Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, March 1, 1991 TAG: 9103010778
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B-2 EDITION: EVENING
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: RICHMOND LENGTH: Medium
Dyke also announced Thursday that under the proposals by the Workforce 2000 committee, almost all students will have to meet state standards similar "to the highest in the world" by the time they reach the 10th grade.
Preschool through high school education would try to prime the pupils to compete in the world marketplace by preparing them for a college education.
Or, for those who don't go on to college, students would be enrolled in technical or apprenticeship programs.
The initiatives also include restructured elementary schools, and new "work-learning centers" for dropouts and those who fail to meet the assessment standards.
The plan also includes the Education Department reorganization that is now largely in place. The reorganization is intended to make the department more service- and research-oriented.
Under the plan, students who complete 10th grade and pass the state assessment standards but who do not move on to college should consider one of three alternatives:
A work-learning program with an on-the-job component as well as an educational component leading to a high school diploma.
A two- to four-year apprenticeship program leading to a high school diploma and advanced certification in a skilled profession.
A two- to four-year program coordinated with a community college leading to both a diploma and an advanced degree.
In a presentation to the state Board of Education, Dyke said state educators, business leaders and parents must join first in "a crusade" to change the public education system to make it as equitable, efficient and effective as possible.
Dyke acknowledged that the public must back the initiatives in order to convince the legislature, beginning with the 1992 session, that the education reform movement is worth financing.
"We need to show that we're using present funds effectively and efficiently before we can make our best case that more funding for education may be needed to achieve all our restructuring goals," he said.
The initiatives also will require a "restructured, creative and applied approach to teaching math and science" beginning in elementary school, to make these subjects more interesting and relevant to the students' everyday life, Dyke said.
He also said schools currently emphasize college-preparatory programs and do little for those not planning to go on to college, Dyke said.
The proposed plan calls for integrating vocational courses into the academic programs and ensuring that all students master more of the skills previously reserved for the college-bound.
by CNB