High school: Why not skip it?

Many parties, from legislators to business leaders, have long been concerned with the world standing of American students, especially in regard to metrics like science and math performance. But true fundamental education reform has been, at best, incremental.

New Hampshire, one of three states committed to implementing portions of a vast and ambitious 2006 education-reform agenda put forward by the New Commission on the Skills of the American Workforce, plans to administer a State Board Examination for high school sophomores, according to a Nov. 6 Time magazine article.

The exam is modeled on AP or IB exams, and students who do well on the exam could then choose either to forgo the final two years of high school and attend vocational or community college or to remain for their final two years, taking more demanding, college preparatory courses.

This exam would not only allow students to skip two years of boredom and wasted time, but would also provide considerable incentives to students for being serious and proactive about their education. With many state governments also looking to tighten up their budgets, there are opportunities to save money.

Perhaps most significantly, the reform recognizes that bachelor’s degrees aren’t for everyone, and often the final two years of high school can be a hindrance to students who would have otherwise trained to enter the workforce directly.

While we don’t know whether the initiative will work in its planned form, and though some are worried it will result in more dramatic socioeconomic stratification, incremental change doesn’t seem to be working.

Just as Massachusetts played the role of a guinea pig in the health reform process, answering questions that are difficult to address with policy debates and economic models, this somewhat experimental reform is exactly what we need if we are to come up with innovative solutions for eliminating the achievement gaps currently separating us from European and Asian nations.

It will help in improving the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of our current public education apparatus and in increasing the productivity of our workforce to remain competitive in a global marketplace.