A rambling post about credits needed to graduate in different states...

[JumpyTheFrog]

In the state I grew up in, I'm pretty sure everyone needed two years of foreign language (high school level - two years in middle school equalled one year in high school) just to graduate with the lowest level diploma. If you wanted to go to college, you needed three years and all the decently prepared students in my high school had four or five years of credit.

 

Of course, the five years of high school Spanish I took was equal to maybe three semesters of college Spanish...

 

I see people on here and in real life talk about getting one or two foreign language credits to graduate high school, and I find myself wondering if that is really enough to get into a mid-level college. My high school wasn't even one of the better ones our area. It was probably in the middle - better than the small school districts, but lagging behind the larger, more suburban districts. Yet I frequently see lists of recommended credits for graduation that are slightly below what an average college-bound student at my school did. Are the requirements in some states really that much higher than other states?

[angela in ohio]

Our local public school (best in the county, but small) requires two years to graduate. The state is phasing in a requirement for two years (from no years!) for students who will graduate in 2016.

 

There is usually a big difference between graduation requirements and college admission requirements. Around here, many don't go to college, so they don't need college prep requirements for graduation. The local high school doesn't even offer a third year of FL, except by independent study, so any student trying to get more than two years for college admissions has to go through dual enrollment to get it.

 

My dc already know that "four years of everything" is the minimum for our home. :D Oldest will graduate with 6.5 years of foreign language credit, and she's going into science. :D

[elegantlion]

I'm not an expert, but from what I've read here and seen at various college websites is 2 is still the norm. Some colleges want three years, some won't accept Latin. Our state is still two years for public school students.

 

I took 4 years of Spanish eons ago in high school and remembered enough to get me through a week in Central America. Granted most everyone spoke English, but we did survive a few visits with non-English speakers.

 

This is my personal opinion: the two year requirement is a joke. It's exposure to a language, no one can become fluent in two years. Changing the requirement to 3 or even 4 would ineffective because many teachers can not teach at the upper levels. Fluency would not happen in three years, and with all the other credits a high school student needs it would still be low priority for some. I just don't think language instruction is deemed as important as other subjects.

 

I'd like to see a more European model of language instruction. Start young and layer the languages over time. My son may end up with 4-7 credits of language at the high school level, either in two or three languages. That may look impressive on a transcript, but it will probably still be off the goal of being fluent in at least two of those languages.

[Jane in NC]

I think that sometimes people who have not gone through the college app process with their kids confuse minimal requirements with recommendations for applicants.

 

For example, here in NC high school students in the college track are required to have two years of foreign language. So applicants to the UNC system must have this minimal requirement. Yet if we look at the catalog for UNC-CH, we read

Students should improve their language preparation by continuing their foreign language study through the senior year of high school. It is preferable that they complete four years of one high school language rather than, for example, taking two years each of two different languages.

 

So while students are not required to have four years of a foreign language, it is clearly recommended.

 

Most of my son's peers at his LAC had at least four years of one language and some had additional years of a second. But then he hangs out with Classics students who had studied Latin or Greek as well as a modern language in high school.

 

Another thing that parents who have not gone through the college app process do not always realize is that requirements change. For example, here in NC four years of math are required of applicants to the UNC system. This was not the case a decade ago.

[SailorMom]

In the state I grew up in, I'm pretty sure everyone needed two years of foreign language (high school level - two years in middle school equalled one year in high school) just to graduate with the lowest level diploma. If you wanted to go to college, you needed three years and all the decently prepared students in my high school had four or five years of credit.

 

Of course, the five years of high school Spanish I took was equal to maybe three semesters of college Spanish...

 

I see people on here and in real life talk about getting one or two foreign language credits to graduate high school, and I find myself wondering if that is really enough to get into a mid-level college. My high school wasn't even one of the better ones our area. It was probably in the middle - better than the small school districts, but lagging behind the larger, more suburban districts. Yet I frequently see lists of recommended credits for graduation that are slightly below what an average college-bound student at my school did. Are the requirements in some states really that much higher than other states?

 

The PS I went to in CA was very competitive, and only required two consecutive years of foreign language. I knew a few top-tier students who took three, but they were planning on studying linguistics as part of their careers.

The schools here where we live now are considered some of the best in the state, and again - only two consecutive years required.

[SailorMom]

 

This is my personal opinion: the two year requirement is a joke. It's exposure to a language, no one can become fluent in two years. Changing the requirement to 3 or even 4 would ineffective because many teachers can not teach at the upper levels. Fluency would not happen in three years, and with all the other credits a high school student needs it would still be low priority for some. I just don't think language instruction is deemed as important as other subjects.

 

I'd like to see a more European model of language instruction. Start young and layer the languages over time. My son may end up with 4-7 credits of language at the high school level, either in two or three languages. That may look impressive on a transcript, but it will probably still be off the goal of being fluent in at least two of those languages.

 

:iagree:

[DawnM]

I just looked up NC graduation requirements. If you want to go to a UNC school, you need 2 years of language. If you just want college prep (general) or just graduate, you can take zero!

[joannqn]

Washington state's graduation requirements are abysmal. Not only is foreign language not required at all, but the core requirements are pathetic as well.

 

English: 3 credits

Math: 2 credits*

Science: 2 credits (1 must be a lab)*

Social Studies: 2.5 credits (includes state history)

Language: 0 credits

Fine arts: 1 credit

Health and Fitness: 2 credits

Occupational Ed: 1 credit

Electives: 5.5 credits

 

19 credits are required to graduate. You must also complete a "high school and beyond plan", a culminating project, and pass the state exams for reading and writing and math.

 

*Starting in 2012, you must pass one math end-of-course exam (algebra 1 or geometry). Starting in 2015, you must pass two math end-of-course exams (algebra 1 and geometry) and biology.

[Tap]

Here, none is required for graduation, but 2 is minimal for getting into college.

 

I agree that one year should be required for hischool graduation. Just enough to familiarize the students with the concepts.

 

I do not agee that additional years should be a part of high school graduation. I also think that years 2-5 should all be AP level. Ds took 3 years of Spanish in high school. The first 2 years were great, the third year was with a teacher in a public school. It was a waste of a year. The teacher had no standards and it was obvious that the students didn't care either. No one spoke Spanish in the class other than the teacher and the students graded each others work 'generously' as he put it.

Edited April 15, 2012 by Tap, tap, tap

[Jane in NC]

I just looked up NC graduation requirements. If you want to go to a UNC school, you need 2 years of language. If you just want college prep (general) or just graduate, you can take zero!

 

Again, two years minimum to apply to a UNC school. I suspect that the average freshman at UNC-CH has had more than the minimum!

[Mrs Mungo]

One thing to remember about this? Many homeschoolers take cc classes. The first two semesters of a cc foreign language class is considered the equivalent of one year of high school. That means students who take 2 years of cc foreign language are receiving credit for three years.

[regentrude]

Most colleges I looked at want two years. Some more selective ones want 3. Only one very selective school "recommended" that the student have four years if possible ("recommend" means of course: you better, or else)

 

So yes, you get into college with two years of a foreign language. But what good do 2 years of learning a language do? Or even 4? Not much.

 

This is my personal opinion: the two year requirement is a joke. It's exposure to a language, no one can become fluent in two years. Changing the requirement to 3 or even 4 would ineffective because many teachers can not teach at the upper levels. Fluency would not happen in three years

:iagree::iagree::iagree:

 

 

I'd like to see a more European model of language instruction. Start young and layer the languages over time. .

Yes! In my home country, first foreign language starts in 3rd grade, second foreign language starts in 6th grade, both have to be taken through high school and are taught by teachers who are proficient in the language (having teachers here in the US who do not speak the language they teach is beyond ridiculous). 3rd language is optional and added in 9th. Edited April 15, 2012 by regentrude

Again, two years minimum to apply to a UNC school. I suspect that the average freshman at UNC-CH has had more than the minimum!

 

Indeed. It would be really interesting to know what percentage of the incoming class has more than the minimum -- I wonder how much of a "minimum" this really is? A little bit of googling reveals this web page, I have no idea how valid it is, or where they get their data, but this page says that 2 years are "required", but 4 are "recommended".

[Aelwydd]

Again, two years minimum to apply to a UNC school. I suspect that the average freshman at UNC-CH has had more than the minimum!

 

That's true. I graduated from a NC high school in the mid-nineties, and back then, the UNC system minimum requirements were 2 years of the same foreign language. However, the recommended was 4 years, and many of my fellow students took 3 or 4 years of foreign language to be more competitive.

[Jane in NC]

Indeed. It would be really interesting to know what percentage of the incoming class has more than the minimum -- I wonder how much of a "minimum" this really is? A little bit of googling reveals this web page, I have no idea how valid it is, or where they get their data, but this page says that 2 years are "required", but 4 are "recommended".

 

The quote from UNC-CH's online material that I gave earlier suggests that four years of a single language is better than two years of two different languages. I suspect that many successful applicants to the Chapel Hill have more than the minimal two years.

 

Of course, not every UNC school is as competitive as UNC-CH. That said, a number of the UNC programs require undergrads to complete foreign language studies through an intermediate level. Obviously a high school background will make this next hoop easier.

 

One other thing to consider though is that many rural NC high schools do not have foreign language offerings beyond year two. The UNC system cannot discriminate against kids who lack opportunity in their communities. One thing that is being used to provide equity is the NC Virtual High School as well as Early College programs where students can take community college or university classes.

 

Getting into college is not necessarily hard. Receiving merit aid is another kettle of fish! Everyone needs to examine their goals.

[Night Elf]

Georgia doesn't require foreign language specifically to graduate but they do recommend that students bound for college have 2 years. The GA colleges I know about list 2 years of same foreign language as an admissions requirement.

 

I found a chart that lists the requirements for all states:

States With or Considering High School Foreign Language Graduation Requirements Revised March 2010