The Kentucky Board of Education is scheduled to vote this Wednesday on new minimum high school graduation requirements. If the measure passes, starting in the fall of 2019, high school freshmen would have to pass a college or work ready exam that includes reading and math.
Wayne Lewis is the Kentucky Interim Commissioner of Education said the change is needed to improve student performance state-wide. “This is a tough conversation. This is a really big shift that we’re talking about making with high school graduation. But we simply cannot continue to hand kids high school diplomas that are no more than certificates of attendance.”
If the measure passes on Wednesday, there will be a 30-day period for public input before a final vote is taken. Students who do not pass the exam their Freshman year would have other opportunitites to take it again and pass before graduation.