By Susan C. Moeller / Senior Reporter

RUTHERFORD (Oct. 15, 2009, 2 p.m.) — The state has upped its graduation requirements for New Jersey students entering their first year of high school this year. Now, the teenagers will have to earn 120 credits, instead of the previous state minimum of 110.

Some local districts are following suit; others are keeping their standards unchanged.

“The term ‘21st century skills’ represents a movement away from the 20th century emphasis on rote learning and skills geared to specific jobs, towards skills now required by colleges and employers,” stated state Commissioner of Education Lucille Davy. “These skills include the abilities to work collaboratively, solve multi-step problems, think analytically and have technological literacy.”

Locally, Rutherford, Lyndhurst and Wood-Ridge high schools already required 120 credits for graduation. North Arlington asks for 130, and Becton Regional requires the most, at 140.

Now, the Rutherford Board of Education is considering a policy that will put it back ahead of the state minimum, with a 130-credit graduation requirement, and Wood-Ridge Superintendent Elaine Giugliano will introduce a similar measure for the Blue Devils next month.

In Rutherford, almost all students already receive 130 credits, said Superintendent of Schools Leslie O’Keefe. Only an average of eight students per year receive less, and O’Keefe is confident that those teenagers would have received more if it had been required.

“We don’t see it as a substantive change,” O’Keefe said of the board’s new policy.

Rutherford has always exceeded the state’s minimum graduation requirements, and O’Keefe wants to keep it that way.

“We have higher expectations for our students than just the minimum,” she said.

Starting with the incoming class in 2010, the state will also require 2.5 credits in financial literacy in order to receive a high school diploma.

For Rutherford, that facet of the new regulations is a larger change than the number of course credits required, O’Keefe said.

“In every other aspect, we already met or exceeded the state’s requirement,” she concluded.

As with Rutherford, most WRHS students already earn more than the district requires to graduate, according to Giugliano.

“It is only common sense to increase our graduation credit requirements,” Giugliano said.

She would also like to make four credits of math and science a mandatory minimum.

North Arlington has required 130 credits for graduation since 1997.

“Over the last several years, we have been ahead of the curve in working to lay the infrastructure for 21st century learning,” wrote Superintendent of Schools Oliver Stringham in an e-mail to The Leader.

“Where deemed necessary,” he continued, “we will make adjustments to continue to be in line with, and where possible, continue to exceed state minimum requirements.”

Becton Superintendent Paul Saxton did not return calls by press time.

From the student perspective, the credit increase looks a bit more daunting.

“These incoming freshman have it hard … it wasn’t this difficult for me,” said Rutherford High School student Samantha Cavallaro.