In Case You Missed It: The New York Times on High School Diplomas and College and Career Readiness

Tuesday, January 5, 2016Printer-friendly version

On December 26, the New York Times ran a piece by Motoko Rich ("As Graduation Rates Rise, Experts Fear Diplomas Come Up Short") that took an important look at what the rise in America's high school graduation rates really means for student readiness. Despite the fact that more students are graduating from high school than ever before, many of them are not prepared for success in college or a career because graduation requirements are not rigorous. 

"According to one analysis of requirements for the class of 2014, 32 states did not require that all graduates take four years of English and math through Algebra II or its equivalent, which is often defined as the minimum to be prepared for college. 

'Students and their families rely on and trust the high school diploma as a signal of readiness,' said Alissa Peltzman, the vice president of state policy at Achieve, a nonprofit that performed the study. 'It needs to mean something. Otherwise, it's a false promise for thousands of students.'"

On December 31, the Times published a follow-up editorial ("The Counterfeit High School Diploma") calling for an end to high school diplomas that are "useless and that leave graduates unprepared for college, the job market or even meeting entry requirements for the Army." 

"Many states reacted by settling for cosmetic changes in school curriculums and using weak test that virtually anyone could pass. This allows them to hide how dismal their schools actually are and misleads families and students into believing that high school diplomas have value. 

The country has yet to confront this problem and commit itself to the steps it would take to correct it. Until it does, the United States will continue to lose ground to nations that have better prepared teachers and rigorous school systems that do better jobs of giving their citizens the skills they need."

Achieve's "How the States Got Their Rates" report and the imperative for meaningful graduation requirements have also been featured in other recent editorials: 

Media Contact: Chad Colby (202) 419-1570, ccolby@achieve.org or Kelly Van Beveren: 202-745-2306, kvanbeveren@achieve.org

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