In the last five years, student achievement in the Bethel School District has increased dramatically. Scores in reading, writing and math are up at every grade level in every school. We believe in powerful teaching and learning, and we put our money where our mouth is—in new textbooks, teacher training and improved technology.

The following is from the Partnership for Learning, a non-profit organization that aims to help districts throughout the state boost student achievement. It provides useful information to parents on standards, assessments and new requirements for students. It also provides parents with some key tips to help their children succeed.  For more information: www.partnership4learning.org

The success of every child matters more than ever.

Think back to your own education. Some of your classmates took the most rigorous course load and went to college - without question. Some of your classmates skated through high school, barely passing and graduating with few skills. And some of your classmates dropped out because they were ignored, frustrated or needed to support their family. And that was all acceptable.

Not anymore.

Today’s high school graduates face an entirely new set of challenges than most of us did when we started our adult lives. They must be able to think and digest information faster, communicate better and broader, and work harder and smarter. These challenges apply to every graduate - not just some. To under prepare any graduate for these challenges does a disservice to our graduates, our society and our future.

To prepare Washington students for the demands of today’s world and the future, the state created a comprehensive school improvement plan, which calls for clear, rigorous academic standards for students in every grade, meaningful tests to measure whether students are meeting the standards, and a system to hold schools, school districts and students accountable for what really matters: improvements in student learning.

“Not everybody needs to be a math whiz or a spectacular writer.”

Every student needs basic skills in reading, writing and math to succeed in life, and the new graduation requirements ensure students can demonstrate those skills. When setting Washington’s learning expectations, Washington educators, business and community leaders identified the minimum skills high school graduates need to begin their adult lives and to make informed choices as members of society. They valued the logic, problem-solving and discipline taught in classes like algebra and geometry for making decisions about such things as designing a monthly budget, buying or remodeling a home and planning for retirement. And they valued thoughtful analysis, creativity and accuracy in communication-skills needed in today’s workplace to craft e-mails, read highly technical manuals, and work with colleagues and customers.

“A high school diploma is all I need.”

In 1950, a high school graduate could get a good job, buy a house, raise a family and live as a member of America’s middle class. People could work their way from the mailroom to the boardroom. But technological advances and a global economy have changed the pace of work and the expectations for everyone. According to the United States Department of Labor, of the country’s 30 fastest growing occupations, 21 require some sort of post-secondary training, and 19 call for an associate degree or above.

“Not every kid is college material.”

Not all kids may be bound for traditional, four-year universities, but they all need access to the rigorous high school classes that were once reserved for an elite few. The reality is that the expectations and the skills needed to succeed at a university, community or technical college or professional training program have converged. For example, auto mechanics and hospital technicians need to read manuals written at a 13th- to 15th-grade level, and almost every field values the thinking and reasoning skills often acquired in higher-level math classes. “College” must be redefined to mean any kind of continued learning after high school, and every kid must be considered “college material.” One national study reports that nearly 90 percent of middle school students say they plan to attend some form of college or job training, but only 12 percent actually know all of the requirements to get in.

“Schools can’t help all students - especially poor and minority students - reach higher standards.”

Hundreds of schools such as Granger High School in the Yakima Valley, McFarland Junior High in Othello and Hood Canal Elementary disprove this theory. These schools could let poverty, high student turnover or large numbers of non-native English speakers be obstacles. Instead, they got creative and serious with their dollars, teachers and communities. They also held firmly to the belief that all children could learn.

Did you know?

• More than half of community and technical college students enrolled in the 2002-03 school year - who had graduated from high school three months to three years before - needed a remedial course in math, English or reading. Cost to the state: almost $17 million.1
• At least 75 percent of Washington high school graduates go on to some kind of postsecondary program within three years of graduating.
• In 1973, 51 percent of factory jobs were held by high school dropouts. In 2000, only 19 percent were. The proportion of factory jobs held by people with some college education has tripled from roughly 12 percent to 36 percent.
• Today, 98 percent of people who join the U.S. Army are high school graduates. But the Army, on average, spends $1.5 million on retraining of basic skills.
• Almost 50,000 Washington businesses say job applicants lack communication, problem-solving and critical-thinking skills; 40,000 can’t find applicants with the math skills needed to do the job.

More information is available at the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) at http://www.k12.wa.us

 

---