The Greene County school board will consider at its regular meeting April 9 providing a tier of diploma options for graduates, depending on the classes they take. The proposal was first presented to the Jefferson-Scranton board last October. That board made suggestions and deferred action to the Greene County board. The tiered diplomas were presented as an information item to the Greene County board last month.
The proposal calls for three different diploma options – basic, regular, and honors. Most students would complete requirements for the regular diploma: a total of 58 credits, including eight credits of English, six each of social studies, math and science, two credits of physical education, and one credit each of financial literacy and health. Twenty-eight credits would be electives.
An honors diploma would be awarded to students who completed 66 credits, going beyond the 58 needed for the regular diploma with at least eight credits in three of the four core subjects (English, social studies, math and science), with the additional credits beyond six being upper level courses such as Advance Placement courses. Students would need at least six credits in a single world language and 12 credits from CTE (career/technical education) and/or fine arts, and they must successfully complete seven college/advance placement classes, with at least three of them in a core subject. Students would be allowed no “D” or “F” grades and would need a grade point average of 3.5 or higher.
School guidance counselor Ruth Broman provided information that in the class of 2013, with about 100 students, 30 had grade point averages of 3.5 or above; 15 would have met the requirements for an honors diploma.
The basic diploma would replace the alternative school diploma now offered. The state board of education is requiring the alternative school diploma be changed because it has different requirements for core classes than the regular diploma. The new basic diploma would require the same 30 core credits but only 12 elective classes. The current alt. school diploma requires 38 credits.
Most of the discussion about the tiered diplomas centered on how the basic diploma would be used. Superintendent Tim Christensen reported a concern he has heard that if a basic diploma is offered, students would opt for the “easier” plan.
School special needs counselor Kyle Kinne responded that most students don’t question how many credits are needed for graduation. “There’s a good part of our population that never questions how many credits they need to graduate. They just know they’re going to go there for four years and they’re going to get their diploma. They don’t fail any classes. It’s just not anything they think about.”
Kinne said a panel will review every student who requests graduating with the basic diploma. The student would meet with the panel and present an essay explaining his need. “There has to be some reasoning behind going with the 42. It’s not meant to graduate early. It’s meant for when there’s a situation going on. The plan is not for it to be to graduate early,” Kinne said.
Kinne said he anticipates only one or two students per year graduating with the basic diploma. “It’s meant for a student in a dire situation and we want to keep it that way,” he said.
Freshmen and sophomores would work toward regular or honors diplomas. Students would not apply for the basic diploma until their junior or even senior year.
Diplomas would be marked as “basic,” “regular” or “honors.” The printed program at commencement would not identify which students received basic or regular diplomas, but would note those receiving honors diplomas.
Board member Mark Peters and president Sam Harding both asked that the approval process be written as part of the board policy.
Harding also expressed concern at taking elective classes out of a high school education. “The one thing that does scare me is kids getting too focused on the 42 and they lose track of the 58. Like you said, that’s the electives, but that’s also the enriching of the education. I understand that if they have 42 they have the basics, and that’s great, but the real process of the rest of it is important, too,” Harding said.
Board member Susan Burkett asked for assurance that students will know at the beginning of their freshman year of the availability of the honors diploma.
The board will have the new policy on the agendas for April and May for the first and second reading. The basic diploma would be available to the class of 2015. Students in the class of 2018 would be the first ones able to meet the requirements for an honors diploma.
Board member Susan Burkett asked for assurance that students will know at the beginning of their freshman year of the availability of the honors diploma.
