Your September 10th story, “Can't Meet Education Standards, Just Waive `Em” argued that the Commission on Higher Education essentially postponed the 2008 Higher Education Admissions Requirements (“HEAR”) and intended to waive future admission requirements. This does not accurately characterize the Commission's actions with regard to admission requirements.

The Commission did not postpone the 2008 requirements, but decided to add other criteria and some temporary flexibility.  It approved a policy to allow an “index score” 10 points higher than the normal threshold to serve as an alternative to meeting prescribed curriculum for 2008 and 2009 graduates. This standard is probably more rigorous than the 2008 HEAR curriculum. The index score has been validated by research as a reliable predictor of college performance and of students who will not need costly remediation. 

Under existing state law, a so-called exemption “window” allows each institution to admit a percentage of students who do not meet either the index or the HEAR.  The Commission decided only to administer this exemption “window” on a statewide basis, not enlarge it, making it available to additional students who want to attend college work but haven't taken all the HEAR courses. This recognizes the fact that many students regrettably may decide to go to college late in their high school careers.

As for the 2010 phase of the HEAR, the Commission decided in July to maintain the rigor of standards but acknowledged that there may be school districts who are simply unable to hire or afford faculty for advanced math or foreign language instruction. To deal with that, we are in the process of drafting procedures and criteria for school districts who can not meet these curriculum requirements to demonstrate they have no alternative means of delivering that instruction.

These combined actions by the Commission address the realities that students and school districts face but recognize the importance of standards which serve to help students and our state as a whole.

Sincerely yours,

David E. Skaggs
 

Your September 10th story, “Can’t Meet Education Standards, Just Waive `Em” argued that the Commission on Higher Education essentially postponed the 2008 Higher Education Admissions Requirements (“HEAR”) and intended to waive future admission requirements. This does not accurately characterize the Commission’s actions with regard to admission requirements.

The Commission did not postpone the 2008 requirements, but decided to add other criteria and some temporary flexibility.  It approved a policy to allow an “index score” 10 points higher than the normal threshold to serve as an alternative to meeting prescribed curriculum for 2008 and 2009 graduates. This standard is probably more rigorous than the 2008 HEAR curriculum. The index score has been validated by research as a reliable predictor of college performance and of students who will not need costly remediation. 

Under existing state law, a so-called exemption “window” allows each institution to admit a percentage of students who do not meet either the index or the HEAR.  The Commission decided only to administer this exemption “window” on a statewide basis, not enlarge it, making it available to additional students who want to attend college work but haven’t taken all the HEAR courses. This recognizes the fact that many students regrettably may decide to go to college late in their high school careers.

As for the 2010 phase of the HEAR, the Commission decided in July to maintain the rigor of standards but acknowledged that there may be school districts who are simply unable to hire or afford faculty for advanced math or foreign language instruction. To deal with that, we are in the process of drafting procedures and criteria for school districts who can not meet these curriculum requirements to demonstrate they have no alternative means of delivering that instruction.

These combined actions by the Commission address the realities that students and school districts face but recognize the importance of standards which serve to help students and our state as a whole.

Sincerely yours,

David E. Skaggs