The San Benito High School District Board of Trustees this week approved new graduation requirements to begin in the fall of 2016 with the class of 2020. These new graduation requirements, focused on the University of California A-G admission requirements, aim to ensure that all students graduate with a wide range of college and career options.
“For example, a student may choose to apply to a four-year school, attend a community college, enter a trade school or serve our country in the Armed Forces," said Superintendent John Perales. "Whichever path a student may choose, the key is that they have options their senior year and are well prepared academically. I believe these graduation requirements will increase the learning rigor of all students and help our students reach their dreams."
Perales said that the district is not jumping into this undertaking blindly. "We know we must provide our students with additional support to help them meet these new requirements," he said. "I always use the lens of my own children and these are my expectations for them – these must be the expectations for all of our children.”
With the new graduation requirements, students must complete the 15 yearlong high school courses required for UC admission. This means four years of English language arts, three years of mathematics through Algebra II, three years of laboratory science, three years of social science, Two years of the same world language, one course in visual and performing arts and at least two years of physical education (and students must pass the California Physical Fitness Test).
Students may, with a five-year plan and parent agreement, complete the College and Career pathway. This requires completion through Geometry for the three-year mathematics requirement and replaces the two years of world language and one year of visual and performing arts requirements with a three-year career technical education pathway. Parents of students choosing this pathway must sign a waiver recognizing that their student may not qualify for direct entrance to the University of California or California State University system.