DPS OKs tough graduation standards

Nancy Mitchell, Rocky Mountain News

Published June 23, 2006 at midnight

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Denver Public Schools board members on Thursday unanimously approved what are believed to be Colorado's toughest graduation requirements, and gave their high schools an extra year to implement them.

The new standards - which include a fourth year of math and two years of foreign or world language - will go into effect with the Class of 2011 - or those students who will be eighth-graders this fall - rather than the Class of 2010 as was originally proposed.

DPS Chief Academic Officer Jaime Aquino said repeated talks with high school principals led him to revise his initial plan, though two board members questioned the delay.

"Why would we wait?" asked board member Michelle Moss, who represents southwest Denver. "At least in my area . . . the parents are asking for increased rigor and are embracing these graduation requirements."

But Aquino said some high school principals were worried about making staff and schedule changes this month, when most have completed or are nearing completion of the master schedules that govern their buildings.

He said geography, a semester class under the old standards, is one example. The new requirements make it a yearlong course for freshmen. That means schools would have to "scramble very quickly" to be ready this fall if the requirements were applied to incoming ninth-graders.

"There are a lot of schools not ready to implement that," Aquino said. "There are some true logistical challenges we will face."

DPS officials released the proposed graduation requirements in April, but said they wanted time for public input before voting. Two community hearings last week, in southeast and in southwest Denver, were sparsely attended.

One issue raised at both gatherings was whether students were prepared to complete four years of rigorous math. Just 12 percent of ninth-graders and 13 percent of tenth-graders in DPS were proficient on last year's state math tests.

Aquino, though, has repeatedly said he does not support allowing a "business math" or other less rigorous math class to count toward graduation. And Thursday, two high school principals said they believe students will be able to meet the new math standard.

Bill Kohut, principal of South High near Washington Park, and Jeannie Peppel, principal of John F. Kennedy High in southwest Denver, said double classes of math required for struggling freshmen this fall will help.

"It would have been hard without that preparation," Peppel said.

The new standards in core subjects - four years each of language arts and math, three years apiece of social studies and science, two years of world language - mirror the admissions standards for Colorado's four-year colleges and universities for fall 2010.

Matt Gianneschi, chief academic officer for the Colorado Commission on Higher Education, which set the admissions policy, has said DPS would be the first in the state to require that level of rigor from all students.

Other metro area districts have increased graduation requirements but none matches DPS. Cherry Creek and Douglas County school districts require three years of math while Jefferson County requires two years.

DPS Superintendent Michael Bennet called it "a luxury" that board members were debating a one-year delay - rather than whether to approve the state's toughest standards. Delay or not, he said, DPS is still ahead.

"Our kids need a more rigorous curriculum," he said, "and they will rise to that level of expectation."

DPS raises the bar

Students in the Class of 2011 - or this fall's eighth-graders - will be the first required to meet higher graduation standards. Students must complete a total of 24 credits, or six classes each year. Here's a look:

• Language arts: 4 years, including introduction to literature and composition in grade 9, American literature 1 & 2 in grade 10 plus an academic writing elective or world literature in grade 11 or 12.

• Math: 4 years, including algebra 1 in grade 9, geometry in grade 10, algebra 2 in grade 11 and another year of higher-level math from an approved course list.

• Social studies: 3 years, including geography in grade 9, U.S. history in grade 10, one semester of civics and a semester of another social studies course.

• Science: 3 years, including earth science in grade 9, biology in grade 10 and chemistry or physics in grade 11 or 12.

• World language: 2 years of the same.

• Academic electives: 2 years, including one year of fine arts and another year of courses selected from an approved list.

• Gym: 1 year, including P.E., dance or citywide marching band. Participants in sports or cheerleading may be exempted.

• Community service: Up to 2 years of community service.

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