The Oregon Board of Education is considering tougher graduation standards for high school students by requiring a year of a foreign language, one year of arts coursework and a third year of science to get a diploma.

Currently, foreign languages and arts courses, such as painting or music, are elective courses, and the minimum for science courses is two years.

The state Department of Education staff proposed the new requirements Thursday at a meeting of the board, which responded with interest and a host of questions, particularly about the cost.

But at the end of a three-hour discussion, board members said they found much to like and signaled they were ready to move forward on a plan, perhaps adopting it in the fall.

"We saw this list as a beginning point for you," state schools Superintendent Susan Castillo told the board. "There is a lot more to be fleshed out."

The 2005 Legislature added a fourth year of English and a third year of math required for graduation, starting with next fall's high school freshmen.

Under the proposal now before the board, students would have to take three years of science, including one year each of life sciences and physical sciences.

The proposal would require a year of a foreign language though the department recommends two years, which is the requirement of Oregon college admissions.

The math requirement would remain at the three years set by the Legislature, but students would have to take first-year algebra and first-year geometry. Second-year algebra was recommended in the plan.

In addition, each student would have a personal learning plan to explore career choices and do a senior project to apply academic knowledge.

That worries Jerry Berger, a board member who said high school students should have the opportunity to try out different subjects to find their interests.

Board members were concerned that Oregon does not have enough foreign language and science teachers to add more required time in those subjects.

Board Chairwoman Nikki Squire said she would not vote for a plan that did not have enough money from the state to make it work.

Pat Burk, the department's chief policy officer, said after the meeting that adding a third year of science to the high school curriculum would be difficult, requiring more teachers, building more science labs and buying equipment that would be "a huge capital expense."

Still pending is what do to with the Certificate of Initial Mastery and the Certificate of Advanced Mastery, which are the current voluntary markers of high school achievement. Castillo has proposed getting rid of them in favor of new graduation standards that would apply to all students. But they were not discussed Thursday.

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