Teaching and Learning

Arkansas will be the first state awarded federal money to promote a program that encourages high school students to pursue a more a rigorous course of study.

The state was awarded a portion of $2.4 million in grants from the U.S. Department of Education this month to begin implementing the State Scholars program. The initiative aims to set more students who aspire to go to college on the right academic path toward meeting admissions requirements. The department plans to award grants to several other states in the coming weeks.

Created by the Bush administration, the program will urge students to go beyond minimum high school graduation requirements. It recommends that students take at least four years of English, three years of mathematics— including Algebra II and geometry—three years of laboratory sciences, 31/2 years of history and social studies, and two years of...