication
• Intervention strategies
• Accountability redesign
• Review of existing policies
Future-Ready Schools
Questions or comments?
E-mail
feedback@dpi.state.nc.us
Future-Ready Schools
NC State Board of Education
Regional Meetings
North Carolina’s Proposed
High School Graduation
Requirements
Wandra C. Polk, Ph.D
Director, Middle and Secondary Division
North Carolina Department of Public Instruction
Future-Ready Schools