GRADUATE CREDITS STUDIED; CHANGES PROPOSED AT CENTRAL

A study of graduation requirements at Cape Girardeau Central High School recommends a change in what courses students need to earn a diploma.

A committee that looked at requirements said the number of credits required for graduation should stay at 23; but the courses required would be altered under the suggested change.

No action has been taken. On Monday the Board of Education heard a first reading of a policy that would implement the proposal. The board will consider the proposal two more times.

A committee of 18 members representing teachers, counselors, administrators, parents, students and residents reviewed the present graduation requirements.

Bill Biggerstaff, assistant superintendent, presented the proposal in the form of a policy change.

The proposal would affect physical education and elective requirements. Two units of physical education and seven elective units are currently required to graduate; the change would reduce PE requirements to 1.5 units and raise elective requirements to 7.5 units.

Board member David Goncher questioned the wisdom of lowering physical education requirements for graduation.

"Are we moving physical education from a required course to an elective course?" Goncher asked.

A half unit of health is a graduation requirement. Biggerstaff explained that 1.5 units of PE represents time spent exclusively on physical education.

Biggerstaff said the committee considered increasing the total number of units, but decided against it.

The state requires 22 units for graduation. Cape Girardeau has required 23 for years. But some school districts in the state have increased their requirements to 24 credits.

"The majority of our students graduate in excess of 23 anyway," Biggerstaff said.

The argument against increasing the number of credits is tied to the school's dropout rate. Between 7 and 12 percent of students drop out of high school each year; if the requirements were raised, additional students might drop out.

Board member Bob Fox said he would like the see the district require 24 units for graduation.

Goncher agreed. "There is no harm in taking our kids a step farther," he said.

Superintendent, Dr. Dan Tallent, recommended that the board look at data concerning dropout rates before making a decision.

A policy must be read and discussed three times before being approved. If approved, the recom

(mendation calls for changes to start with the class currently in seventh grade.)