A+ PROGRAM SETS MEDIOCRE STANDARDS FOR SCHOOL REFORM

Cape Girardeau is one of 38 public school districts across the state that is participating in the A+ Schools program. The grant program is an outgrowth of Senate Bill 380, the 1993 Outstanding Schools Act.

Is the program simply Outcomes Based Education in disguise? It depends on who is talking about the A+ program. OBE has become a signal for concern for many parents who want make sure that education remains based in such fundamentals as reading, spelling, math and science. Reforms should be effective, not just fashionable. Local officials maintain the A+ Schools program attempts to determine what skills students should learn in a particular class, the best method to teach those skills and how to test what students have learned.

But isn't that what teachers have always done?

The Cape Girardeau schools received a $203,838 A+ grant for 1994-95. Next year, the district is seeking $145,323 more from the state, with an additional $74,198 earmarked in local funds for the A+ program.

It is a considerable budget for excellence in education, a mission most schools have always embraced without any special incentives. The A+ Schools program borders on outright gimmickry.

The state's Department of Elementary and Secondary Education has identified three goals for A+ Schools. The first is that all students should be graduated from high school. Has that not been a common goal for all of Missouri's schools for a long time? If not, then a lot of parents and taxpayers have been misinformed.

A second goal is that all students should complete a selection of high school studies that is challenging and for which there are identified learning expectations. The words "learning expectations" are a little troubling. Is that the same thing as earning a grade for a job well done, even if little or no learning actually occurs?

A third goal directs all students to go from high school graduation to a college or vocational or technical school -- or high-paying job in the workplace. That notion begs credibility. High school graduates are not welcomed into the marketplace with high-paying jobs. Besides, parents already expect their graduating seniors to be prepared to enter the workplace or pursue continuing education. Saying that everyone will graduate and everyone will go on to further education or a high-paying job is an unrealistic goal doomed from the outset.

But A+ Schools gets much more specific. It helps direct students to specific career paths. One of the most troubling aspects of the program guarantees taxpayer-paid tuitions to community colleges or vocational training for students who maintain only a C+ average or better. If it is an A+ program, why does it include free schooling for mediocre students? That provides little incentive to excel.

The free-tuition aspect of the program could prove costly for Missourians. A+ funding for fiscal year 1995 is $5 million, which supports grants to the 38 participating school districts. The only other area schools receiving grants are Caruthersville and Farmington.

Once schools receive A+ designation, the money shifts from grants to tuition incentives. It takes about three years for a district to earn the A+ designation.

By 1997, the projected budget for A+ Schools will grow to $10 million, with legislative approval. But there is no guarantee the Missouri General Assembly will approve these additional funds, in spite of the $310 million tax increase imposed by the Outstanding Schools Act. A student taking advantage of these tuition credits might be left out in the cold during a tight budget year.

And what if these tuition credits really take off in the Missouri? The education department predicts that fewer than 20 percent of the senior class would meet the criteria. That would still be more than 10,500 eligible students, using this year's graduating numbers. This could be a costly proposition for Missouri taxpayers as a result of SB 380, already the largest tax increase in the history of the state.