Sadly, I was not surprised to learn that our local high school does not include “college or career ready” as part of its goals for graduates.
The district has adopted graduation goals. A graduate of the Eastchester Schools will be:
- A respectful individual
- A life-long learner
- An effective communicator
- A complex thinker and problem solver
- A competent and responsible user of technology
Words have consequences.
At our local school only 59% of high school graduates are “college or career ready” *. This at an annual cost of about $23,389 per pupil.
I prefer the Obama administration’s articulation of goals – much more specific, concrete, and measurable.
The goal for America’s educational system is clear: Every student should graduate from high school ready for college or a career.
Different school, similar problem
At a nearby school district, some parents are advocating that college preparation has to be front and center as goals, instead of other squishy priorities like global awareness, global responsibility, and 21st century skills.
* UPDATE: I changed “college ready” to “college or career ready” to accurately reflect what was measured. In other words, 59% were not prepared for “post-secondary” success as determined by New York’s Aspirational Performance Measure (APM).
