The head of the New Hampshire Department of Education says the state needs to ramp up efforts to tackle growing educational inequity.
In a presentation to lawmakers on Tuesday, DOE Commissioner Frank Edelblut said economically disadvantaged students test 10-20% below the state average.
He warned that this disparity is growing every year.
"The very education system that is supposed to be the great equalizer is in fact becoming the great divider," he said.
"If there is any legacy that I am able to leave from my tenure as the Commissioner of Education, it will be to finally break through this equity gap," he continued.
Edelblut said the DOE has begun to address this gap with programs that give high-schoolers credit for extended learning opportunities (ELO's) outside the classroom, and with the proposed New Hampshire Career Academy, a charter school that would help students graduate with a high school and associate's degree.
State Board of Education Chairman Andrew Cline also presented to lawmakers with an outline of the Board's 2019 goals, which include updating standards for social studies, arts, health, PE, and world languages.
