Smart Core is the Smart Way to Go:
Educators and legislators last week in Little Rock asked for elimination of the opt-out provision of the state's Smart Core curriculum.
But local educational experts said that they want the opt-out provision to remain in the law. Meanwhile, superintendents of the two districts in Ashley County said that they do not know much about the issue.
The new minimum curriculum goes into effect with the Class of 2010. However, the state allows parents to opt their child out of the Smart Core curriculum.
Last year, parents of about 7,000 students, or nearly 10 percent of the state's seventh and eighth graders, opted out of Smart Core curriculum.
In the Hamburg School District, parents of 33 students—20 percent of the district's eighth- grade class—opted out of the Smart Core curriculum, according to HSD special projects coordinator Marilyn Chambers.
"This is something brand-new," she said. "I think that number will decrease as parents understand the importance of the curriculum."
It requires a high-school graduate to take 22 course years of work. These are two years of algebra; one year of geometry; one year of higher-level math such as trigonometry, statistics or calculus; three years of science courses; four years of English; three years of social studies; and six course years of career classes such as health, physical education, oral communications and fine arts.
The current system, where students may select their own curriculum is good for several reasons, Crossett School Board member Robert Stone said.
"Not every kid wants to go to college," he said. "We need a society where people work in all areas of the workforce."
When asked about the decrease in well-paying factory jobs, Stone said, "Somebody's got to build those buildings. Not everybody can draw the blueprints."
When Bill Clinton served as governor and encouraged all Arkansas high-school graduates to go to college, many 18 year olds wasted a year's college tuition, Stone said.
"It will put a lot of stress on the students unnecessarily," he said.
Not allowing students to opt-out may cause Arkansas schools to lose students to other states, he said.
Like Stone, state Sen. Jimmy Jeffress wants to keep the opt-out clause and Smart Core curriculum the way they are.
"We need to try to encourage everyone to take that rich curriculum," he said. "It is necessary for students to be competitive in the global economy.
"We're one of less than a half dozen states nationwide that has Smart Core. We're on the cutting edge."
However, Jeffress said that he recognizes the needs of students to take an easier curriculum in certain circumstances.
"You always have exceptions that do not fit the rule," he said. "You got to have a safety valve."
Crossett district superintendent Janice Warren has not formulated a position on whether to eliminate the opt-out provision.
"I am not sure," she said. "I do not know enough about it."
The Smart Core curriculum today is equivalent to the college-prep or academic curriculum years ago, Warren said. It prepares students for college.
"The beauty of it is that students get concurrent credit," she said.
Students who take advanced classes in the Smart Core get high-school as well as college credit for the same course, Warren said.
Additionally, students entering the workforce need math and literacy skills in the Smart Core curriculum, she said. However, Warren said that some problems may exist for students who are not good at math.
Warren said she did not know how many Crossett students have opted out of Smart Core.
Similarly, Hamburg superintendent Keith Alexander said that he did not know much about the issue and suggested talking to Chambers.
Chambers said that although she wants students to take the Smart Core curriculum, she believes that parents need the option to remove their children from it.
"I really think some parents have to keep their options open," she said. "But we really need to encourage all students in participate in the Smart Core curriculum."
Even though trigonometry or calculus would not be directly useful to most workers and chemistry is likely not directly useful to non-scientistics, Chambers said that these courses teach critical-thinking skills.
When asked if students would drop out facing a tough curriculum, Chambers said, "I really don't think so. I believe in high expectations for every kid. We're missing the mark if we don't challenge our children with a rigorous curriculum."
Currently, Hamburg Junior High has to prepare students for the challenges of the Smart Core curriculum at Hamburg High School, Chambers said. She said that parents of junior-high students may opt their students out of the Smart Core curriculum in high school, but the students still may take part or all of it.
Chambers said that the Hamburg School District has increased its staff to teach courses required of the Smart Core curriculum.
