New requirements sought for graduating high school
| • | Public meetings schedule |
By Derrick DePledge
Advertiser Education Writer
Students would take less physical education and social studies classes to make room for learning a new language or studying fine arts under new suggested high school graduation requirements.
Hoping to get community feedback on the proposals as well as the academic direction of high schools, the state Department of Education will hold 19 meetings across the Islands beginning next week.
A task force has spent the past two years looking at changes to high school curriculum to help students prepare for college and work. While the task force's proposed changes are not dramatic, they will affect high school students statewide, and the process will give people an opportunity to tell the DOE what they think.
The task force has recommended reducing physical education from one credit to one-half credit and reducing social studies from four credits to three credits. Students would instead get one credit for a senior project and two credits in either world languages, fine arts or career and technical education.
Core subjects — English, mathematics and science — would not change, and students would still have to earn 22 credits for a diploma.
"I hope it will be a discussion-starter for communities," said Denise Matsumoto, who chairs the state Board of Education's committee on regular education. "I'd like to see people come up with suggestions on what we can do."
The most controversial change could have nothing to do with academics. The BOE came under criticism last year over the prospect of cutting physical education because obesity is a serious problem for Hawai'i's young people, and for young people across the country. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 15 percent of children and adolescents 6 to 19 are overweight.
"I think that's what people are going to be talking about," Matsumoto said. "Any time you cut something, you're going to hear about it.
"We need to hear what else we need to be doing."
The task force also recommended the addition of a noncredit personal plan for students so they can better map their goals and progress. It also proposed eliminating the one-half credit for guidance and reducing the number of electives from six to five.
The BOE will study the public's comments and the task force's recommendations before deciding whether to change the requirements.
Christian Beardeaux, a ninth-grader at Roosevelt High School, said he likes the proposed addition of two credits for language, fine arts or career education. "World language is a good idea," he said. "I'd learn Japanese, because it's important for the economy here."
Sung Joon Um, also a Roosevelt ninth-grader, said the DOE should not change the physical-education credit. "I think P.E. is cool; they should keep it the way it is," he said.
Their friend, Jin Pummell, had other ideas: "We need a lot more recess," the Roosevelt ninth-grader joked.
Reach Derrick DePledge at ddepledge@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8084.
The state Department of Education will hold 19 meetings over the next month on proposed changes to high school graduation requirements. The meetings will be held from 6 to 8 p.m.
Public meetings
