Editorials

The Alabama State Board of Education has finally agreed to make standards for a high school diploma more rigorous so that today's students will be better prepared for post-graduation employment or college.

Now, students will be automatically put on the advanced diploma track. Only if parents want them to go the easier route will that track be changed.

Just what constitutes an advanced diploma will need to be clarified; today there are variations from system to system. When all of this is in place, most Alabama high school graduates will have taken four years of math and English, as well as advanced courses in science and social studies. There is no down side to this.

As is often the case, Alabama is not in the forefront of these changes.

Other states, including some of our Southern neighbors, have taken the lead. From them Alabama should learn how to implement the new program.

First, policies, guidelines and sample schedules will have to be developed and put in place. A committee — administrators in education love committees — is already working on this.

Also — and this is critical — a task force will decide how to increase standards in the lower grades.

Yes, the lower grades. Unless students in middle and elementary school are prepared for the harder work load (as well as the more difficult courses), they will be overwhelmed by higher expectations when they reach high school. Many will drop out.

Agreeing to emphasize preparing younger students was one of the decisions reached by the state board that eased local superintendents' concerns and reservations. That helped bring the whole plan together.

Now students will begin as early as pre-K to become acclimated to the increased demands. It's another reason for the state to expand our award-winning but sadly limited pre-K program.

As for students already in the pipeline — students caught in the transition — there apparently will be math specialists and tutors to help them if they fall behind.

It is good to see that Alabama is learning what other systems have done. There's no reason that these lessons can't be put to good use.

Let's hope that parents, politicians and the people on local school systems will get behind this new effort. It will be good for our children, good for our communities and good for Alabama.