Four years of English. Three years of science, history and math. That’s the Illinois core curriculum, and high school students must complete it to attend a four-year Illinois college.
Evanston Township High School students don’t have to complete it to graduate, but that may change.
District 202 Superintendent Allan Alson is considering a proposal to align the ETHS graduation requirements with the Illinois core curriculum. Although neither Alson nor D202 board members have made a decision, a proposal for the change could arrive as soon as November.
Those who complete the core curriculum get better ACT scores, according to the preliminary draft of the Superintendent’s Annual Report 2000-01, released this week.
Of 596 students in the class of 2000, 63 percent of students complete the core curriculum, according to the report. Those graduating seniors who completed the core curriculum had an average composite ACT score of 25.3 out of 36, compared with 21.3 for those who did not.
In English and history, ETHS graduation requirements already adhere to Illinois standards. According to the report, 97 percent of seniors completed four years of English, and 96 percent completed three years of history.
But ETHS requires only two years each of math and science. And only 75 percent students completed a third year of math and science, according to the report.
The administration will weigh discussion with nine area high schools before it decides whether to change the requirements, Alson said. Administrators also are soliciting suggestions from parents and students. Although plans will not affect current students, Alson said their experiences may be worthwhile guides.
At a meeting last month, Alson told the D202 board that new requirements would be “for the improvement of all students, with a particular emphasis on students of color.”
Eighty-four percent of white students completed the core curriculum, while 37.4 percent of blacks and 40.5 percent of Latinos did, according to the report.
Board members also were concerned that non-core departments could suffer if the change was implemented. For example, if students were required to take more math, they might take fewer classes in the arts.
Board member Mary Wilkerson said she felt it was not only the quantity of credit that mattered, but the quality.
“One size does not necessarily fit all,” she said. For example, if a student came in at a sixth-grade math level, three years may not help them anyway.
Board members also discussed the potential impact of the change on student athletes. Athletes must maintain a 2.0 grade point average to remain eligible to compete. An extra math or science course could increase athletes’ workloads and lower their grades, said member Elizabeth Tisdahl.
Board member Ross Friedman suggested there should be different requirements for those who want college preparation and those who will enter the workforce after high school.
But Alson said aligning ETHS graduation requirements with the state’s core curriculum would be good for students, regardless of whether they want to attend college.
“I think it’s very important that all students be on equal footing when they leave this high school,” he said.
