U-46 plans to up high school credit requirements

Starting next year, it's going to take a little more oomph to move up in the ranks at Elgin Area School District U-46 high schools.

The district plans to require freshman, sophomores, juniors and seniors to earn at least two more credits apiece before they advance to the next grade.

Instead of becoming a sophomore after earning just 8 credits, the new system will require 10, Executive Director of Secondary Education Tom Donausky said. Juniors-to-be will need 20 credits instead of 18; seniors, 30 or more.

The new plan also mandates that students pass required English and math courses, even if they are well ahead in terms of credits.

A major reason for the change, Donausky said, was to better align grade classifications with the required 40 credits needed for graduation.

"We realized we needed to provide parents with a realistic projection of how their children are progressing," he said. "We're misleading people by telling them that their children are making progress toward graduation in four years with only 18 credits."

Currently, four to 16 percent of students at the district's five high schools don't have enough credits to advance to the next grade each year. The new system is expected to increase the number by about five percent.

Officials hope their efforts will bear fruit in higher test scores among the district's high school students.

A preliminary look at 2007-08 standardized test scores shows just 45 percent of the district's high school students met state standards in reading and 46 percent did the same in math, data consultant Ed DeYoung said Sept. 22. For the past five years, none of the district's five high schools have met federal benchmarks under the No Child Left Behind Law.

In the hopes of avoiding further state and federal intervention, the schools submitted restructuring plans to the state in May. The credit alignment plan is another piece of the district's secondary school reform efforts.

For much sought-after privileges like parking passes, gym class waivers and prom tickets, students will now be required to meet criteria in four different areas: grade level, academic standing, attendance and behavior.

The current system simply requires students to have junior or senior standing to earn those privileges, Donausky said.

While the state board of education mandates all high school students fulfill graduation requirements by passing a certain number of courses in different subject areas, it is up to each individual district to set grade classifications for each year.

Spurred by No Child Left Behind benchmarks, several other area districts-including Lake Park High School District 108, Mundelein District 120 and Maine Township District 207- have also upped requirements in recent years.

U-46's new system will be voted on as part of the district's high school handbook in the spring. The change would affect only incoming freshman next year.