Top students may get perks

Some Utah high schoolers could get a ticket straight to college with tuition money in their pockets via an advanced curriculum endorsed Friday by the Utah Board of Education.

The Regents' Award requires students to take a more rigorous course load throughout high school, raising standard requirements to include four years of math, four years of science, three of social studies and three of science. The proposed award increases the number of required core subject credits by 4.5, with the most drastic increase in math, from a current two credits up to four.

In return for a B average in those courses, students would get automatic acceptance into any of the 10 state schools of higher education, plus $1,000 to kick-start tuition payments.

The Regents' Award still has several more hurdles, including approval by the Board of Regents and squaring away the $1,000 scholarships. That money is still up in the air, said David Doty, assistant commissioner of higher education, but it should come together through private donations and a request for state funds.

"To make this a real carrot, we need the money attached," he said.

"I hope we can get kids to take advantage of this. This is your ticket to ride," said Doty. "It's straightforward, and it's an easy-to-understand path."

Doty noted Utah is one of the first states to consider automatic college entrance based on advanced curriculum. The concept, he added, turns traditional university admissions and student measurement tests upside down.

"This says, 'If I really care enough as a high school student, I can assure my entrance to a state university of my choice.' I like that a lot," board chairman Kim Burningham said.

The incentive program fits into the strategy behind a K-16 alliance formed between public education leaders and higher education. The alliance aims to increase not only the number of Utah students entering college, but also the number of students actually prepared for college work.

Based on American College Test (ACT) performance, less than half of the Class of 2005 was deemed prepared for college-level work in math, and less than a third was prepared in biology.

Lucille Stoddard, associate commissioner for academic affairs, told board members Friday those numbers show Utah needs to shift focus from tests to curriculum.

"They leave without mathematics in their senior year and it's one of our most serious problems," Stoddard said. "This (regents' award) high school curriculum will stand on its own. They can move right from high school into college."

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