When Should Students Graduate ... And Who Should Decide?

By S.G. Grant

As the number of postsecondary degrees increases, the value of a high school diploma decreases. In fact, many observers now argue that career success demands at least a bachelor’s degree. And yet, whether goal or steppingstone, the high school diploma remains a key element of schooling.

The requirements for a diploma have varied over time. What has not changed, however, is the public need to feel confident that graduation from high school represents a real achievement.

But what that achievement encompasses and when students are ready to graduate remain contentious questions. Does graduation represent minimal competency or the mastery of school subject knowledge? Do high school graduates gain the knowledge and skills necessary to lead successful lives, or only those necessary for postsecondary education? These seem like important issues, but two questions most concern me today: When are students ready to graduate,...