“As many as half of all high school students are under-educated
or miseducated, and some students who have already been accepted
to college routinely ignore their high school’s academic
demands,” says a report recently released by a commission
appointed by the U.S. Department of Education. In “The Lost
Opportunity of the Senior Year: Finding a Better Way,” the
National Commission on the High School Senior Year urges
students, their parents, and their communities to emphasize the
importance of committed study throughout all four years of high
school. Regardless of high school graduation requirements,
students should take as many challenging courses as they can
while in school. Ideally, all students would complete four years
of English, mathematics, and science. The complete report can be
found at www.commissiononthesenioryear.org. Some of the report’s
findings include: - A high school diploma is no longer a
guarantee of success in either postsecondary education or the
world of work. - The goal of America’s hig