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Poll: Do All Students Need Graduation?

Only students in 12th grade celebrate tradition in Howard County.

 

In Howard County, only high school seniors "graduate."

"Graduations are for students completing high schools," said Patti Caplan, spokeswoman for Howard County Public School System.

"Other grades may have celebrations or farewell parties, but they are not to have 'graduations,'" she added.

At Burleigh Manor Middle School in Ellicott City, there was indeed a farewell breakfast, reported The Baltimore Sun.

In Elkridge, students who didn't have said breakfast expressed concern.

"Is Mayfield the only Middle School without a graduation?"  @ThatKid_Greg tweeted.

Should grades other than 12 have graduation ceremonies? Tell us what you think. 

  • Should all grade levels have graduation?

    (Voting has been closed for this question)
    • Yes
        6 (11%)
    • No
        44 (84%)
    • Undecided
        2 (3%)
    Total votes: 52
    • Your vote will only count once. This is not a scientific poll. View Results Vote!
Related Topics: Graduation and Schools

Jack

11:44 pm on Tuesday, June 12, 2012

God forbid Ms. Caplan, a kindergarten graduation. Lisbon elementary has always had a real nice "farewell" and so has Glenwood middle. No they were not graduations but marked the progression in life just as well. Actually I thought these events were far nicer then the graduations at Merriweather.

btw, when does your retirement begin, we will count the days for you.

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Jack

11:53 pm on Tuesday, June 12, 2012

For all the parents out there, these are our children and if you want a quality education for your children which includes healthy activities then you need to speak up and call the BOE or send them an email at boe@hcpss.org. Start parents groups and speak up at every opportunity you get. A quality, healthy education for a child requires as much play as it does hard work.

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Carrie L

5:46 pm on Thursday, June 14, 2012

Wow, Jack. No reason to be hateful towards Ms. Caplan. She is the spokesperson for the county and is simply stating the policy of the county. There was nothing in her statement saying that other levels couldn't have "farewells" or "closing" ceremonies. In fact, she specifically said they were allowed - they just couldn't be called "graduations" because that is reserved for high school seniors.

I think that's appropriate because a graduation is defined as "the acceptance of an academic degree or diploma". At all the other levels, students are simply moving further into their education without an official degree or diploma awarded.

It would be nice if you could disagree without personally attacking the messenger.

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Jack

9:52 pm on Thursday, June 14, 2012

"a graduation is defined as "the acceptance of an academic degree or diploma".

An academic degree or diploma is expected to have a certain level of value, sadly a hcpss diploma falls far short of this. Ms. Caplan was well paid for her service as a spin doctor fror the issues in the hcpss and as such an active participant in the misleading/deceptive and lack of information spoon fed the public. Her retirement is a positive step for those still in the system.

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BOH

10:32 am on Tuesday, June 19, 2012

I've seen your highly critical remarks about HCPSS a few times in the past, Jack, but have yet to see any substantial evidence that supports them. On what do you base your conclusions that a HCPSS diploma falls short of having a certain level of value? The value of a diploma is relative, and I'd be very interested to know what makes you think that HCPSS diplomas are worth less than those of other MD districts, or almost anywhere else in the nation.

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BOH

10:48 am on Tuesday, June 19, 2012

By the way, here's the last discussion we had on this: http://columbia.patch.com/articles/opinion-the-art-of-emphasis#comments

You produced exactly zero facts. Show me raw statistics that indicate that HCPSS students need an inordinate amount of remedial education at the post-secondary level, relative to other districts' graduates. Show me that they have lower levels of collegiate graduation and success. Show me that isolating by affluence negates HCPSS' success rates. Show me evidence that HCPSS schools fail where other districts do not, and that HCPSS doesn't evaluate its "products" (i.e. graduates), but that other districts do. On that last note, I'd really like to hear you explain to district personnel and voters like all of us what you would do to collect and analyze metrics on collegiate and non-collegiate success following HCPSS graduation, and how such an annual data-gathering effort with ever-shifting results and unquantifiable factors will fit into the county budget.

All your conclusions seem to be based on looking at HCPSS with a highly critical and biased eye, and completely within a vacuum, without regard for national, regional, or state baselines in the same performance metrics.

So just to make sure I'm clear, I'm asking for evidence, not unsupported allegations or declarations.

BOH

11:29 am on Tuesday, June 19, 2012

I don't think students need graduations at various levels. I've actually heard of kids "graduating" from kindergarten--including my own. *sigh* I think it's fine to recognize an achievement, but there's no differentiation between the successful and unsuccessful students at this level, is there? Hold an assembly to recognize the end of the year, but if it's called graduation, it should only be for *successful* completion of ES, MS, and HS (arguably only HS), and those who aren't moving up (to MS, HS, or beyond secondary, respectively) shouldn't be included. If there are measurable performance standards in academics/curriculum, athletics, and even attendance, it's great to recognize outstanding performers on that basis. Heck, I would even encourage recognizing them on at least a quarterly basis, because annual recognition isn't typically frequent enough to motivate child learners to work harder.

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Jack

1:50 am on Wednesday, June 20, 2012

BOH,

Have a name?

The value of a deploma is not relative and neither is where in the dung heap the hcpss is.

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Jack

2:19 am on Wednesday, June 20, 2012

diploma diploma diploma How can you take me serious with my poor attention to spelling? Actually if I could find toilet paper with diplomas printed on it I would send a case to Cousin when he leaves.

Jack

2:15 am on Wednesday, June 20, 2012

If the hcpss tells the public 90% graduate and 95% pass the assessments and 90%will go to college than the public would logically assume they were well educated and will succeed. These numbers alone are misleading and when you stand them next to numbers like 26% of hcpss grads (about 1,000 each year) enter HCC as freshman and 2/3 need remedial ed and in 4 years only 11% will graduate the next logically response is what in the _ _ _ _ happened.

Now I spent days calling the hcpss searching for facts, what actually happens to these children once they graduate and no one there knows but you can go to the Maryland Higher Education Commission and get a good idea and it does not look good.

Mr. Bruzga did call me back and admits they have no idea and they are going to subscribe to a national tracking company. I will get the link and post it. In 4 years we will all have some better insight but I will gaurantee you my numbers are a lot closer than the illusion the hcpss has touted for years.

I will over the next week challenge the hcpss to either contradict what I have been saying or admit exactly where our children are and I am not looking for the sugar coated, compared to Mississippi so we can feel good, because I don't care if we are at the top of the dung heap and attract more flies than those buried at the bottom.

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