Dive Brief:

• By the year 2018, Virginia high schools will adhere to a new plan by the State Board of Education dividing the traditional four years of high school into a pair of two sections that have various avenues toward completion, and different completion goals, based on students' preferences.
• After the first two years of core classes, students will choose between a four year college degree path, prep for two years of community college, or work towards a certificate to go straight into the workforce with the help of partnerships and internships from local businesses.
• The new pieces of legislation, Senate Bill 336 and House Bill 895, have bipartisan support and are reportedly very popular.

Dive Insight:

In the nation’s community colleges, the underpreparedness of the student body is a massive problem. A February report from The Center for Community College Student Engagement examined the gap between the portion of community college students who enroll believing they are prepared for success and those who actually are, highlighting innovative practices for supporting underprepared students. A program like Virginia's is one way to combat the problem.

Various white papers and studies have called for a restructing of U.S. schools. Some states, like Minnesota, have even supported research on the development of an 11-13th grade school system. With college and career readiness varying, many states and districts may turn to dramatic redesigns of traditional high school models.