Everyone is scared to death of a drop-out

                    Everyone is scared to death of a drop out

         This is a phrase I have heard for decades.
 Once again it leads me to ask “ tell me why”?

Why does society value a high school diploma so much? What do post-secondary institutions look for when choosing their potential students? Does going to post-secondary make you a better person? Think of those in your life that you would describe as intelligent? Were they scholars? Do they hold degrees? Do they need spell check? These are some of the questions we need to ask ourselves when we are looking at graduation rates, and what resources we are going to put in to this to improve our rates . Because if we are asking these questions, I can assure you the students are as well. And that is where I really find the best answers are. Who better to ask than those kids that did not finish for the answer, “tell me why”? It should come as no surprise that it is not one simple answer. The answers are as diverse as the students we serve. That is why I support Collaborate Development. We just cannot look at it from the perspective of the Trustee or the Teacher. This is a community concept. 

   One of the programs I am very proud of at Red Deer Public is the ‘Finish Line” program, that supports High School Completion. Each year, for different reasons, many students come up short of completing their high school graduation requirements. Once out of school, busy with life, it’s challenging to get back into it. The Finish Line Program recognizes the importance of high school graduation and works with students who are within reach of getting their diploma and helps them get the job done. Finish Line works to identify those students who have not completed their high school graduation requirements. It connects with students, makes them aware of what they are missing and looks at options and choices available. Together, an individual learning plan is developed which can include returning to school, completing on-line courses, attending outreach school or finishing off coursework requirements. From there, it's making it happen, providing support, tracking students and encouraging them along the way. For more information please check out the link where I have shared with you  a brief description http://www.rdpsd.ab.ca/FinishLine.php

Alberta Education is also reviewing High School Credentialing Requirements. Here are a few information items from the document that I would like to share with you. Through Inspiring Education there is a new vision for education in Alberta. Through extensive consultation one of the key findings is that “The current Certificate of High School Achievement, although valued, does not align with the new vision for education in Alberta.”  I support the belief that our students must be able to do more than just acquire knowledge. They must be able to create and use knowledge as the key to innovation and success in a global economy. A detailed description of the requirements for the Certificate of High School Achievement is available at this link   http://education.alberta.ca/admin/resources/guidetoed.aspx .

My questions are –

#1 are these right for the students

#2 are these in line with what our students need to enter post-secondary

#3 do we need to look at different ways of assessment of / for our students

#4 does this industrial model need to be changed for today’s students

#5 is there enough flexibility and choice for students

My answer for #1, #2,#4, and #5 are NO. We need people in our community with a variety of skills and abilities. We need to shift how we measure what is valuable. This is most definitely a cultural shift. This will happen one conversation at a time. I am asking you to join me in the conversation. Please share with me your thoughts and vision.