March 27, 2001

Providing Opportunities For Success Common Theme At WKU Hearing For National Commission On Senior Year

Bowling Green, Ky. - Providing rigorous and relevant education for all students and building relationships between communities and educators were common themes at Tuesday's public hearing for The National Commission on the High School Senior Year.

"Preparation for life after high school needs to start long before graduation day," said Kentucky Gov. Paul Patton, chair of the commission.

"A watered down high school curriculum just doesn't arm students with the kind of knowledge and skills they'll need to navigate the adult world," Patton told a group of commission members, educators, university administrators and others at Western Kentucky University's Kentucky Building.

Patton said "there is still a tremendous gap between what many high school graduates know and what they need to know for a successful transition into postsecondary education and the workplace."

The National Commission on the High School Senior Year will make a report this summer to President Bush on how to improve the high school senior year. The commission's draft report looked at more than the senior year, making recommendations for the middle and elementary grades as well.

"Western, like many postsecondary institutions, has been undergoing transitions necessitated by the increasing demands of today's job market," WKU President Gary A. Ransdell said.

"And while colleges and universities are raising our standards to meet an even higher bar set by employers, high school and even middle school education also must broaden the scope and improve materials and methods to better prepare students for this new era of postsecondary education," Dr. Ransdell said.

The commission has found that the high school curriculum hasn't kept pace as the nation's economy has moved from industrial to technical skills and that students need more than a high school education to make a successful transition into adult life, Patton said.

"Many high school graduates discover that the diploma they've counted on as a ticket to the middle class is dropping them off far short of their destination," Patton said.

Several innovative educational programs were spotlighted during Tuesday's hearing to address issues raised in the commission's draft report, said Karen Adams, dean of Western's College of Education and Behavioral Sciences.

Barren County's Student Technology Help Desk
The goal of the Barren County school district's technology program is to ensure that all graduates have a working knowledge of current technology, said Steve Gumm, engineer for the district. Technology education begins in kindergarten and progresses through the senior year with instruction in computer basics, Internet research, web site design, video production and training in various applications.

At the high school level, technology is integrated in all courses, including the student technology help desk. The help desk provides benefits for students, teachers and the school district, Gumm said.

Students receive real world training and develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills. The district's increased level of technical support includes improved maintenance, immediate answers to problems and lower cost of ownership.

Housing Authority of Bowling Green
A collaboration between the Housing Authority and Western Kentucky University's College of Education and Behavioral Sciences is providing increased opportunities for teacher education students and is providing support for young students in the community.

The W.R.O.T.E. (We're Reaching Out to Educate) program is changing lives in public housing and on campus, said Abraham Williams, director of the Housing Authority.

Focusing on the senior year is fine, he said, "but we've got to get them there."
The program provides instruction and mentoring for children in public housing and gives Western students a real world opportunity to interact with young students and meet their needs, said Theron "Butch" Thompson, assistant professor in the College of Education.

The Center for Gifted Studies
Even the nation's most talented students need challenges in the senior year, said Julia Roberts, director of WKU's Center for Gifted Studies.

"A lost senior year bodes ill for the future for the senior and society," she said.
Students must take advantage of challenging and rigorous courses and become better prepared for college academic work, Dr. Roberts said. Educators must provide challenging learning activities and rigorous classes and parents must encourage their children to take those courses and improve their preparation, she said.

Among the programs offered by the Center for Gifted Studies are summer camps for gifted students and workshops for educators.

The hearing at Western was one of five conducted by the national commission.
A panel discussion on the report included comments from Lois Adams-Rodgers, deputy commissioner, Kentucky Department of Education; James Applegate, vice president for academic affairs, Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education; Pamela Burns, 1998 Middle School Teacher of the Year, College View Middle School; Fannie Louise Maddux, chair, Prichard Committee; and Linda Miller, Kentucky Counselor Supervisor of the Year, director of guidance, Jefferson County Schools.
MORE

The commission's draft report is available on the organization's Web site at www.commissiononthesenioryear.org.

More WKU news is available on the World Wide Web at www.wku.edu. If you'd like to receive WKU news via E-mail, send a message to WKUNews@wku.edu.