In a recent article, Michael Janofsky, Students Say High Schools Let Them Down says

A large majority of high school students say their class work is not very difficult, and almost two-thirds say they would work harder if courses were more demanding or interesting, according to an online nationwide survey of teenagers conducted by the National Governors Association.

The survey … also found that fewer than two-thirds believe that their school had done a good job challenging them academically or preparing them for college.

The article brought to mind a speech by Bill Gates, which was given to the same group,the National Governors Association, at the National Education Summit on High Schools.

I hope to come back to his speech again – it’s interesting from several points – but the survey of students brought to mind his

new three R’s, the basic building blocks of better high schools: 
• The first R is Rigor – making sure all students are given a challenging curriculum that prepares them for college or work;
• The second R is Relevance – making sure kids have courses and projects that clearly relate to their lives and their goals;
• The third R is Relationships – making sure kids have a number of adults who know them, look out for them, and push them to achieve.

Students say they’d work harder if classes were more demanding or more interesting. Mr. Gates says school work should be rigorous and relevant, which sounds like about the same thing.

This speech has been sitting around my desktop for a month. I keep starting to say something about it, and wandering into some byway – at this point, I have three word processing documents going. (Maybe the problem is I’m not using Word; I need the Whacha Wanna Say? Wizard to come help me.) I suspect the Wizard would prompt me with questions like these:

• Students want schools to work them harder. Is that to be believed? Why do they say they want to work harder? A desire to make something of their lives? Fear of the job market?
• OK, let’s say for the moment that governors, students, and the business community would like students to do more rigorous and relevant work, with lots of relationship support to help them. Anything missing in the formula?
• Why are both the speech and the survey Mr. Janofsky references appearing under the aegis of the National Governor’s Association? What’s the agenda?

Do I sound a bit cynical, a bit doubtful? The odd thing is, I agree with the speech; I found it moving and thoughtful; I know from many clients that rigor, relationships, and relevance in their high schools is profoundly out of balance.

Since I obviously don’t know what to make of this, let me focus on one part that makes me nervous. I propose a contest for readers: Complete the stems below. The winner will be selected by Mark V. Shaney, and probably won’t get a prize.

Rigor without Relevance would be ____________

Relevance without Rigor would be ____________