WASHINGTON -- Should District of Columbia public and charter high school students be required to apply for college or trade school in order to graduate?
If legislation being pushed by D.C. Council Chairman Kwame Brown (D) becomes law, students in the nation's capital would face such a mandate.
As The Washington Post reports:
Under the legislation, which Brown will introduce at Wednesday's council meeting, all 70,000 students who attend D.C. public and charter schools will have to take either the SAT or ACT test before graduating from high school. The bill would also require all high school students to apply to "at least one post-secondary institution," even if they do not plan on continuing their education.
The measure is believed to be the first of its kind in the nation, as The Washington Times reports. At least 11 states require high school students to take the SAT or ACT college entrance exams.
There are many details to iron out -- including how to pay for Brown's plan. According to WJLA:
Brown says he's also considering having the government pay any fees associated with taking the entrance exam. Those fees could amount to about $400,000 if every student's test is paid for.
Only 43 percent of students in the D.C. Public Schools and charter schools graduate from high school, according to the Examiner.
As part of Brown's measures, students would also be required to apply for federal or local financial aid to pay for their college education.
Photo by Flickr user Mr. T in D.C.