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General discussion

Colorado Studying Eliminating 12th Grade

Nov 18, 2003 7:44AM PST

DENVER - High school without seniors?

Colorado lawmakers have asked education officials to study the possibility of eliminating the 12th grade and establishing a year of preschool instead. They said it would better prepare students for college by giving them an early start and possibly save money.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A57352-2003Nov18?language=printer


An early start? Aren?t kids growing up too fast already?


Paula

Discussion is locked

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Re:Colorado Studying Eliminating 12th Grade
Nov 18, 2003 7:50AM PST

Hi, Paula.

I wonder how college admissions officers would react. Badly, I suspect!
-- Dave K.
Speakeasy Moderator
click here to email semods4@yahoo.com

The opinions expressed above are my own,
and do not necessarily reflect those of CNET!

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Given that ...
Nov 19, 2003 4:41AM PST

... so many Freshman and even higher level college courses are now basically high school level material, I really doubt it would make much of a difference. The college administrators have long ago began dumbing down curricula to comply with the decreasing academic preparedness of the dollars ... oops, I mean students that fill the seats.

Evie Happy

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Re:Colorado Studying Eliminating 12th Grade
Nov 18, 2003 7:53AM PST

I agree Paula, kids grow up to fast and yet from what I can see the college students are still immature and this is pretty normal. I have no problem with them starting earlier because of how much faster the young mind learns but kids are under a lot of pressure to succeed today, I am not for eliminating the senior year. You never know how much you miss those years, til they're gone

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Hasn't this been done before?
Nov 18, 2003 7:54AM PST

.
My parents said there were only 11 grades when they went to school. Don't know how wide this practice went, this was in Texas.

And yes I also think kids are growing up too fast. Besides we already have graduates that can't read and write even with 12 years of school.
.

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So isn't this more or less just a change in name?
Nov 18, 2003 8:51AM PST

Unless the new earlier year of preschool is nothing but a daycare center, you're going to raise the bar for the current beginning year (undercertain if there is a preschool year already there or not). So you'll still have the same number of years of school, just calling it different and probably a change in what you study when.

Seems an end runaround to just changing the age of starting school to a year younger actually.

I would suspect that colleges would be skeptical of the 11 grade graduates background and prepareness, if not out and out prejudice against them.

roger

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nt) Australia has both.
Nov 18, 2003 9:52AM PST

.

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Piffle!
Nov 18, 2003 10:11AM PST

Hi, Paula,

My granddaughter is a senior in a Colorado High School.

She attended a pre-school at 4, kindergarten at 5.

When do they plan to start them, at 3?

IMO. little kids are ripe for learning. But stuff like grass feels good on their toes, pot lids are fun to bang with a spoon, birds fly, a hug feels good, ooks have wonderful pictures, especially when read to at bedtime. IMO, they don't ned a toy that costs $55 to "develop their imagination".

By necessity with the busy lifestyle everything for kids is organized now. Let's not take away their toddlerhood.

I can't see how they can fit in a decent preparation for post graduation opportunities. Maybe year around schools(which CO is moving toward).

Some kids would be graduating at 16. Some of those would want to go to college. (A 16 year old on their own in a dorm?) For those who do not, the job choice is limited.

Angeline
click here to email semods4@yahoo.com