January 15, 1988

New innovations in curriculum
Grad requirements to be changed

A "Curriculum Planning for Next Year and Beyond" was held in the student cafeteria on Monday, January 11, from 7:30 - 9:00 PM. The program's primary purpose was, according to Mr. Kenneth Reese, Director of Student Personnel Services, "to communicate with the parents of current freshmen in relation to next year's registration process and future plans. It is an attempt for parents to recognize the importance of long-range planning in the college admissions process and the changes in the college admissions for their children."
The administration feels that the parents begin to lose contact with their children in their schooling process; thus, this program is an effort to make the parents aware of their children's needs.
Such topics as course selections offered during the school year, the four-year planning forms, and summer school course offerings were discussed.
In the brochure "Guide for Parents," published by the National Asssociation of College Admission Counselors, parents are urged to see that their children obtain a strong foundation in reading and writing, in math, and in good study habits by the time they reach seventh and eighth grades. In addition, the children should take advantage of such course offerings as social studies, science, and foreign languages.
Furthermore, parents are urged to "take an interest in what your chld is studying. The courses your child takes or the grades he or she now receives have a lot to do with what your child can do after high school."
The following chart is a guide for both the parents and the students to see if the students are taking the required courses needed for graduation and for their future plans.

In the December 30, 1987, edition of the Chicago Sun-Times, Education Secretary William J. Bennett published his own requirements for high school students in his report "James Madison High School" a Curriculum for American Students."
In the report Bennett suggests that all students should be required to take four years of English. Freshman year, students should be enrolled in "Introduction to Literature." This course should include such works as Huckleberry Finn, a Dickens novel, a few books of Homer's Odyssey, parts of the Bible, and sonnets and plays of Shakespeare.
Sophomore year, an "American Literature" course is recommended, which should include writings by such authors as Hawthorne, Poe, Whitman, Melville, Dickinson, Faulkner, Hemingway, Frost, Ellison, and Robert Penn Warren.
Junior year, "British Literature" and works from Chaucer to Milton to T.S. Eliot to Shaw should be studied.
Senior year, a course entitled "Introduction to World Literature" should include translations of Greek and Roman classics, Dante, Cervantes, Dostoevsky, Zola, Mann and Ibsen, and perhaps also an introduction to works from such countries as Japan, China, the Near East, Africa or Latin America.
Bennett suggests that the three years of the Social Studies include Western Civilization for freshmen, American history for sophomores, and American Democracy for juniors. He also believes that the math courses taken by high school students should include three years from Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II, and Trigonometry or Introductory and Advanced Calculus.
According to Bennett the scienc course requirements should include three years from Astronomy / Geology, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, or "Principles of Technology." In addition to the requirement of foreign language, Bennett also suggests a one-semester course in art history and music history.
Also, Bennett suggests that the two years of ophysical education / health for freshmen and sophomores should include a quarter of the time devoted to health, including nutrition and first-aid techniques such as cardiopulmonary resuscitation and the Heimlich mnaneuver, and drug and sex education.
Mr. Bennett remarked that these "high[er] expectations [demanded of high scool students could] make an enormous difference.... We think kids need this." Regarding financing of such a program, Mr. Bennett remarked, "In fact, it should be less expensive. You'd get a leaner, meaner, better academic machine for your money." In addition, he stated, "a broad, deep and effective core curriculum is possible for almost all American secondary school students. If we are serious about equal opportunity in general, then we must provide equal opportunity in school."
Although only the state government is entitled to set the standard school requirements, many schools across the nation have improved their curriculum. Mr. Bennett hopes that thistype of "leaner, meaner, better academic medicine" will improve this "nation at risk."