I hope that the general public, especially parents
of children in public schools, realize that the Rochester Plan allowing
students to graduate from high school in 3,4, or 5 years really proclaims the
failure of the public school reform movement started in 1983. The basic
concept upon which the reforms were based was that all children can learn at
the same pace. This led to the adoption of such failed approaches as
cooperative learning, blurring of grade levels, elimination of traditional
report cards, student-centered teaching, values clarification instead of
academic learning, concern for self-esteem and in general a movement away from
academic standards.
The rebirth of the Regents Exams ought to have put
an end to these fads by showing that all students do not learn at the same
pace and that individual differences do matter. The Rochester Plan is
nothing more than the old-fashioned idea that some students learn faster than
others and deserve to be moved ahead, while others must be given more time.
But traditionally this happened NATURALLY. By now allowing students or
their families to decide in advance when a student will graduate will
inevitably lead to more complications and failures.
It's time that educationists stop tinkering with
basic learning processes, and let teachers individually decide how best to
help their students cope with the new standards, holding the teachers
responsible for the results. The Rochester Plan will turn out to be just
another fad.