“If grades have no significance, then that’s something we need to work on,” he said.
During their two-day Washington, D.C., meeting, members also floated proposals to better link high school with post-secondary study. Dr. Charlene Nunley, president of Montgomery College, in Rockville, Md., recommended college prep tests in 10th or 11th grade so that students spend their senior years better preparing for college. Others recommended a new 12th-grade standardized test to show whether graduating seniors are ready for college or the workforce.
The Bush administration is looking for groundbreaking ideas, Education Secretary Margaret Spellings told the panel. She urged commission members to “be as concrete and bold as you possibly can” when developing recommendations. As a result of several commission hearings held so far, Spellings said, “I think we’ve hit a nerve.”
The commission was to finish its report by Aug. 1, but Spellings has set a new deadline of mid-September. The new date will allow more give and take among members and may ensure that the report receives greater attention. An August release would come when many colleges as well as Congress are not in session.
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