Big changes may come for CVHS graduation requirements

CVUSD may soon experience big changes in its graduation requirements. The graduation requirement task force began meeting in October to explore and discuss the possibility of adding new courses. There are many questions about whether or not our graduation requirements are setting students up for success when it comes college, and if they prepare students well enough.

Assistant Superintendent Mary Boyle provided ideas behind these graduation changes:  “Should we consider a third year of math and science? Should we consider completing ‘a- g’ courses and community service as a requirement? Should Redwood High School have the same requirements as CVHS? There may be other ideas that emerge as well.”

One schedule change may includes adding a tutoring period. Principal Blaine Torpey said students may benefit from “a tutorial within the school that gives these students extra support. This would be a 20 or 30 minute period once or twice a week.”

But don’t worry! It takes a long time to plan and change the Program Planning Guide and these changes would not impact current high school students. They will only affect students beginning with the freshman class arriving in 2018.

Not everyone agrees with changes, but others find them necessary since our current graduation requirements do not even cover a four year college’s prerequisites.

“I think whatever ends up happening would be beneficial because it’s being looked up very vigorously,” said counselor Allison Zuckerbrow.

The committee is meeting a total of seven times during this year, nevertheless there’s still no established date for an accurate and final answer. A mid-year progress update will be presented to the school board in January, followed by a recommendation in May.