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Local groups build a case for tougher graduation plan

By , San Antonio Express-NewsUpdated

SAN ANTONIO — Several San Antonio groups are building a case for making a tougher graduation plan the default for San Antonio high school students and will meet with Mayor Julián Castro this week to lay out their recommendations and ask for his support.

The faction — which includes representatives from the San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, the Intercultural Development Research Association and the local nonprofit group Presente — believes students could close the door on college and workforce opportunities by not starting off on a more rigorous graduation plan that requires them to complete Algebra II.

“When you drop the academic standards in the science and the math fields, then you're basically giving up on our young people,” said Ramiro Cavazos, president and CEO of the San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.

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Texas school districts have been working for months to prepare for changes under House Bill 5, an omnibus bill approved by the Legislature last year that slashed the number of standardized tests high school students were required to take and overhauled graduation requirements.

Aimed to give students more flexibility in choosing classes and placing a greater emphasis on vocational education and career training, House Bill 5 eliminated the “4X4” graduation plan that required four years of English language arts, math, science and social studies.

Starting in the 2014-15 school year, all students will start on a basic “foundation” plan and add one of five “endorsements” in areas such as business and industry; science, technology, engineering and math, or STEM; arts and humanities, public services; and multidisciplinary studies.

The State Board of Education formally voted this year to only require Algebra II in the STEM endorsement, although other plans allow students to take the higher-level math course.

The vote set off a firestorm of criticism because Algebra II is required to qualify for the “top 10 percent” college admission process, the Texas Grant and is still tested on college placement exams.

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Presente founder and president Ivalis Gonzalez said Algebra II also is needed in a growing number of vocational certifications.

She said high schools should start students off on the tougher “distinguished” graduation plan, which requires them to complete an endorsement path, four science credits — including physics and chemistry — and Algebra II.

“We're basically asking school districts to stay the course,” Gonzalez said, adding that the majority of Texas high school students graduated under plans requiring the higher level math class last year.

Texas Education Agency spokeswoman DeEtta Culbertson confirmed the statistic, noting that more than 80 percent of students graduated under the former “recommended” or “distinguished” graduation plans, both of which required Algebra II.

State Board of Education member Marisa Perez, whose district includes San Antonio, said she applauds the group's passion but said the intent of the bill was to give students and schools more flexibility.

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“One thing that we need to remember, too, is that while Algebra II is a great course,” she said, “I don't think it's the definitive course that gages the success of our students.”

She said she has spoken to dozens of groups, including educators who told her, “Trust us. We can make the best decision for our students.”

Across the state, school districts are taking up the conversation with local partners and hosting forums to educate parents about the changes that'll take place under HB 5.

The Austin Independent School District announced in January it would adopt the “distinguished” level of achievement as its default plan, a move commended by local businesses, civil rights groups and the Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce.

In the Rio Grande Valley, several school districts also are planning to make the tougher graduation plan their default plan.

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San Antonio Independent School District Superintendent Sylvester Perez said Friday the school board will discuss the implications of HB 5 Monday.

“We had a very clear message from our trustees that we don't want to water down the curriculum,” he said.

Perez added that while Algebra II will likely be strongly encouraged for all students, it may not become an across-the-board requirement.

“For now, it looks like the majority of students will have to have Algebra II in their graduation plans, whether it's officially required or not,” Perez said, noting that school counselors will help advise students. “It's all about flexibility and what a student's individual plan will be.”

mcesar@express-news.net

Twitter: @mlcesar

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|Updated

Maria Luisa Cesar graduated with a bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Texas at Austin in 2009. She began working in the editorial department of the San Antonio Express-News in May 2011. Her job was to connect with readers and help edit letters for the Letters to the Editor section.

After chasing a lead she found buried in the handwritten letter of an 87-year-old woman, she unofficially began carving out a beat for herself and kept gently reminding editors that she was hungry for experience and wanted to report full time.

She was offered a promotion in November 2011 and has been covering education since then, focusing on accountability and early childhood education. She also covers the San Antonio, Alamo Heights, Southside and Southwest independent school districts.