“We live in a world where technological innovation and global competition are increasing at a pace never before seen. Now is the time to vest in our children to make sure they are prepared to succeed in the 21st century.”
—U.S. Secretary of Education, Margaret Spellings

The United States Department of Education offers the following advice to high school parents.

Make sure your child understands the importance of math in elementary school, and encourage your child to take more math, science and critical language courses in high school.

In the increasingly competitive global economy, it is crucial for American students to be well-trained in math, science and critical foreign languages.

U.S. students are currently performing below their international peers in math and science.

The landmark education report, A Nation at Risk, recommended that high school students take a minimum of three years of math and three years of science. Yet today, only 22 States and the District of Columbia require at least this amount.

Currently, only 44 percent of American high school students are enrolled in a foreign language class. And less than 50 percent of American high school students study critical foreign languages (such as Arabic, Chinese, Korean, and Russian).

Take Action:
Encourage your elementary school child in his or her math homework.

Remind him or her of the importance of learning math for success in high school, college, and beyond.

Learn your state's math and science requirements for high school graduation.

Encourage your child to take four years of math and four years of science in high school, even if it is not required.

Find out what kind of critical language courses your child's school offers. Encourage your child's school to offer them and encourage your child to take them.

Encourage your child to take more Advanced Placement (AP) courses in high school. Advanced Placement courses are classes that high school students take to prepare them for college, or post secondary education. Students receive actual college credit while still in high school. This opportunity can also help parents financially. The AP courses that students take in high school reduces the number of credit hours they are required to take during the freshman year. As a result, students can likely take classes ahead of schedule. This could result in an earlier graduation date, thus saving parents college costs.

How does the curriculum of an AP course differ from the "normal" high school course? AP courses provide the equivalent of first-year college introductory courses. Students are given the responsibility to reason, analyze, and understand for themselves. AP courses include content as described in The College Board overview and course syllabi.

The U.S. Department of Education has found that completing a solid academic core in high school, including the opportunity for AP coursework, was more strongly correlated with a student's attainment of a bachelor's degree than high school test scores, grade point average, or class rank.
Current research also indicates a direct positive correlation between AP classes taken in high school and the likelihood of earning a college degree.

Nearly 75 percent of high school graduates enter college, but only 12 percent of these students have completed a significant college- prep curriculum. Research shows that students who take rigorous courses in high school stand a far greater chance of succeeding in college.

AP students are much more likely than their peers to graduate from college in four years or less. The four-year college graduation rate for students who take two or more AP courses is 32 percentage points higher than for those who do not take any AP courses. And the rate for students who take just one AP course is 16 percentage points higher than for those who don't take any.

Take Action:
Find out what Advanced Placement courses your child's high school offers. Make sure they meet the true definition of Advanced Placement and are not simply "honors" courses. Encourage your child to take Advanced Placement courses. If your child’s school does not offer any, encourage it to do so.

If you need assistance with encouraging your child’s school to implement Advanced Placement courses, you may contact us at pps@modernparentsmagazine.com.