Only Time Will Tell!!

What would you like to "talk about" with your fellow "Bloggers" this week? You have an "open mike."
I am a little concerned about the state's new mandates on high school graduation requirements. I believe that there definitely needs to be a move toward more academic rigor. However I have a concern about the effects this will have on high school's abilities to make AYP, since graduation rates is the major component on which high schools are judged. I think that the state is making a mistake by assuming that ALL students are college-bound and the new requirements may encourage a vast amount to drop out. The "one size fits all" model has never worked (why would we have special education if it did?). Many, many students are going to feel defeated with few options to receiving a high school diploma. My hope is that all students will be able to attain the mandated standards, but I feel that the new path will fall short of their expectations. Educators need a variety of ways to prepare their students for the real world; for some, that doesn't mean a post high school four-year degree.