Ed Board: 'Slow Down' On Hawaii Grad Requirements

Katherine Poythress/Civil Beat

Some Hawaii State Board of Education members want more time before they vote on whether to reduce the social studies courses required for high school graduation.

The proposal to reduce the number of required social studies credits from four to three has evoked public outcry in recent weeks in the form of testimony at Board of Education meetings, op-eds and other public commentary. The change would give students more flexibility to take elective courses aligned with their interests, Department of Education officials say.

The proposal is included in a package of recommended graduation requirement adjustments that the Board of Education will consider on Aug. 16. If passed, the changes would impact the class of 2016, or next year's ninth-graders.

Brian DeLima of the Big Island urged his fellow board members and the Department of Education to slow down before making a final decision.

"The more I think about this, the more I think we need to think about this," DeLima said during the board's Student Achievement Committee meeting Tuesday. "The bottom line is, I think we've gotta go slow on this."

Board members Nancy Budd and Charlene Cuaresma, along with student representative Angelica Lao, also voiced concern that the board might be moving too quickly on a decision that could have lasting impact on students.

Committee chairwoman Cheryl Kauhane Lupenui explained that the timeline for discussing and finalizing graduation requirements is so short because she feels the students who will be affected by them deserve to know early in the coming school year.

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