More Calculus? Toss the Frisbee!
Schools cope with an outbreak of senioritis
While such strategies may energize some seniors, they don't get at the basic disincentives of the system. "This is a massive problem calling for a massive solution," says Kirst, "not just tinkering around the edges." Among the report's recommendations: Redesign the high school curriculum so that it links to the first year of college; have colleges and universities set explicit performance standards for senior year; and withdraw admission from those who seriously slack off.
Such measures won't stave off the kind of slump that has hit Sarah Atkinson. The senior at Bellaire High School near Houston has maintained her B average despite dozing off in tests and missing classes, and she decided not to take any AP exams because her full-time waitressing job left her no time to study. A case of early-decision slacking? Hardly: Atkinson dumped her books for a paycheck because the financial aid package she received from Washington University in St. Louis fell far short of what her family needed. She may have dropped calculus, but she's earning a valuable lesson in Real Life 101.
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