[EDLING:65] Virginia high-school student proposes more foreign language study

[Francis M Hult]

Via lgpolicy...

> Tabb teen offers policy input
> 
> He and 11 others served the Virginia State Board of Education as members
> of a student advisory group.
> 
> BY CATHY GRIMES 247-4758 April 28, 2007
> 
> RICHMOND -- Tabb High School student Adam Baker found himself on the State
> Board of Education agenda Friday, tucked between an award recommendation
> and a resolution on testing. He and the 11 other members of the board's
> Student Advisory Committee pitched three proposals to improve Virginia's
> public schools. Baker's group advocated more foreign language and culture
> instruction in elementary schools and a stronger focus on international
> relations in high school classes.
> 
> Another group suggested revamping middle school drug and alcohol
> prevention programs. A third group focused on closing the achievement gap
> by recommending a summer program aimed at helping at-risk rising
> kindergarten students. State Schools Superintendent Billy Cannaday said he
> and the board will consider seriously the three proposals.
> 
> "Who better knows about life in the schools than those who live it?" he
> said Friday. "They're not making excuses. These reports combine personal
> observation with research." The teens - eight high school and four middle
> school students from across the state - spent four months researching and
> refining their proposals.  They canvassed peers, looked up costs and
> compared existing programs. Baker called the experience eye-opening.
> 
> "Policy is much more complicated than it seems," he said. His group's
> proposal included studies showing that students who learn more than one
> language score higher on state-required tests and college entrance exams
> than their monolingual peers. Multi-language students also gain a better
> grasp of their native language. The team said students who learn about
> cultural diversity are more likely to break down cultural barriers than
> those who do not. They also will be better equipped to work in globally
> competitive industries. "I definitely think this is something that would
> benefit not just the students in this state, but also across the country,"
> Baker, who hopes to run his own airline company, said after his session
> with the board. "I think it will have a huge impact."
> 
> http://www.dailypress.com/news/local/dp-19276sy0apr28,0,723001.story?coll=dp-news-local-final