As students embark on their senior year in high school, they are faced with the daunting task of preparing for their future. The path beyond high school may be different for each student, however, it is their secondary school education that is supposed to prepare them to succeed in their following path. With the strict graduation requirements and school rules, students are restricted from immersing themselves in their true interests and taking advantage of all opportunities while still in high school.
At Pleasant Valley, for a student to be in good standing and be considered a full-time student, they must be enrolled in five classes in addition to a wellness class. Pleasant Valley also offers many dual enrollment opportunities with a partnership through Scott Community College (SCC). This allows students to get a head start on their post-secondary education and achieve some college credit while still in high school.
Pleasant Valley counselor Valerie Tucker explained that this partnership is made possible through the governed legislation by the Iowa Department of Education called Senior Year Plus. Tucker said, “We offer about 20 classes at PV (the number fluctuates slightly from year to year) in both technical and general liberal arts core areas. In addition, there are students who take classes at SCC in advanced math because they have exhausted our course offerings at the high school. We have other classes referred to as Career Academies, and a variety of classes at SCC in pursuit of a certificate.”
This partnership has enhanced the education at Pleasant Valley and opened many opportunities for students. Senior Siena Roethler has taken advantage of these offerings and in her senior year is taking majority dual enrollment courses. “Through taking Scott classes in high school, I am graduating with 23 college credits. This opportunity has allowed me to take many general education classes I would be taking in college. By beginning college with these credits I will have much less student debt post-college,” Roethler said.
Because many dual enrollment classes are held on the Scott campus, students must build travel time into their schedules. This often interferes with certain classes they may want to or are required to take.
The requirements of classes are set up so most students must take classes at the high school for all four years to graduate. Removing the five-class requirement would allow students to take advantage of other educational opportunities. For some students, this means taking more college classes in person or online, and for others, this may include getting real-world experience through internships.
At Pleasant Valley, students are not given credit for internships. However, there is an apprenticeship program in partnership with Alcoa and a few other businesses. “For this partnership, students interview and are hired for apprenticeship positions. Those students typically work in the morning, then come to PV to take any classes still needed to meet graduation requirements, then take classes in the evening at the Blong Technology Center in pursuit of a certificate/diploma/degree,” Tucker shared.
In the surrounding areas of Pleasant Valley, several other school districts allow students to spend part of their school day working and interning at other businesses that align with their student’s interests. Removing the five-class policy will allow students to plan their high school schedules to set themselves up to have graduation requirements completed earlier in order to get experience in the workforce.
Many students are financially responsible for their post-secondary path, so this flexibility will allow them to work and be a student or gain more exposure to properly choose their future path. Whether students are attending college or taking on an unconventional path post-high school, they are pressured to pick their career path by the end of high school. Without exposure into possible fields of interest, this can be difficult for many students. This requirement becomes a disadvantage for students as they miss out on valuable experiences.
As seniors make their school schedules, they often find themselves trying to “fill the time” by adding classes they have no interest in just to reach the five-class requirement. Senior Grace Tomlinson aspires to become a teacher and will be studying education in college. Tomlinson said, “I needed five classes to graduate, so I tried to find classes I would still get credit from to fill my schedule. However, it would have been more useful for me to use my time working or getting an internship that had to do with education. The information from my elective classes has nothing to do with my future career.”
Pleasant Valley offers an array of dual enrollment classes that benefits students in a multitude of ways. However, education is missing an integral aspect which is real-world exposure. With the graduation requirements and school policies, students are restricted from getting pertinent information to begin their future path. The education at Pleasant Valley is supposed to prepare students for the real world, but with the lack of opportunities, this isn’t the case for some students.
