National Commission on the High School Senior Year, October 2001
Established in June 2000 by the U.S. Department of Education and several partner corporations and foundations, the National Commission on the High School Senior Year was charged with proposing ways to improve the last year of high school, which many believe is largely wasted by lots of seniors. ("Subsidized dating," it's been called.) After issuing an interim report in January 2001 (see The Lost Opportunity of Senior Year), the Commission has now presented its final thoughts. It argues that all students need at least two years of postsecondary education to succeed in today's economy, but "just 44 percent of our high school students take a demanding academic program; the other 30 million are being prepared for a future that has already vanished, in courses of study that lack rigor and coherence." The solution, the Commission believes, lies in a seamless education system from preschool to postsecondary that integrates standards, curriculum and assessment, with challenging college-prep courses required of all students, and with "permeable boundaries between high school, postsecondary education and the working world." Students could then shift back and forth between learning and working "according to their own readiness and needs" - thereby allowing some to graduate early while others take extra time. The senior year itself, says the Commission, should emphasize internships, portfolios and capstone projects rather than "seat time." Many of the Commission's recommendations are solid, though flexibility and subjectivity envisioned for the senior year leave room for abuse. For more information, go to http://www.commissiononthesenioryear.org/Report/FINAL_PDF_REPORT.pdf. To order a hard copy, send a check for $8 (made out to the Foundation) to Senior Year Report, The Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation, CN 5281, Princeton, NJ 08543-5281; fax 609-452-0666; email [email protected]
