GOP's Penry aims to boost school grad standards

A comprehensive, statewide standard outlining the courses a student must take to graduate high school is long overdue in Colorado, according to Sen. Josh Penry, R-Fruita. The freshman senator will make that case with his Senate Bill 131 in the Senate Education Committee today.

Colorado is one of only seven states that does not require students to take certain courses to graduate from high school, Penry said. Under SB-131, high school students will be required to take four years of math and four years of science in order to graduate high school. Individual districts will be able to decide what courses meet the
state requirement.

“Colorado is last in the country for statewide graduation standards, and it’s putting students at a competitive disadvantage,” Penry said, “The legislature should fix this problem, using math and science standards to start the discussion.”

Penry got the idea from serving on the Colorado Education Alignment Council. One of the council’s recommendations was to create a statewide curriculum standard. The council also concluded that rigorous course work in high school equals college and workforce readiness.

A report released by the Colorado Department of Higher Education found that one third of all incoming college freshman were unprepared by K-12 high schools.

Completing a rigorous high school curriculum in “core” academic subjects will save students from having to go through that process in college.

“High schools should be required to offer curriculum that prepares our students for the future. High math and science standards will help our students compete,” said Senator Nancy Spence, R-Centennial, ranking Republican on the Education Committee.