Lesson plans
Local districts add classes, change teaching methods to meet new Ohio lawBy RAYMOND L. SMITH / Tribune Chronicle
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High school freshmen from all over Ohio will see increased graduation requirements in math and finance two years from now, but some local students already are feeling the pinch.
Local school officials say they are hoping a two-year jump in new Ohio graduation requirements will put their students ahead of the curve when colleges look at transcripts.
Under new core curriculum requirements adopted by the state Board of Education, freshmen entering high school in 2010 will be required to take an increased number of four math courses from the current three, along with a new personal finance course requirement. Science courses also must be taught in an inquiry-based, scientific investigation fashion, rather than ''rote memorization.''
Stan Heffner, an associate superintendent for curriculum and assessment for the state Board of Education, said under the new math requirement, students must take Algebra II or an equivalent course.
The state also will be requiring schools to provide financial literacy instruction, largely because students often find themselves inundated with credit card offers as they enter their senior year and start college.
''We're increasing standards, because it is no longer enough for Ohio students to be able to compete with those living in neighboring states,'' Heffner said. ''We want to compete with students in the global economy.''
That philosophy apparently has hit home. Already, it is being applied in local districts like Liberty, Lordstown and Girard.
In Liberty, today's freshmen also are being required to complete an increased quantity - four years - of science.
Liberty
Liberty graduates already are required to take an equivalent of Algebra II as their fourth math course, and chemistry or an equivalent as their fourth science course.
''We want to make sure our students are prepared for college,'' said Liberty counselor Heather Smith. ''Colleges have, over the years, been coming back to school districts across the country telling us that every year they have to send a percentage of our graduates to remedial courses to prepare them to take entry-level college courses.''
With about 88 percent of Liberty graduates going on to higher education, the new requirement there is aimed at addressing such deficiencies.
''Getting into college is much more competitive than it used to be,'' Smith said. ''OSU has told us they are scrutinizing students' high school transcripts more, and if they do not have particular courses, they are not being considered for admission.''
Liberty, which already requires 28 credits to graduate, already is among Trumbull County school districts with the highest overall credit requirement.
''Some school districts that only have 20 credits (required) may have to make more adjustments in their schedules to add new requirements,'' said Liberty counselor William Rupert. "Under our trimester system our students had more electives to choose from."
Lordstown requirements
At Lordstown High School, Principal A.J. Calderone said preparations for the new state requirements have been a year in the making.
''We were actually ahead of the state on the financial education component,'' Calderone said. ''A year prior to the passing of the legislation, we reduced our government course from a full year to a semester and added a semester of economics.''
In addition, last year the district added a personal finance course as an elective, he said.
Last year, the district went through a core curriculum audit the Trumbull County Educational Service Center and, based on its results, sent some math and science teachers through additional training to better prepare them for the changes to come.
The district now is allowing eighth grade students to enroll in a freshman-level physical science to allow time for other upper-level science classes like Biology, Bio II, Chemistry and Physics before they graduate.
''As for math, most of our students will meet the Algebra II equivalency,'' Calderone said, noting that the college-prep students, about two-thirds of this year's seniors, will graduate having passed Algebra, Geometry, Algebra II and pre-Calculus.
Girard High School
Girard Superintendent Joseph Jeswald said his school district increased the number of math credit requirements from three to four several years ago.
''We've tried to stay ahead of the minimum requirements of the state,'' Jeswald said. ''We are four in language arts, and three in science.''
In fact, Jeswald said students can take as many as six or seven math courses before they graduate, if they choose to go in that direction.
Like Liberty, Girard requires students to earn more total credits, 27, than the state now requires, 20.
In addition to the basic requirements, Jeswald says it is important for school districts to offer diverse courses that will challenge students and make them dream of possibilities that they may not be introduced to in their homes.
''We've added an engineering program that is offered within our school and through TCTC,'' he said. "We started a bio-medical program that we will add to in future years.''
''It is part of our STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) offering we have available for our kids,'' Jeswald said. ''It combines math, science, technologies. It prepares kids for any number of careers in the health fields.''
And the district already requires a finance education course.
Warren G. Harding
Students at Warren G. Harding High School must earn 21 credits, or one more than the current state-required 20 credits, to graduate. That includes four English credits, three credits each for math and science, as well as half credit each for health and physical education.
''We are working to realigning our courses, so we will be able to meet the Ohio Core requirements,'' said Harding Principal Ruth Zitnik. ''We will not increase the total number of courses required for graduation.''
The district does not plan to wait until 2010 to change its curriculum to match Ohio Core requirements.
"We likely will phase some of the changes in next year," Zitnik said. "We are trying to be pro-active now."
Zitnik pointed out some changes will not require new courses, but a change in teaching emphasis.
''We have the required science courses, but the new emphasis on inquiry-based instruction may require changes in how these courses are taught,'' she said.
The new math requirements will require students to take an Algebra II exit exam.
Zitnik said she agrees with the state's decision to make graduation requirements more rigorous.
''The types of employment our graduates will seek now require a much higher level of preparedness,'' she said. ''Graduates are not going to be able to go out and get a job without basic skills.''
Badger, Lakeview
Edwin Baldwin, Badger High School principal, said his district requires students to have 21 credits to graduate.
''In increasing our math requirements, we will ask our students to take an integrated math course in the lower grades, algebra, algebra II and then either quantitative reasoning or pre-calculus,'' Baldwin said. ''Those students who take pre-calculus then will take calculus.''
That school already offers an elective economics course that will become a required course.
Richard Stevens, principal of Lakeview High School, says the district's college preparation track already is pretty much in line with the state's core curriculum. However, the district is looking to realign some of the courses for the non-college bound students.
''We are taking a serious look at having them take Algebra, Geometry and Algebra II,'' Stevens said. ''We are looking to institute changes next year.''
Because the district may be moving its eighth-grade students into the high school building as measure to reduce costs, it will help the district to make sure its eight grade math courses prepare all of its students to take Algebra in the ninth grade.
Niles, Howland
Niles McKinley High School principal Michael Notar says his school already had been looking at requiring students to earn more credits to graduate even before the state mandate change was announced.
''We currently require our high school students to take a minimum of five credit hours per year,'' Notar said. "We are looking to increase that amount to six credits per year."
Notar said the high school is looking at making more courses available for students to take.
"We are looking at adding an additional English course and some additional electives,'' he said. ''Some of these changes could take place in the next school year. What we would like to have is more academic courses available for our students.''
Howland school administrator Ann Marie Thigpen said that district is following the state's current guidelines. It will expand the number of courses in math and science when the state requires it to do so.
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ChinChin
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11-18-08 12:53 AM
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oldgeenb,not everyone goes to college. I took Chemistry in high school too, but I know alot of people I went to high school who couldn't pass that class with 3 tutors and a study table every night. Oh yeah, I have a college degree, too. In Math. 65 credit hours in math. I had to learn a little more then punching in numbers in a calculator like a business student. Anyone who wants to go to college needs science requirements and chemistry is what you take your junior year, most likely. My point is that less then 50% of high school graduates in Trumbull County go to college. The major reason is they couldn't pass college or college level classes in high school. Therefore making it mandatory would just water it down for all the student capable of taking it normally.
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Billdog
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11-17-08 1:16 PM
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oldgreenb, we cannot and should not tell every student they can and should go to college. A college degree only becomes useless. We need to teach each what they are capable of and prepair each for the type of employment they can be successful at. To say all need an Algebra II class is not acurate. All need the basics, all need to be able to think. Even a large majority of college grads don't need chemistry. Why make it manditory at the high school level? I am not saying to dumb down education, just prepair students for their individual capabilities. Be reasonable. Another example of government getting into something they know little about.
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oldgreenb
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11-17-08 1:05 PM
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hey Chin Chin, I took Chemistry and passed it. Obviously you did not go to college, because now it is part of MANY majors to have at least one year of Chem! Oh, yeah- I forgot to mention-- I was an Economics/ Finance major. WTF was I going to do with Chemistry??
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oldgreenb
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11-17-08 1:01 PM
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when a cashier at mcdonalds can not make change without the help of the register, we have a problem! I give kudos to up'ing the requirements for graduation. Lets look at our 'kids are our future'- do you want someone leading us in our elder lives that cant make simple change????
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ChinChin
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11-16-08 1:47 PM
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I would guess over 65% of regular atudents at any local high school could not pass a college type prep Algebra 2 course. I agree that it would be in name only. My friend is a science teacher in West Virgina and they are trying to get all students to take a Chemistry course which is absurd. That is something that less then 20% of all high school students take and pass.
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mythought
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11-16-08 11:58 AM
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Another negative impact of all this extra emphasis on advanced courses for all students is the gradual loss of industrial arts, art, music, and home economic courses which all students enjoy taking. The schools must eliminate these courses to meet the state mandate to include more advanced courses. Where do you think you will get the new funding? The state provides no new money, only mandates. As a result, classes that students enjoy are eliminated to cut costs. It is a shame what is happening to the student who is not interested in becoming a college graduate. Shouldn't the schools consider the needs of all children?
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mythought
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11-16-08 11:57 AM
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Another negative impact of all this extra emphasis on advanced courses for all students is the gradual loss of industrial arts, art, music, and home economic courses which all students enjoy taking. The schools must eliminate these courses to meet the state mandate to include more advanced courses. Where do you think you will get the new funding? The state provides no new money, only mandates. As a result, classes that students enjoy are eliminated to cut costs. It is a shame what is happening to the student who is not interested in becoming a college graduate. Shouldn't the schools consider the needs of all children?
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mythought
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11-16-08 10:15 AM
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If you believe that all students are capable of completing Algebra 2, then you do not understand the concept of a normal curve. Any school district that says all of its nonspecial education students are completing a "regular" Algebra 2 class are not telling the truth. The course they are taking may be called Algebra 2, but it is definitely watered down version.
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