High School Graduation Lower Credit Proposal

I thought this was a very interesting proposal to help a very few number of students. Nonetheless, it could help a handful of young people take the right turn at a time when they need it.

Maria

Updated: 6/16/2008 11:32:01 PM
Graduation requirements could drop
By Christena T. O'Brien
Leader-Telegram staff
The minimum number of credits required for qualified Eau Claire high school students to graduate could drop from 22 to 16 if the school board adopts an administrative proposal.

"Ideally, we'd like every single one of our students to graduate with a 22-credit diploma and go onto whatever sort of post-secondary option they're looking at, but realistically, we know that's not (always possible)," Fred Weissenburger, the district's executive director of student services, told the Eau Claire school board Monday, noting the reduced-credit graduation requirements would help keep students in school.

On rare occasions, students experience academic difficulty during their freshman or sophomore year, which results in credit deficiency, Memorial High School Principal Tim Leibham said. Under the current system, these students are required to take seven classes during the regular school day and then spend additional time in off-campus programs to meet the 22-credit graduation requirement.

"This expectation is overwhelming to most students, and therefore, they typically do not remain engaged in a high school program," he said.

Because of that, he and others are proposing the reduced credit graduation option.

"Instead of requiring these students to spend more time outside of the school day earning credits, we reduce the number of credits needed to graduate, but require more rigorous courses," according to the proposal.

To be eligible for the reduced-credit graduation requirement option, a student would be credit deficient by one year or more, approximately five credits, and must have passed all courses the semester prior to admittance to the program, continue to pass all courses once enrolled, take all required courses at the local high school or an administratively approved program and earn a minimum of 16 credits.

"This is something that is catching on," Leibham said of the reduced-credit proposal, noting it meets state Department of Public Instruction requirements.

Those 16 credits must include the 13 1/2 credits of state-required courses - four credits of English, three credits of social studies, 2 1/2 credits of science, two credits of math, 1 1/2 credits of science and one-half credit of health - and 2 1/2 credits of electives.

Students earning a 22-credit diploma also must earn the 13 1/2 state-required course credits and 8 1/2 credits of electives.

On the downside, an official high school transcript with fewer than 22 credits might prevent direct admission into some post-secondary institutions, Leibham said.

If the board adopts the proposal at a future meeting, "We want to be careful that this doesn't become something that's aspirational, something that (students) are striving for because that would be really lowering the bar, and we're not proposing to do that," Weissenburger said.

In addition, students wouldn't be able to use this option to graduate early, Leibham said.

This proposal "certainly allows (specific students) to get back into the ball game," board member Brent Wogahn said. "I think it's an excellent idea."

O'Brien can be reached at 800-236-7077 or christena.obrien@ecpc.com.