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Opinion
 

Staff Editorial

                 Matt Dulin                   Tony Hernandez      Jim Parsons
                Jason Poland             Dusti Rhodes           Blake Whitaker

New coalition resolved to save high schools

Texas is among the 13 states that pledged Sunday they would coordinate efforts in a broad initiative to improve the nation's high schools by significantly raising academic standards, assessments and curricula in hopes of better preparing graduates for postsecondary education and work. 

The coalition, formed at the 2005 National Education Summit, agreed to promote the goals outlined by the American Diploma Project, a plan established in a summit last year that sought to redefine the value of a high school diploma. 

That initiative grew out of fears that America's public schools were slipping, especially in areas of math and science, and were failing to prepare students for college work -- claims no one is arguing with. In fact, we can remember reports from last year that showed a disturbing trend: More and more high school graduates were taking remedial courses in community college. 

In the agreement announced Sunday, the states promised to carry out four main actions: raising high school standards to reflect what is actually needed to succeed in college or in the workforce, requiring that all students take tougher college prep or work-ready classes, developing new tests to gauge readiness for the "real world" of work or college and holding schools accountable for improvement and the success of its students.

The initiative is an important one and will require an even closer partnership between institutions of higher education and secondary schools. Lawmakers and taxpayers should not be confused into thinking demanding higher standards should cost more money; on the contrary, this initiative should be about spending money more effectively. For instance, it should give greater cause for states to improve salaries for teachers, especially those who help students succeed. 

It's obvious there's a problem with America's public schools. It is about time there's a concerted effort to turn things around.