Should schools be penalized if students need more than four years to meet graduation requirements?

Final results:
6% Yes
94% No

Total Votes: 289

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According to a Detroit News article, some Michigan students would be able to attend a fifth year of high school if the federal government grants a request by the State Board of Education. If approved, kids who drop out and then return to school for a fifth year will not be counted as dropouts under NCLB. The exemption would be requested by schools for each student on a case-by-case basis.

It’s obvious to most educators that some students simply need more time than others to meet the same requirements–and such a reality seems perfectly consistent with a standards-based education. Yet, policymakers are inclined to draw a line in the sand at the four-year mark to determine dropout and graduation rates. And such a determination has big implications for schools in the NCLB era.

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