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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Students May Sweat Less And Study More

Associated Press

Students graduating from high school in Idaho will not have to take any physical education classes to get their diplomas.

They also could forego health classes.

Instead, they will have to take more math or science and an extra social studies class to graduate from high school, under a new set of graduation requirements.

The state Department of Education has proposed the new requirements. Officials say they will prepare high school students for a technologically competitive world.

The State Board of Education this month approved a draft of the graduation standards, but state lawmakers must sign off on the changes before they take effect.

“We’re responding to the concerns we heard from parents three years ago,” said Tom Farley, chief of the bureau of instruction. “They wanted us to raise standards at all levels and give students more of a choice in course offerings.”

Under the proposed graduation standards, students would have to take 25 semester credits in core subject areas. The existing requirements make students take 30 credits in the core areas.

Under the proposed graduation requirements, some courses will no longer be considered mandatory classes for graduation. For instance, students now must have two credits of physical education and one credit of health. That will end.

Under the new requirements, a student will need to complete:

nine credits in language arts and communication, which is the current standard;

10 credits in mathematics and science - four of which must be in math and the other four in science. The last two credits may be taken in math and science. The current standard is eight credits - four in math and four in science; and

six credits of social studies which will now include geography as a requirement. The current standard is five credits.

Graduation standards are not the only changes being proposed by the state department of education. Also under consideration are changes that would allow a person to obtain a “consultant specialist certificate” instead of a teaching credential.

The change would allow business professionals to teach full-time in public schools.