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It's not your father's high school diploma
The Douglas County Board of Education is proposing changes to the district's graduation policy. We invite you to learn about these changes, and to offer your views.
By By: John Sheehan
The Douglas County Board of Education is proposing changes to the district's graduation policy. We invite you to learn about these changes, and to offer your views.
Board members have, over the past few weeks, watched and listened as our high school principals "presented" the graduating classes of 2002 - made up, we were told, of students who "have met all of the requirements for graduation as set forth by the Douglas County School District Board of Education."
For us, no more important words are spoken during these ceremonies. They reflect our community's bottom line - an expectation that, as each student crosses the stage to receive a diploma, he or she is also walking away with an agreed-upon body of knowledge and skills that will enable them to enter into a productive life of learning.
It was not so long ago that the minimum requirements for graduation from high school amounted to "seat time." Two years ago, the board of education formally left behind these bare-bones expectations in favor of our own academic standards, which meet or exceed the state's standards.
The adoption of "standards-based" requirements marked the beginning of an ongoing dialogue about what it takes to graduate from Douglas County's high schools. This new policy took a two-tiered approach to determine proficiency: 1) We said our students must "pass" the Colorado Student Assessment Program tests; and, 2) We said our students must be able to demonstrate proficiency according to our district's academic standards.
Our current 9th and 10th graders face the prospect of meeting this new set of graduation requirements. Under the proposed changes to this policy, tests are seen as tools to demonstrate achievement, among which CSAP is just one option. In other words, CSAP testing would become a means to an end, rather than an end in itself.
We've learned a lot about CSAP over the past few years. Our experience suggests it's a reasonable measure of proficiency in reading. We propose keeping CSAP as the centerpiece of our testing strategy for literacy.
Other areas are less clear, particularly in science and social studies, where we have yet to see any CSAP tests. For math, we propose using our own algebra proficiency test as a starting point.
We fully anticipate that the best tools for assessing student achievement will change over time. The CSAP tests and the scoring of these tests are moving targets. As they change, we need to be prepared to reflect these changes. Our new policy would require the board to review and revise the graduation requirements on a regular basis.
Finally, we have a moral obligation to ensure success for all students.
This means providing remedial help for struggling students, as well as strengthening the core elements of our curriculum. The key to phasing in the new requirements is ensuring adequate supports are in place for students, before we hold them accountable.
We invite you to learn more about our proposed policy changes for graduation and to express your opinion. Visit our Web site at www.dcsd.k12.co.us or e-mail your comments to us at DCSD_Communications@ceo.cudenver.edu. You can write to the Board of Education at 620 Wilcox Street, Castle Rock, CO 80104. Finally, you can plan to attend our June 18 or July 16 board meetings, when the policy will be formally considered for adoption.
John Sheehan, board of education president.
Board members have, over the past few weeks, watched and listened as our high school principals "presented" the graduating classes of 2002 - made up, we were told, of students who "have met all of the requirements for graduation as set forth by the Douglas County School District Board of Education."
For us, no more important words are spoken during these ceremonies. They reflect our community's bottom line - an expectation that, as each student crosses the stage to receive a diploma, he or she is also walking away with an agreed-upon body of knowledge and skills that will enable them to enter into a productive life of learning.
It was not so long ago that the minimum requirements for graduation from high school amounted to "seat time." Two years ago, the board of education formally left behind these bare-bones expectations in favor of our own academic standards, which meet or exceed the state's standards.
The adoption of "standards-based" requirements marked the beginning of an ongoing dialogue about what it takes to graduate from Douglas County's high schools. This new policy took a two-tiered approach to determine proficiency: 1) We said our students must "pass" the Colorado Student Assessment Program tests; and, 2) We said our students must be able to demonstrate proficiency according to our district's academic standards.
Our current 9th and 10th graders face the prospect of meeting this new set of graduation requirements. Under the proposed changes to this policy, tests are seen as tools to demonstrate achievement, among which CSAP is just one option. In other words, CSAP testing would become a means to an end, rather than an end in itself.
We've learned a lot about CSAP over the past few years. Our experience suggests it's a reasonable measure of proficiency in reading. We propose keeping CSAP as the centerpiece of our testing strategy for literacy.
Other areas are less clear, particularly in science and social studies, where we have yet to see any CSAP tests. For math, we propose using our own algebra proficiency test as a starting point.
We fully anticipate that the best tools for assessing student achievement will change over time. The CSAP tests and the scoring of these tests are moving targets. As they change, we need to be prepared to reflect these changes. Our new policy would require the board to review and revise the graduation requirements on a regular basis.
Finally, we have a moral obligation to ensure success for all students.
This means providing remedial help for struggling students, as well as strengthening the core elements of our curriculum. The key to phasing in the new requirements is ensuring adequate supports are in place for students, before we hold them accountable.
We invite you to learn more about our proposed policy changes for graduation and to express your opinion. Visit our Web site at www.dcsd.k12.co.us or e-mail your comments to us at DCSD_Communications@ceo.cudenver.edu. You can write to the Board of Education at 620 Wilcox Street, Castle Rock, CO 80104. Finally, you can plan to attend our June 18 or July 16 board meetings, when the policy will be formally considered for adoption.
John Sheehan, board of education president.
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