2010-02-24 CNN

I think it all depends on the student, obviously. We like Senator Buttars raising the issue of the significance of the 12th year of high school. In Utah, we're finding however that the 12th year really needs to be intensified.
We need to have full four years of mathematics, we need four years of English, we're just seeing too many students coming into college not prepared to be successful. And so in working with the state superintendent of education, the State Board of Education to raise our graduation standards, our concern is really that eliminating the 12th year really moves in the wrong direction. We do compliment the senators about providing options. Some kids are really able to move on and I think we need to facilitate that.

PHILLIPS: You bring up a good point, Bill, that's a really good point. If you make that senior year more intense and you offer more, does that better the chances that maybe a student would be more motivated in school, more motivated to want to go to college.

Also, too, if you skip the senior year, would that affect the application process of getting into a good college? Would a college say, hmm, I don't know if I want a student that skipped the senior year.

SEDERBURG: Well, I think a lot of those standards are more determined by ACT tests and the courses you've taken as opposed to just having a 12th year. In that sense, Senator Buttars is onto something.

However, what we're finding is about half of our students are not prepared for mathematics at the college level. Almost a third are not prepared in writing skills. So we would really like to have the high school system take the 12th year serious and bring everybody up to a world competitive level and then allow some options for students that are ready to move on either through advanced placement.

Or in Utah, we use concurrent enrollment as a mechanism of doing this as well. So I think our position is just to strengthen K-12 and use that 12th year.

PHILLIPS: Well, it's interesting. We definitely will follow up and see what happens. I'm curious, you know, while I have you both, so, Senator, wasn't there a memory from the 12th grade that, you know, you just couldn't live without? Something must have happened to where you wouldn't have wanted to miss the 12th grade.

BUTTARS: Well, yes and no. I can't believe that it makes sense to spend $120 million so I can go to the prom.

PHILLIPS: Oh. Did you not have a good prom date, Senator?

BUTTARS: I could have eliminated my prom situation.

PHILLIPS: Yes, but did you have a memory that you can't forget, Bill?

BUTTARS: I would have been happy to give away that memory from my 12th grade.

PHILLIPS: Yes, I know. I think we've all got those deadly prom stories.

Gentlemen, we will definitely in a serious nature follow up on what happens. It's definitely an interesting discussion. Senator Chris Buttars and Bill Sederburg, commissioner of higher education, appreciate you two, thank you very much.

SEDERBURG: Thank you.

PHILLIPS: Thank you.