Norris School District

    [April, 2005]       

     President Bush made headlines recently on the issue of high school reform.  Bush has urged high schools nationwide to embark on serious reforms to ensure that all our students demonstrate academic proficiency in the essential core areas of English / language arts, math, science, and social studies.  Bush has approached this issue of high school reform as a logical evolution of the earlier emphasis on elementary school reform emphasized in the initial phase of the No Child Left Behind law (Elementary and Secondary Education Act).  As an element of his platform for high schools, Bush has argued for a nationwide test as a kind of exit exam for high school students.  Bush’s suggestion for the national high school test is a logical outgrowth of the private sector’s growing concerns that the high school diplomas earned by students in many districts across the nation tell us relatively little about the student’s actual intellectual readiness and career preparedness for life beyond grade twelve.  In my opinion, it’s just not so at Norris.

            Nebraska has a system of statewide standards upon which students are assessed through locally developed, criterion-referenced tests and performance assessments.  Many states have already opted for some form of statewide testing for high school students, and some states (including Bush’s home state of Texas), have had high stakes (diploma sanction) tests for years now.  While Nebraska does have a statewide writing assessment taken by high school juniors, there are no specific consequences correlating performance on the test to graduation or credits.  Thus, Nebraska has definitely put its own stamp on the national testing debate, and the state’s approach has gained the approval of the federal Department of Education because the validity and reliability of the locally developed assessments has been verified.

            So -- if Nebraska is not going to initiate statewide high-stakes testing for high schoolers wherein students who fail to meet a cut score are denied a diploma, how will our high schools meet the politicians’ called-for reforms?  Fortunately, our Commissioner of Education Doug Christensen has always advocated the philosophy of local control.  Mr. Christensen has consistently maintained that local school boards and the communities they represent are the best means of ensuring that all students receive a quality education.

            In fact, Norris has already embraced many of the central academic tenets advocated by the politicians and corporations pushing high school reform.   These include:

            *Interventions for high school students not reading at or above grade level.  These remedial classes should focus on bringing students up to proficient reading status as rapidly as possible.

            *A focus on higher level math classes – including pre-cal, calculus, and Advanced Placement statistics.  A commitment to having all 9^th graders begin high school with Algebra or Geometry.

            *A focus on higher level science classes – including biology, chemistry, and physics.

            *A commitment to offering quality technical education in diverse areas that infuse technology ranging from mechanical drafting to CAD to computer programming.

In short, there is good reason to believe that Norris High School is well on the way toward maintaining its exemplary reputation well into the 21^st century as we continue to capitalize on technology and evolving knowledge in our content areas to offer students the most relevant and challenging education.

            For a closer look at the issues surrounding high school reform and recommendations from a cooperative alliance of major U.S. corporations, go to www.21stcenturyskills.org.  As always, your questions and comments are welcome – just give me a call or send me an e-mail at john.skretta@norris160.org.