WHAT TIME IS IT? 

IT IS TIME TO TAKE A STEP BACK TO MOVE FORWARD.

"Explain the problem you want to solve" said change.org

The Problem: The timing on when kids are learning what they are learning at school.

Objective/End Goal: To eliminate 12th grade in California

How: The curriculum of each grade K-12 is moved back meaning what 1st graders are learning (their current curriculum) Kindergarteners will learn etc.

The Desired Effects: To move up on the list of educated countries. From statewide to nationwide students will be more prepared for college curriculum as they are expected to graduate High School with a higher than average level of math and science courses and on the same level as other countries since they will be getting a “head start”.

The new normal graduation age will then be 16/17-years-old.

“Taking a step back to move forward”

Clarification: Levels of grades will not change; 1st grade is still 1st grade and 8th grade is still 8th grade but the 12th grade is taken out altogether as to it won’t be necessary since the new graduating grade will be 11th grade.

Uncomfortable?: Education in England has a very similar system that I am (Ashley Hokett) is proposing here. A rundown of their most common education system if not aware is school starts from age five (5) to sixteen (16) “ending” in year 11 or 11th grade. Typically what happens after is two years of “college” community college or any type of studying like a trade school, apprenticeships or high education to a university for a bachelor’s degree.

Cont. of what will happen: This should not affect ACT/SATs and when they should be taken. As that is up to the students if wanting to take it and if yes normally is taken the third year of High School (referring to the current system). But by adopting this system will then lead to students taking the SATs their second year or even first year of high school.

Strategies/scenarios:

The following are the possibilities of how this proposal might affect the current teachers teaching 12th grade and what will happen and where they will go. A recap/ reminder teachers that teach 12th-grade students often teach other grades within its school.

1: An installment of new high schools taking teachers of lower grades and 12th grade to spread them out and follow the new plan that is 9th through 11th grade.

2: Teachers stay where they are and the 11th grade graduating class will be smaller in a way because there will be the same number of teachers but it’ll feel like more since the same number of teacher will take on 11th-grade students during different schedules, hours, depending on class time setup. With 11th grade being the last year students will then have more support and the attention needed.

 

Who better yet to change the education system than the students themselves? Like me for example, like my neighbor and best friend whose accompanying me today, like any other k-12 graduate who might be struggling and wondering if their time at school was a time well spent from their future into being our next doctors, business owners, journalist, bookkeepers and many more.

This proposal is about “the quality not quantity” of education. But the phrase “quality not quantity” stands for all situations and moments in life and education is one of them. When speaking of life accomplishments, relationships, and friendships no matter how many, one always go back to the memory of genuinity, substance, and of value because it is important from no matter what point of view.

But why all this trouble?

I already graduated High School, did the whole 9th through 12th grade like everybody else. So surely if I did it and everybody else before me in the American Education system did too then, of course, the young ones can too. Which is correct the younger generation can. They can follow the same path and journey as we did except they are different. This generation and the following ones are growing up with the capabilities of using a tablet before they can talk, with increased screen time there is no way around our fast-paced society considering we’ve come a long way since the 17th century where the first schools were established in the United States, to the 70s were segregated schools were no longer legal, to present time in 2001 where the Senate passed the No Child Left Behind Act later signed in 2002 by our former President George W. Bush. So go forth with the speed by matching the speed of education to our ever-changing society by making it count. Making something matter then makes it memorable and a progress if not an addition to our reformation on the education system.

Why is quality important?

Quality has the ability to be applied over and over again as to quantity only so much can come out of that that leads to the lack of significant meaning making whatever stated abilities or functions redundant without quality.

Present time.

While the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) is already being implemented throughout the United States. Their purpose is the same as this proposal to continue aiding students to make sure “they can be prepared to succeed in college, career, and life.”

There is a miss understanding of what colleges legitimately take into account for college admissions. While doing your overall best in all four-years is praised and without

a doubt recommended to the max. No matter what online guide to college application readiness like ThePrincetonReview.com and MyCollegeOptions.com or a school counselor they all state “Junior year is critical”.  It is the year where ACT/SATs are normally taken, college applications filled and sent out by the due date, and the overall GPA admission committees take into account as to how the student is at being a student. Letting the notion be the colleges only look at grades and the GPA from 9th through 11th grade regardless of the reality.

Hassles are real in life like for example the metric system, the rest of the world uses it but the U.S. has yet to adopt it. “Think of it as a common language. If everyone in the world speaks English, it’s very easy to do business, travel, and engage in trade. The same is true of a single, standardized system of weights and measures” (Appelbaum, Yoni. “The Surprising Reason Why the United States Hasn't Adopted the Metric System.” The Atlantic, Atlantic Media Company, 8 June 2015). Which brings up sameness and pure convenience. Although variety is always appreciated sameness will create a common ground for all in our education system upholding Common Core’s belief “a set of clear college and career-ready standards…to ensure that students graduating from high school are prepared to take credit-bearing introductory courses in two- or four-year college programs or enter the workforce” (corestandards.org).  

So what is the rest of the smartest countries in the world like?

While there are countries that start schooling for their citizen at age seven and others that go up to year 13 also known as 13th grade the following are countries that best present my proposal by similarities. Switzerland for example who is in the top 10 smartest countries in the world has their high school graduating age at 15/16. “Upper secondary education in Switzerland is optional although more than 90 percent of Swiss students do decide to continue their around the age 15/16. Why? Their compulsory education lasts 9-11 years ending/finishing at “about 15 years old” (expatica.com). Other countries that finish their compulsory education from ages 5 to 16 is Wales, Russia with ages 5 to 17, Armenia ages 7 to 15/16, and from across the pond England completes secondary education at 16-years-old leaving it up to the free will of the students to do apprenticeships, furthering their education or going into the workforce.

Will it all be worth it?

Short Answer- Yes.

We underestimate kids and considering we were all one once only what seems like yesterday. Curiosity and a want of an adventure will continue to have them soaring through science class where they’ll discover atoms to picking long division. “Taking a step back to move forward” will put our trust and confidence of their education in the students’ hands giving them power in what we all know they can handle because we were them once. Change doesn’t simply end when an idea happens or an announcement. Change is about action with a beginning leaving the end to be subjective.

8/28/2018 More data and updates are expected to the proposal.