Arizona high school students face more math, science to graduate

And that's just the beginning: Those in seventh grade now -- and all the students behind them -- will actually have to take four years of math to get a diploma.

That includes the already required algebra I and geometry courses, plus a new requirement for algebra II or its equivalent, and a fourth course that includes "significant math content'' as determined by the local school board.

That is two years more than now needed.

Students in the Class of 2013 also will be required to have a third science course; current regulations mandate only two to graduate.

Board members did agree to let some students -- with permission of parents -- to get out of that fourth year of math.

But board President Karen Nicodemus said this "personal curriculum'' should not be seen as an "opt out'' for youngsters who simply don't like math. Nor does she believe youngsters should advised ahead of time this is an option.

"The personal curriculum is intended to be an exception,'' said Nicodemus, who also is president of Cochise College.

State School Superintendent Tom Horne said the process of getting out of that fourth year of math is deliberately meant to be difficult. In fact, he said it should be for students who just barely pass the math portion of the AIMS test which measures whether students have learned the essentials of algebra I and geometry.

Horne said students who qualify for the personal curriculum still would have to take a third math-related course in their senior year. But he said it wouldn't have to be a "math'' course in the traditional sense.

"You could take a career technical education course that had math involved with it, you could take an arts course that had math involved with it,'' he said. Similarly, Horne said some economics courses might also qualify if they have math components, like calculating interest rates.