AUGUSTA -- Legislators asked for more definition Friday in a proposal to change Maine's high school graduation requirements.

The state Department of Education is pushing legislation that would allow students more choices in what they do to complete high school, which could also change the traditional four-year length of high school for some students.

Under the proposal, each student would have an individual learning plan, reflecting those choices.

Students would need to meet standards in English, mathematics, science and social studies. For some students, it could take more than four years before they meet the standard.

They would choose to meet standards in one other subject area -- either arts, health and physical education, or world languages. And the students would "partially meet" standards in the remaining subject areas.

But the state has yet to determine what students would have to do to meet, or partially meet, those standards.

Some lawmakers on the Legislature's Education Committee said they'd be uncomfortable passing a bill that doesn't define those standards.

"I think we have created a lot of concern and issues by not knowing what the standards are," said Rep. Patricia Sutherland, D-Chapman, who sponsored the legislation. "I would be a whole lot happier if, at least, school people knew what the standards were."

Arts teachers and students told lawmakers at a public hearing Monday that passing the proposal would be a step backward from the current arts requirement, which has students take one year of arts.

"The terminology of 'meets' or 'partially meets' standards without having defined the standard is putting the cart before the horse," Rep. Stephen Lovejoy, D-Portland, said.

A group of teachers, administrators, consultants and others will start creating definitions this summer, regardless of the fate of the diploma requirements legislation.

Other legislators on the education panel said it's too soon to pass new high school graduation requirements.

Rep. Alan Casavant, D-Biddeford, said lawmakers should first know if the new requirements are realistic for schools to implement.

"Is it practical and feasible to deliver that?" he asked, citing the requirement for personal learning plans for every student.

And some Education Committee members said the issue is bigger than high school. Students are arriving at Maine high schools unprepared, the lawmakers said.

"There's nothing (in the legislation) that prevents the students from moving throughout the elementary grades by putting in 'seat time,'" said Rep. Edward Finch, D-Fairfield. "It's the high school that catches the flak."

"In my mind, we have to start Learning Results at grade one and move forward," Lovejoy said, referring to the system governing what students learn in Maine schools.

Matthew Stone -- 623-3811, ext. 435

mstone@centralmaine.com