THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, February 9, 1996 TAG: 9602090049
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E12 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Comment
SOURCE: BY LEE HINNANT, HIGH SCHOOL CORRESPONDENT
LENGTH: Medium: 70 lines
A SMALL GROUP of students stood at the top of the Peaks of Otter gazing at the magnificent valley below. As part of the Governor's School for Science at the College of William and Mary last summer, they had earned the right to be there by rising to great heights in the sciences.
The state's summer residential programs for gifted students includes academies in languages, humanities, science, space and medicine. These programs provide rising juniors and seniors a challenging academic experience in a college setting.
When these summer programs were developed, the state financed them. Then last year, school divisions were responsible for part of the cost based on the locality's ability to pay. So if a local school system can't pay its part, the students cannot go.
As a chemistry student last summer at the Governor's School for Science, I believe that these programs are worth the cost - about $1,050 for instruction, room and board. The state should fully fund these programs so that they are available to all deserving students.
Like Vanessa Schreiber.
Uebung macht den Meister - practice makes perfect. This is a fitting phrase for Vanessa, 17, a senior at Cox High School who participated in a four-week German academy at Randolph-Macon College last summer.
Combining the language with the culture, Vanessa said, allowed her to enjoy German ``much more than before; it's really exciting.'' Vanessa also found the residential experience reassuring, having never lived away from home.
Meanwhile, only 60 miles away at William and Mary, a typical day for a participant in the science program began at 7:30 a.m. and included labs, seminars, group and independent study. Evening hours meant workshops, field trips, lectures and the occasional recreational activity or concert. Students took advantage of high-tech labs and the expertise of professors. The goal was to interact with peers of equal ability, aiming for academic excellence, not just academic adequacy.
According to the United States Department of Education, when American high School students were compared to students from 13 other industrialized countries, we ranked last in biology, 11th in chemistry and ninth in physics. In 1989, a goal was set that U.S. students would rank first in the world in mathematics and science achieve-ment.
We cannot rise to that ranking until the performance of our best students rises. We can only reach our goals to compete globally if if the state assists with resources needed to match students' strengths and needs.
The General Assembly is working up the state's budget for the next two years. In 1994, the governor proposed elimination of funding for the foreign language academies, but the General Assembly later decided to fund a share of the cost of all the summer programs.
Gov. George F. Allen's proposed budget holds the current funding. The budget will be voted on within the next few weeks. To ensure that the needs of ``high-ability'' students are met, students should voice their support for state and local funding by contacting school board members and state officials.
By the way, one of the students atop the Peaks of Otter was Janet Blevins, 16, a Maury High junior. She studied geology and the relationships between scientific concepts, inquiry and research. She examined social issues surrounding her projects and was encouraged to develop a scientific code of ethics. Janet is now considering a career in science or medicine. ILLUSTRATION: Photo
Lee Hinnant is a senior at Cox High School.
by CNB