Regents increase high school requirements

The Utah State Board of Regents passed a resolution this week in support of the Utah State Board of Education’s proposal to increase high school core graduation requirements from 15units to 18 units.

The Board of Regents supports the recommended increase in requirements due to national data that support a more rigorous high school curriculum in preparing students for the workplace and postsecondary education.

Recently, the federal government announced it would offer grants to low-income students who take a rigorous course of study in high school.

Utah was named a federal grant recipient for the State Scholars Initiative which encourages students in grades nine through 12 to take additional English, math, science and foreign language courses. The $300,000 grant will support the initiative for two years.

Here is the Regent’s resolution:

Resolution WHEREAS, the Utah State Board of Education has proposed increasing the core curriculum graduation requirements from 15 units to18 units, including additional math, science and English courses; and WHEREAS, the Utah State Board of Regents has established a K-16 Alliance with the Utah State Board of Education as a partnership to improve educational achievement for all Utah students; and WHEREAS, the K-16 Alliance has chosen to focus on improving student preparedness by raising academic expectations; and WHEREAS, recent national data demonstrate that a rigorous high school curriculum is fundamental to success in both the workplace and postsecondary education; and WHEREAS, low-income students, through the newly enacted Academic Competitiveness Grant program, can now qualify for substantial amounts of additional federal financial aid if they complete a rigorous program of study in high school; and WHEREAS, the state of Utah has received a federal grant to implement the State Scholars Initiative, locally known as the Utah Scholars Initiative, to encourage all students to choose to complete a rigorous curriculum in grades 9 through twelve; and WHEREAS, a recent public opinion survey commissioned by the Utah System of Higher Education indicates by a three-to-one margin that the public supports an increase in high school math and science requirements; and WHEREAS, the Utah Information Technology Association has recently voiced support for an increase in core curriculum requirements to ensure future employees are prepared for the high-technology industry; BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED, that the Utah State Board of Regents, joined by the Commissioner’s Office, and the nine college and university presidents, strongly support the Utah State Board of Education’s proposed action regarding an increase in core graduation requirements. Dated this 28th day of July, 2006.