Should kids be able to graduate after 10th grade?

Honestly, I think this just puts more pressure on studetnts to grow up faster and go to college. The whole point of high school, is to spend the last four years as a teenager, not to find the fastest way to grow up.

Is the based off faith, facts, data, and support? Or is it just a way for the schools to have more money.

I'd like to leave school early, I don't plan on getting a job anyway! :-D

Public education has always been a very important issue to me, and this idea is something I've supported for a while now. As a junior I felt very inclined to drop out of high school, even though I was academically ahead. I ended up skipping my senior year to go to community college and I love it. I feel that no two students are alike, and therefore having one single educational path does not make sense. The more options for school available, the better.

I know that I would like to think that I was ready for college when I was in 10th grade, but I know that there are other factors like maturity that play a role in being ready to go away to school. Even going to a local community college takes a little more commitment and responsibility than just going to high school.

This is a horrible idea. 10th graders need those extra 2 more years to mature, get more educated, and grow up! 16 year olds are not ready for college.

As the mother of a student who "dropped out" of high school when he was in 10th grade with the caveat that he immediately get his GED and then go to college - which he did (he's studying to become a biologist) I think this is a good idea if they are mentally *and* emotionally prepared for it. Also, I believe that some form of adult education be a *requirement* for early graduation... Be it community college, technical school or a four-year university.

It depends on the student. The severe generalization of public education in the United States is a major reason for concern. If the student is academically ready, yes. However, some students need all four years to be ready for college. This type of policy could prove to be disasterous if not regulated on a highly specific, nearly case by case basis.

While this may work for some students, I NEEDED those four years of high school to mature as a person and a student--the work I did as a sophomore and the work I did as a senior are drastically different. I enjoyed senior year more for that reason.

However if this works for other students then more power to them.

higher level education shouldn't cost so much

no, that's a horrible idea. 16 year olds are not ready to enter higher education without completion of the second half of high school.
is this just a way of funneling more kids into community and technical colleges? ...because colleges and universities don't accept a whole lot of 16 year olds, nor should they.
If these are kids that weren't planning on higher education and would find more value in technical training in anticipation for a trade career, then okay...but that type of program has been intact for a very long time already.
i feel like im rambling, but i also feel that kids should complete high school.

This coin has many sides. Maybe early graduation can be done and good,... iff higher education is the only reason,... not to simply be done with school,... and iff it is a high grade-point, completely involved student. But, as stated earlier,... it might reduce readiness. And I've observed that ages 15, 16 & 17 are THE ages when kids' pave ways for either education devotion, trouble, good choices or bad choices. Not necessarily a maturity problem. They change at ever-fast rates. And sometimes, 16ers are not only NOT ready for certain realities,... but also are more susceptible to mistakes, bad choices, trouble, et cetera. Let them get that pivotal turning point out of the way,... while they still have ONLY high school responsibilities.
(Tangent: raise driving age to 18)

LOL, my 15 year old 10th grader can barely pull through his current classes. No way he is ready for college. At this point I just hope he makes it through high school. Todays kids are LAZY. That is the problem I see. they expect everything handed to them on a silver platter and to not want to work to EARN anything.

Jess
http://www.anolite.echoz.com

I had a friend in college who started at 16. It didn't seem too effect him to negatively.

Personally, I was able to graduate high school have way through my senior year, but I choose to stick around for the graduation ceremony.

Once you meet the requirements, I say it should be an option to move on.

Hey everybody thanks for your support and helping get this submission onto CurrentTV.

I do agree that young people need to be among their peers and enjoy being young and socializing with their crowd.

My oldest son goes half a day to H.S. and half a day at the local Comm. College. My younger son will be doing the same later.

I think it is possible to have the best of both worlds.

As a Matter of fact I think that might be a great Sitcom about cool brainy kids in the setting where they are college high school kids working and learning how to change their world and tackle today's issues.

It should show them at the high school and college or it could be a hybrid school where all these young students go and Professors, Lecturers and Relevant people in their industry are brought in from around the world to help them learn and change the world.

- it just came to me so thought I would share.

Thanks again

Live Learn Love Evolve, Create-Greatness and give it away...

Oh yes. YES.

When will our society realize college is NOT the answer for everyone? Why are we pushing every young person to take higher education classes, when the person has no interest in going to college? If a person wants to go to college, then help them get there. But why not do the same for a person not interested in going to college? How about helping them find out what career path they want and give them tech training to get started on the right path?

Instead, we push people out of the schools by insisting they take Algebra, English Literature, World History, yada yada yada. Now, they're out of the school and have no training for ANY career.

It should be on a case by case level, but I think a person as young as 13 should be given a choice of higher education or tech school. This means we could see people as young as 14 or 15 in the workforce making a decent wage and living.

If these people decide to go back to school for a higher education degree, then help them do that, too! But let's stop trying to MAKE people do things we think is best for them. Let's do what is right for ALL OF US!

What's wrong with that?

After having two gifted children, I am opposed to early graduation. They need to be around their peers and hopefuly get deeper education through their own school as mine do.

I graduated at 16 with an academic scholarship to college. It wasn't here in the states. We didn't test except to see where our standing was among other schools and we were in the top 10 percent. But I kind of wished later that I didn't rush into "adulthood" and would have spent more carefree time in high school.

We grow up too fast as it is. That's just life. College here in the states was interesting, kept pretty much a 4.0 average, for I think more than 6 years total, it was easier than my high school ever was. Pre med was harder than high school though. But is SHOULD BE!

And do what? I was 16 at graduation and waited until then because I didn't want to take a bus to college. They won't even be able to get a job.

Sure, this sounds great.
If they learn anything.

I graduated a month after my 17th birthday, march of my junior year. I did this by "working hard".
Wrong.
I did this by filling out elementary fill in the blank worksheets and taking OPEN BOOK tests. And working my school system extremely well :)

When I got to college, I didn't know how to write an essay, had no study skills (as my school didn't have homework), and would have probably felt like a complete dumbass if it wasn't for the fact that there are plenty of dumbasses in community college :)

Was I ready to be in college and out of high school at 17? Definitely.
Was it done correctly?
Not at all.

Yes.
My cousin did at 16 because our school had the program.
I think all schools should have them.

I'm applying for early college right now, so of course I agree.

You can already take college courses at any age. You don't even have to have graduated yet.

Sounds like they're just standardizing the process.

Seriously, i'm in the 9th grade, and i've longed for to be in college, i have been planning to get there have all of my plans already prepared, I'm not looking for college prep, or anything like that, I want a dorm, where I can finally be anyway from my parents....Education just does not know where to stop at the proper age where its time for maturity

This is nothing new. I took my CHSPE (California High School Proficiency Exam) and graduated from high school towards the end of my sophomore year (in 1989). That test was probably a bit too easy... but I was a good student.

But, I did it so that I could work and live as an adult. I had a terrible home life, had run away from home, and school was just too much to deal with in addition to working and paying rent on my own. The only thing that I regret is missing the social experience of going through all 4 years of high school with my peers and graduating with my class.

I took a few college courses, but never pursued college. However, because I joined the workforce early, in my early twenties I found myself managing people who had just gotten out of college and couldn't find jobs in their various fields. lol

There are good and bad aspects of being able to graduate early. If you're smart, it can be a big benefit. If you're stupid, and just taking the test to get out of school... well, that's why they should make the tests harder.

If you ask me our society should completely redraw the lines on how it qualifies everything using performance testing instead of condemning people to be stuck with others simply because of age.

Some people are much more smart, adult-like, and responsible than others, and as it is I think the system handicaps a lot of people while letting others run wild when they are in no way safe to let loose on a free society.

When I started school they wanted to put me straight into 5th grade because that's what my test scores qualified me for. Instead, my parents chose to only have me skip Kindergarten. It led to me being a year younger than everyone else in my grade during my development years, which probably didn't help me.

I say let people do things based on performance, f*ck their "peers" based on age alone, because half of those people are total retards anyway.

Alternatives are excellent. Not everyone fits into the same box. There are many paths up the mountain. To give choice is to empower.

this is bogus. there is no article. total bs.

I hated high school and was probably ready for college by my junior year. I love this as an idea although I worry about the social implications of missing out on senior year because of economic pressures.

Yeah the college grads that majored in history lack useful knowledge. We live in the INFORMATION AGE, let people be as educated as possible.

Education helps eliminate ignorance, something this country desperately needs.

Absolutely not. After being in college for almost 5 years in engineering, I've learned that there is a ridiculous amount of knowledge a high school graduate doesn't know. And since new information is generated every single day, cutting education would be even more detrimental to the education system than the Bush Administration!

I think early college high school is better because you still take courses for an and teens still have a chance of hanging out with people their own age, hopefully that will be another option available to them.

I think this will be helpful to those that have responsibilities that might force them out of school. This way they can actually graduate. Those that like school or want to enjoy high school won't be graduating early.

Awesome! As a high school junior I had already completed most of my graduation requirements and wish I would have had this option. Holding kids back who prove they can achieve only serves to dampen their enthusiasm for learning.

So does that mean they will graduate college at 19? I think emotionally a student should stay in HIgh School til 18 and than 4 yrs of college and just grow emotionally. There is a difference from Booksmart to common sense

heck yeah, my last two years of high school were annoying and pointless. IMHO education should become more specifically oriented sooner.

Age does not denote wisdom. If a 16 year old is mentally prepared for and willing to commit to college, they should be allowed to excel at their own pace.

I think this is a good idea. I was ready for college at 16. I think this will also help take a lot of the pressure off of high school Juniors and Seniors in the whole college application process and AP classes and the sort.

i think its a great idea that you might be able to graduate earlier cause if u do then you'll go to collage earlier and might graduate at a younger age .(-^_^-)

I think this is a great idea.
For too long our schools have been based upon a once effective but now tired model.
I think school should be year round with many breaks nearly equalling the standard school year at present.
I also believe that coupled with a minimum standard, gifted students should be able to easily accelerate vertically through the schools if they choose and should be encouraged to do so.
It seems to me that this is a step in the right direction.

Word. My cousin graduated early and I could have as well, but I went to an alternative senior program called Walkabout in NY. (it was AWESOME.)

The earlier you can get out of traditional school the better, methinks.

I hate the idea of more testing, but I love the idea of more options for ambitious students.

Well, my senior year consisted of only 2 classes and both of them were electives at the local technology center, so technically I finished high school my junior year.

I might say you could could end in your sophomore year if you were able to take more classes per semester or term. Maybe night classes??

The great thing with this proposal is that it promotes an incentive to take school alot more seriously.

Tired of school? Then go to school!

I'm a sophomore now and I have mixed feelings on this idea. While I am perusing an art future and would not attend community or technical collage, I feel my peers would do well with this option. I hear stories of to-be drop outs and I think maybe if they had a second option it would benefit well.
But for someone like me with a different lifestyle and goals, stopping now would be crushing to my career.

While I'm never a fan of standardized test-based education, I think that this is a great idea. It empowers students to choose their path to education in a way that the traditional compulsory four-year high school experience does not. While the idea is certainly not without its faults, I really do think that it would help with the problem of overcrowded schools, and we'd see a lot fewer "bored" kids dropping out...