Proposed High School Changes Deserve Immediate Attention

Proposed High School
Changes Deserve Immediate Attention

Marie S. Bilik, NJSBA’s executive director, applauded the recent work of the New Jersey High School Redesign Steering Committee and said the panel’s recommendations deserve “immediate attention.”

Released on April 25, the report, NJSTEPS: Re-Designing Education in New Jersey for the 21st Century, resulted from a three-year effort that focused on improving the preparation of the state’s high school students through changes in course requirements, testing, and learning structure. NJSBA representatives served on the panel.

“By most objective measures, the academic performance of New Jersey’s public school students ranks near the top among the states,” said Bilik. “However, we would be fooling ourselves if we did not acknowledge that the world economy and the workplace have changed radically.

“Ensuring our students’ future success will require the state, local school districts and higher education to move beyond the status quo,” Bilik continued. “It will require immediate attention to instruction in math and science, new strategies to deliver education and better methods to assess student performance.

“It will also require adequate funding,” she cautioned. “We have to make sure that the high school redesign initiatives do not place an undue financial burden on New Jersey’s communities.”

The committee’s proposals include the following:

Increased graduation requirements, including completion of Algebra I, Algebra II, Geometry, Biology, Chemistry, and a half-year program in Economics. The courses would be added to current high school graduation requirements, such as a two-year course in U.S. History and 20 credits in language arts literacy.
A new approach for testing students on the content of the graduation requirements. Assessment would include a new Language Arts Proficiency Assessment. In addition, end-of-course exams in math (Algebra I, Algebra II, Geometry) and science (Biology and Chemistry) would replace the New Jersey High School Proficiency Assessment. The revised assessment process would also include a “performance-based” method (in addition to paper-and-pencil testing) to create a “fuller picture of student capabilities,” according to the report.
A partnership among key stakeholders to research, identify and implement appropriate recruitment initiatives for teachers and education leaders.
A redesign of high schools, so they become “learning communities” that use personalized approaches to prepare and support students in meeting the new requirements.
Creation of a council that would work toward an aligned system of public education from pre-school through four years of college. The council would include leaders from education, business, industry, trade unions and government, along with parents and representatives of the community at-large.

The High School Redesign Steering Committee grew out of the Education Summit on High Schools convened in 2005. In addition to NJSBA, the committee include the state Department of Education, N.J. Principals and Supervisors Association, NJEA, Business Coalition for Educational Excellence at the N.J. State Chamber of Commerce, the New Jersey Commission on Higher Education, New Jersey United for Higher School Standards, New Jersey (college and university) Presidents’ Council, and Montclair State University. Co-chairs of the steering committee are Gov. Jon Corzine; Art Ryan, chairman of Prudential Financial; and Montclair State University President Dr. Susan Cole.