
DATE: Friday, April 25, 1997                TAG: 9704250586

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B7   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY MATTHEW BOWERS, STAFF WRITER 

DATELINE: VIRGINIA BEACH                    LENGTH:   90 lines

STATE WEIGHS HOW STANDARDS WILL AFFECT DIFFERENT STUDENTS

Almost three out of 10 Virginia high school graduates don't go to college. Two out of 10 go neither to college nor to training programs, but jump directly into the work force.

That's a lot of people - some 12,000 graduates each year. Don't forget them when forging tougher new school standards, the Board of Education has been urged.

Concerns about vocational programs and their students topped the list at public hearings. They also monopolized the discussion Thursday at the windup session of the board's annual retreat. The board focused for two days on its proposed Standards of Accreditation, the rules governing how Virginia's public schools must operate.

By adding to the number of credits required for graduation, there won't be as much time or scheduling will become too difficult for the technical and trade courses many students want and need, educators, employers, parents and students have said.

Virtually everyone agrees that higher standards are good, but we don't want to turn out only one kind of student, and we don't want to destroy the hopes of youngsters, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds, said board member Rayford L. Harris Sr., who raised the issue Thursday.

Most Virginia high schools use the equivalent of a seven-period day, so students can take 28 classes in their four years.

The proposed new standards specify 23 required credits for a standard diploma, which includes six electives. The six electives plus the five class periods not covered by the graduation requirements mean that there are a total of 11 classes that students can choose on their own, such as vocational classes. The schools that use six-period days leave open seven classes for electives in the four years.

The proposed standard for advanced diplomas is 24 to 27 credits, which includes one to four electives. In a seven-period schedule, that leaves a total of up to five classes students can pick over four years - not enough for most full vocational programs, which take six or seven classes. On a six-period schedule, there is room for just one elective.

``There is a great disparity in the school systems in Virginia,'' board member Robert H. Patterson Jr. said. ``Does it disturb anyone that we're trying to apply one standard to all?''

No, was the general response, not when it comes to a minimum standard.

Richard T. La Pointe, the state superintendent of public instruction, said he doesn't apologize that the advanced diploma has less flexibility.

``The best career training we can give our young people is a solid education,'' La Pointe said.

``There has to be a lot of flexibility,'' board Vice President Lil Tuttle said. ``But there also has to be a core.''

While there was no backing off from the new graduation standards, board members mentioned other changes they favored as the time approaches for their approval, probably in June.

Lee Ware said the other near-universal concern - phasing in the changes over a few years rather than starting them all with this fall's freshmen class - ``makes a lot of sense.''

Board President Michelle Easton liked the idea of moving some foreign-language and required algebra and Earth science classes down into the middle schools, freeing up high-school periods for more electives.

But Thursday's discussion kept returning to vocational education, and the differing needs of students.

``The question becomes: `How do you provide opportunities for our students?' '' Harris said.

``I'd like for the man who puts the brake linings on my car . . . to be able to read the instructions on the box,'' said board member John W. Russell.

``I'd feel safer.''

It's not just a matter of pairing electives with open class periods, warned Peggy Wade, director of the P. D. Pruden Vocational-Technical Center that serves Suffolk and Isle of Wight County. Since many classes, like 12th-grade English, can only be taken at specific times or years, students will have to carefully schedule their high-school careers.

``Those new graduation requirements will put a crimp on students,'' Wade said.

Despite the concerns, vocational, art and music classes and other electives will still be available - students will have to make choices, board members said.

``I think there is a jockeying for position among the electives,'' Tuttle said.

``I hope we won't be dissuaded from staying the course.'' MEMO: TO COMMENT

The public comment period on the proposed Standards of Accreditation

ends May 17.

Letters may be sent to Charles W. Finley at the Virginia Department

of Education, P.O. Box 2120, Richmond, Va. 23218-2120, or by e-mail to:

cfinley(AT)pen.k12.va.us.

The proposed standards are available at schools and on the World Wide

Web at: http://www.pen.k12.va.us/Anthology/VDOE/. KEYWORDS: EDUCATION