State ed board approves recommended high school program

By Tracy Jan, Globe Staff

The state Board of Education today adopted a set of recommended courses that it believes would better prepare high school students for college. The MassCore program includes four years of math, four years of English, three years of a lab science, three years of history, and two years of a foreign language.

The move was praised as a way to raise standards.

"It's simple: Our students shouldn't get to college and have to take high school level coursework," said acting Education Commissioner Jeffrey Nellhaus.

Today's vote will not make the MassCore program a graduation requirement, as some had wanted.

Education Department spokeswoman Heidi Guarino said that the board instead is making a strong recommendation to school districts that they adopt the program of studies.

"After this vote, it's now up to the districts. ... If they want to make it a graduation requirement, we'd be thrilled," she said.

College presidents have raised concerns that many public high school graduates are unprepared and must do remedial work when they arrive at college.

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