DOE beefs up diploma standards

Starting with next year’s freshmen, high school students will have to meet tougher graduation requirements aimed at better preparing them for college or careers, under changes unanimously approved Tuesday by the Board of Education.

Ronn Nozoe, DOE deputy superintendent, told the board that the new diploma will give students the skills they need for a fast-paced, changing world. "We want our kids to be the desirable ones when they go to apply for (college) entrance or acceptance to anywhere that they choose," he said.

Under the new diploma policy for the class of 2016 and beyond, all high school students will have to take geometry and a math course higher than geometry, along with biology and two other lab sciences as part of the 24 credits required for graduation.

They will also have to continue to complete four social studies courses, something applauded by many teachers and community members. Department of Education officials originally proposed cutting one required social studies credit, giving students an extra elective to pursue their interests.

The tougher diploma, a key pledge as part of the state’s education reform efforts, is the result of more than a year of work. During that time a number of proposals have been presented to the board, and big changes have been made. The DOE, for example, abandoned a proposal to require Algebra 2. It also decided not to require a senior project or increase the total required credits.

With the new policy in place, the DOE will now start the work of preparing schools for the tougher requirements, which will mean upgrades to high school labs, training for teachers and more guidance counseling for students.

Board members praised the department for its work on the new diploma requirements, saying they will be a vital part of boosting student performance.

"I think the product we have is far superior than the current graduation requirements," BOE member Jim Williams said at the board meeting. "We’re going to have only one diploma, and we’re committed to the core standards."

The new requirements are tougher than those for the current standard diploma but less than what is needed to secure the optional "recognition" diploma. With the class of 2016, the "recognition" track will disappear.

The new diploma got support Tuesday from several educators and the Governor’s Office. But dozens of social studies teachers and students said the policy should spell out that students must take U.S. history and world history.

The current policy does not say students have to pass those courses. But Department of Education guidelines do require those classes, and a previous proposal from the DOE did recommend that those classes be mandatory.

Dennis Tynan, a social studies teacher at Nanakuli High and Intermediate School, told the board he was "almost in favor" of the new diploma policy. But he was concerned about the absence of U.S. history and world history in the requirements, especially since the DOE has identified the classes as critical.

"There’s a mixed message being sent," he said.

Schools Superintendent Kathryn Matayoshi stressed the two classes will continue to be mandatory under DOE policy, at least in the short run. In the longer term the state — as part of the Common Core standards movement — will start looking at the social studies learning standards for all students.

That could trigger small or big changes in how social studies is taught.