District 87 is considering an alternate graduation timeline for Bloomington High School students new to the United States.
About 15 to 20 students at Bloomington High School fall into the "newcomer" category of students new to the country when they enrolled in high school. These students start school later than their peers, but current District 87 expectations maintain they still must earn 23.5 credit hours to graduate. An alternate graduation pathway would allow these students to instead earn 16 credits, which is the amount mandated by the State of Illinois.
“We wanted to put a policy in place that would allow them to graduate on time, or as close to on time as traditional students that maybe had been in the U.S. for their whole school career,” said Nicole Rummel, assistant superintendent of teaching and learning.
“That will allow us to also provide some additional supports and services for students beyond traditional credits to help them be successful in their transition to the U.S.”
The move would be part of the Bloomington-based school district’s efforts to improve its graduation rate. While 87.7% of students that entered high school in fall 2020 graduated within four years in the State of Illinois, the rate at Bloomington High School was 77.4%. The rate for English language learners, which includes newcomers, was 73.1%.
“It's lower than where we would like it to be,” said Rummel. “So one of the things that we're doing is focusing on specific populations within our student body that are struggling to get across the finish line, and our newcomers are one of those populations.”
Out of the 16 credit hours, four credits must come from English language arts classes, three from math, two from science, two from social studies and one from an elective course. Electives include fine arts, foreign language and career and technical education.
Students would also need to pass a U.S. Constitution test and complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid [FAFSA].
Students would still have the option to earn the 23.5 credits other students earn to graduate. These students could continue schooling up until they turn 21. Those who take the alternate pathway would still receive a diploma from Bloomington High School.
“These are students that are ready to start their life,” said Rummel. “They may have work obligations or family obligations beyond just school, and we want to support them in obtaining a high school diploma while also being able to honor some of those other commitments that they have.”
Implementation of the rule was recommended during last month’s District 87 school board meeting. The first reading of the rule change will occur during the September meeting. The school board will then vote on the item in October.
“From there, we're ready to begin to implement and support our students with the transition to state standards,” said Rummel.
