High school consequential: New graduation standards aim for meaningful learning
In House Bill 171 — signed into law by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham on Friday afternoon — lawmakers handed out a list of to-dos that must be completed to graduate high school: four years each of math, English and social studies; three science classes; a physical education class; a semester of health; and a smattering of electives for a total of 24 academic units.
…As lawmakers and school officials consider ways to improve student engagement, a group of high schoolers at Monte del Sol — which operates with just under 400 students in seventh through 12th grade — encouraged them not to shy away from the less-than-academic components of education.
What really makes them excited about school, the teenagers said, is the connections they’ve forged with teachers, teammates, coaches and mentors.
“Being just a number, especially in a larger school, doesn’t give you that much motivation,” said Emiliano Alarcón Macías, a senior at Monte del Sol.
