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18-credit option considered among students
Staff Writer jricart@thegatortimes.com No need to bother staying in school for all four years; make that three instead. At least with the laws the Florida legislature amended this past summer, three graduation options are now offered. The three options are: [four year] 24-credit standard program; 18-credit college preparatory; and 18-credit career preparatory program, the last two being three-year options. The 24-credit standard is already well-known, it is the option the majority of the students will be taking and is the default if a student does not choose him/herself. The point of interest lies with the latter two and will be concentrated on; aside from name, the two are identical. With the selection of an “18,” instead of taking all of the electives a student cares to, the program concentrates more on the academic side of education and skips on all but three elective credits. No physical education, life management (Health), fine and practical arts to graduate; but foreign language, however, is now necessary to graduate. The academic side of it has been left unaffected in “18”. Although here at B.G.H.S. it is necessary to take four years of mathematics, the 18 option only requires three credits and the state is higher than the school. Other requirements refer to un-weighted GPA of 2.0 and passing scores on the 10th grade FCAT. The option will not shy any Florida colleges or universities from picking the student that graduates with the 18-credit program, guaranteed; scholarships will still be given to those that qualify. Only three years in high school are allowed and is enforced. Not too shabby the two 18 options are, get a valid diploma and in less time. However, the two programs are not as perfect as they may seem. Teachers are not allowed to bad talk the two options upon their own free will and so may not tell a student about the price to pay for selecting one of the two. Beginning with the lack of electives, it is necessary for a student to take all 8 ˝ credits because these are skills that will be applied in theirs lives later on down the road. Not particularly health class, but also fine arts and definitely practical arts which are all necessary to learn the tricks to handling the hardships that are to come. Also having only taken 18 credits, a student is not ready for life because they would have not yet fully matured. All school activities, minus Graduation, are out of the question; the student may not attend any after school activities including Prom and Grad Night, two important once-in-a-life-time experiences, and the same for athletics. Aside from missing out on high school life, if a student wanted to go for another [fourth] year in high school, it would not be allowed. A specific clause states that “once a student meets all graduation requirements, the student will not be able to participate in high school athletics/activities programs except the graduation ceremony which will take place in June. Included in that is that a student must vacate the premises after their school day has ended. As for the colleges and universities, those outside of Florida will not think twice in refusing admittance to an 18; no other states have this program and plain and simply do not want invalid diplomas in their universities. Admittance will occur within Florida, but students that have 18 credits are “fighting” against those with full 24 and one can guess which will be chosen first. State insurance will no longer cover those that are out. The clause states: “medical [or] personal insurance coverage frequently requires a student to be enrolled in school full-time to be eligible for dependent coverage.” The reason the legislature passed these new options might have to do with money and the funds they have for education. The sooner a student is out of high school the better it is for them because less money is spent. The laws were thrown in and amended with few knowing it because it was done just two or three weeks before the start of school. Before making the selection, make sure the program’s consequences are fully understood and that the choice is not being made by parent(s), and once made, revised. Those that will and have would find it sensible to speak with a trusted teacher on the matter of the options in private and see what he/she thinks personally off the record. Remember, if the choice has been made, it is not too late to go back, the year is still early and fight for true desires. Ignorance in this case is not bliss.
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