Educators split on cash for early grads

Governor wants high-schoolers to get jump on college

Governor wants high-schoolers to get jump on college

Educators are sharply divided about a proposal in Gov. Mark Sanford's budget that would use scholarship money to encourage college-bound high school students to graduate early.

Some education leaders think the plan has merit and provides an incentive for high-achieving students who are ready to tackle the rigors of college. But others caution the proposal would cause students to take fewer valuable electives in a rush to graduate and be less prepared for college.

The proposal calls for giving a $2,000 scholarship to college-bound high school students who graduate one year early, and $1,000 to those who finish one semester early. Sanford's press secretary, Joel Sawyer, estimated that 500 to 1,000 students would earn the money.

"When you look at the rising cost of college tuition in South Carolina, every little bit of money can help these college-bound students," Sawyer said.

The governor's budget does not claim any savings or revenue loss from the program, Sawyer said. The savings from paying less money to districts based on schools' enrollments could be re-routed to fund the scholarships, he said.

State Superintendent of Education Jim Rex, a Democrat, said he's on board with the governor's idea as long as minor questions are addressed, such the impact on the state's on-time graduation rate.

"On the surface, I really like it," Rex said. "I think the concept is a good one."

Charleston County Schools Superintendent Nancy McGinley said she respected the governor's creativity. Schools need to be more innovative in thinking about public education, she said. Children are

individuals, and some accelerated learners are ready to be in a college environment sooner, she said.

Students should consider what would be gained by not having their senior year, she said. "We should not dictate what's good for them," she said. "I think it's a family choice."

McGinley's main concern with the plan was whether the college scholarship money would come out of the kindergarten through 12th-grade budget.

But not all educators are supportive. Berkeley Assistant Superintendent for Learning Services Mike Turner said district principals are unanimous in their opposition.

"We do not recommend that students end their high school careers earlier than in four years, and I don't think the governor needs to incentivize a wrong choice," Turner said.

Turner said the governor's proposal is perplexing because the state has spent millions of dollars promoting high school career pathways, in which students take elective courses to prepare them for a specific career.

Sanford's idea basically encourages students to just "take the core classes and get on out," Turner said.

"It's a huge mistake, and I hope the governor would rethink the confusing message his proposal sends," he said.

At least two college-bound seniors at Berkeley's Hanahan High School said they wouldn't be interested in the early graduation incentive. Jamie Sweatman has taken a teacher cadet elective this year, which has interested her in a teaching career.

"It would take a lot of the fun out of high school if you had to cut electives out of your schedule," she said.

John Carnell, the quarterback of Hanahan's football team, said his senior year was critical for him, because his athletic performance netted him a scholarship to Newberry College. An incentive worth only $1,000 or $2,000 to graduate early isn't enough to miss out on senior year, he said.

Janet Rose, Charleston County Schools' executive director of assessment and accountability, also said it's not in kids' best interest to leave high school early.

Bright students who leave lose the opportunity to take Advanced Placement courses, which give them experience in understanding the expectations of and preparing for college classes, she said.

Rose said early graduates might not necessarily be the district's smartest students and could be those who need to start working.

Doris Helms, Clemson University's vice president for academic affairs and provost, said her concerns about the proposal revolve around students.

Students who graduate a semester early and go to college in January might have a hard time adjusting, she said. They would have missed new student orientation sessions and, by midyear, college faculty expect students to understand the way college works, she said.

Helms also questioned whether students would be ready to learn in a college environment, which doesn't permit students to memorize their way through the work.

She'd prefer to put resources toward allowing students to grow and be more engaged in high school, perhaps by further collaboration between universities and high schools.

"I would really rather see students do well and enjoy life and learning than to speed up and end up in something that's hard for them to cope with," she said.

Reach Mindy B. Hagen at mhagen@postandcourier.com or 937-5433. Reach Diette Courrégé at dcourrege@postandcourier.com or 937-5546.