Can you graduate high school at 15? Without a doubt, dozens of public high schools in eight states will introduce a high school program that will allow 10th graders to get a diploma two years early. However, they should have passed their exam to enroll in community college immediately. Can you graduate high school in 2 years? With the proposed program, the answer is YES.
Organizers of the new effort indicate that students who excel but desire to attend a selective college may continue with college introductory courses in their junior and senior years. Students who fail the 10th-grade board exams can try again at the end of their 11th and 12th grades and ensure graduating high school at 17 will be a dream come true. The tests would consist of not only English and math but also subjects such as science and history.
The new system of high school coursework with the additional board examinations is modeled mainly on systems in high-performing nations like Denmark, Finland, France, England, and Singapore.
The program is being prepared by the National Center on Education and the Economy. Its objectives include ensuring that students have mastered a set of basic requirements and decreasing the number of students graduating from high school and needing remedial courses after enrolling in college. It is worth noting that over a million college freshmen across America must take remedial courses annually. However, it is sad to see that many drop out before getting a degree.
The education commissioners of many states have promised to sign up 10 to 20 schools each for the pilot project. They will also begin to reach out to district superintendents. The project’s supporters hope it will eventually spread to all schools in these eight states and motivate other states to follow suit. Supporters of this project include the National Education Association, the nation’s largest teachers’ union, and the National Association of Manufacturers.
Currently, most high school graduates joining in community colleges are shocked to find that they cannot pass math and English exams those colleges use to establish who require remediation. It is, therefore, essential to understand what you need to graduate from high school.
Four years ago, a bipartisan panel of national education and other policy specialists were assembled by the national center. They recommended a far-reaching redesign of the American educational system, such as the adoption of board examinations in high schools.
Other recommendations of the 2006 panel involved:
- giving states, rather than local districts
- control over school financing
- starting school for most children at age 3
The project to allow 10th graders to get a diploma two years early will greatly help in the education of American children. It is worth noting that there will not be any disadvantages of graduating high school early.