Posted on: Monday, June 28, 2004

EDITORIAL
Graduation reforms the first of many steps

In the middle of a somewhat muddled statewide conversation about "standards" and "accountability" in our public schools, the state Board of Education has taken an important step toward putting some concrete reality behind the talk.

The board has voted to increase the total credit requirement for graduation from high school and impose new requirements for the study of fine arts, a foreign language or career and technical classes.

These are only first steps toward what should be major restructuring of our educational objectives for the 21st century. But they are important steps.

The new requirements don't kick in until the entering class of 2006-2007. If anything, the board and school administrators should work at even more refinements to the curriculum during that time.

It is also important that reforms look at more than a simple list of additional classes or requirements for students. The real goal is the outcome: Students equipped to meet the challenges of a rapidly changing world and workplace environment.

What may have worked for yesterday's workplace almost certainly falls short of what is needed for tomorrow's.