Class of '26 passes on: Are they all critical thinkers and engaged citizens?

High school graduation rates are hitting all-time highs, writes Chad Aldeman. Too bad most of the Class of '26 can't do math, his Graduation Gap research shows. Reading scores are down too. Schools are "passing these kids along," says Lance Izumi of the Pacific Research Institute.

As standards fall and "credit recovery" booms, states and districts are adopting aspirational Portrait of a Graduate statements. Fordham's Michael Petrilli, soon to be the proud father of a high school graduate, is dubious. "Success in life depends on skills that can’t be easily measured by standardized tests," he writes. Still, "at a time when grade inflation is rampant, AI is making cheating easier than ever, and student achievement is in the cellar, do we really need another effort to downplay the importance of academic achievement?"

The "portraits" typically list the attributes of the ideal student, explained Education Week’s Libby Stanford in 2023. For example, "In Kentucky, a successful student is an engaged citizen, critical thinker, effective communicator, empowered learner, creative contributor, and productive collaborator," while "in South Carolina, successful students should be able to read critically, express ideas, investigate through inquiry, reason quantitatively, use sources, design solutions, learn independently, navigate conflict, lead teams, build networks, sustain wellness, and engage as a citizen."

If students aren't proficient in reading, writing and math, nor knowledgeable about history, civics and science, then perhaps they are excelling in important, but unmeasurable ways, the "portraits" suggest. But probably not.

"If 'portraits of a graduate' aren’t just feel-good visioning exercises, then we’d better pay attention to what they are promoting," writes Petrilli. New York wants graduates to be "global citizens." Do all parents share that goal? Some parents want their kids to focus on collaboration and community, others on self-reliance and independence.

Petrilli believes “portraits of a graduate” could be useful for schools of choice, which "can and should make it clear what they value," but not for states or districts or traditional public schools, which are supposed to serve everyone.

At two-thirds of Main high schools, at-risk students can earn "micro-credentials" in "soft skills" such as communication, leadership, goal-setting and adaptability, writes Patrick O'Donnell on The 74. Schools in other states are testing the program, which aims to help high school graduates find jobs.

Maine tries to certify mastery of "practical job search and career-building skills such as network building, personal branding and job attainment," O'Donnell writes. For example, students learn GNAP, how to introduce themselves "with a Greeting, their Name, their Affiliation and their Purpose for meeting."

After 13 years of public schooling, it seems very micro. But, at least, it's teachable and learnable.

The sci-fi writer Robert Heinlein wrote: “A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly.”

That seems a bit much.