To help inform the debate about improving secondary schools, the National Governors Association is asking high school students to give their opinions about their education.
As part of its yearlong initiative, “Redesigning the American High School,” the governors’ group is asking students to take part in an online survey, available at www.rateyourfuture.org.
“The voice of the students has been missing in this conversation about high school reform that has been going on among the experts and the policymakers,” Gov. Mark Warner of Virginia, the chairman of the NGA, said in a statement.
So far, 1,200 students have responded, the association said last week. While students said they were adequately prepared in basic reading, mathematics, and science skills, more than one-third of the respondents said their high schools were not preparing them to think critically, analyze problems, and communicate effectively.
Twenty-nine percent said their senior year was “a waste of time.”
The association will release the final results from the survey this summer.