Lawmakers: Millennium Scholars need preparation

Friday, June 18, 2004 | 9:16 a.m.

Lawmakers said Thursday it is high time the Board of Regents ensure that recipients of state scholarships are adequately prepared for college by requiring them to pass more challenging classes in high school.

After a high number of Millennium Scholars were found to need remedial classes, the 2003 Legislature mandated that regents develop a core high school curriculum for the state scholarship program.

All Nevada high school graduates with a B or better GPA are currently eligible for the Millennium Scholarship, regardless of how rigorous their classes were. Millennium Scholars do have a lower remediation rate than non-Millennium students, but many lawmakers said they thought the rate was still too high.

"I think it's problematic when the term scholar and remediation appear in the same breath," said Sen. Warren Hardy, chairman of the legislative committee to study higher education. "We need to do everything we can to change that."

The proposed core curriculum would mandate students take algebra I, geometry and algebra II, and a minimum of three science classes with at least one involving laboratory work. The curriculum also highly recommends students take a fourth math class their senior year, take a second lab science and take a composition/writing class their senior year.

High school students do not currently have to complete the specific math and science classes recommended, they are just required to complete three math classes and two science.

University regents are scheduled to approve the proposed curriculum at their August meeting, and, if approved, the curriculum would be a Millennium Scholarship requirement for the graduating class of 2010.

That delay is to give students enough time to take the proper classes, said Dr. Christine Chairsell, associate vice chancellor for the university system's academic and student affairs office. If approved, students now in seventh grade will be informed of the new requirements.