Marc F. Bernstein of the Fordham University Graduate School of Education offers a sensible idea – allowing high school students and their families develop plans to graduate early. Bernstein writes,
I propose that during the first three months of a student’s 10th grade year the student, family and school counselor create three alternative educational plans for the remainder of the student’s high school career: graduation prior to 12th grade, during the middle of 12th grade and at the end of 12th grade. The specifics of each plan would depend upon the individual student: academic success to date, interest in pursuing specific extracurricular activities during 12th grade, college plans, need or desire to work prior to college, and, very importantly, the maturity to graduate high school somewhat earlier.
Students who graduate early would have an opportunity to get a head start on higher education, perform volunteer work, begin an internship, or enter the workforce. Under his proposal, the per-student funding for the early graduate would be distributed in the following way:
1. A third of that share is now placed in the college accounts of those students who graduate early.
2. A second third is utilized by the local school district to improve educational programs or returned to local taxpayers.
3. The state keeps the final third.
Of course, this option isn’t for everyone, and the savings to taxpayers would be relatively small. Nevertheless, it would acknowledge the fact that a number of high school seniors “coast” through their senior year, particularly those who receive early acceptance to the university of their choice. Why not try to make twelfth-grade as productive as possible?
