Education Reform - Graduating High School Early

http://www.arizonafuture.org/news/documents/EducationreformerspushearlygraduationFeb8_2010AZGuardian.pdf

The link above concerns a new proposal that high school students who are ready could graduate from high school at 16 and start college. I read about this originally on another page recently and I can't find that page now. On the other page, the proponent had suggested that for some talented high school students, it doesn't make sense for them to have to remain in high school for 2 more years just so that they are there for a prescribed period of time. Instead, the thought is that some of these students might be ready for higher study and why not let them start to work towards their college educations.

In researching home schooling, as I now am home schooling my son, I have discovered that in our state, because the compulsory attendance age stops at 16, home schoolers are no longer required to submit paperwork to the school district once a child reaches 16. I also have learned that some of these 16 plus home schooled children are actually attending community colleges and earning college credit. There is even a means for a 16 year old here to take the GED if it is needed in order to be accepted in a college program. This has made me start to wonder if I should pull my kids out at 16, help them get their GEDs and have them start college.

I don't have to decide now as I have an 8 year old and a 6 year old, but I do like that these ideas are being discussed and considered. I also like that under the proposal above, the students who start college early could be taking the courses at their high schools with other students their ages.