Graduation Requirements Influence Students
Community service, SATS, and PE requirements come into effect nearing the end of the school year.
By Gabriella Vasquez
Community service, SATS, and PE requirements come into effect nearing the end of the school year.
By Gabriella Vasquez
Distance learning has been a source of many difficulties for students this year, one of which being changing graduation requirements, which have created a surplus of complications for seniors at Pioneer. Students are affected by the difficulties surrounding community service hours and SAT testing during the pandemic.
Many students have limited access to the volunteer work needed to meet the previous community service requirement of 40 volunteer hours. Ultimately, this has resulted in the district-wide decision to change the community service hour requirements for high school students and also tweaking other requirements so students will be able to graduate. Similar to community service hours, SATs are no longer a strict necessity for students applying to college
The decision to eliminate community service hours is dependent on the fact that many nonprofit organizations are unable to safely accept volunteers without breaking necessary COVID-19 regulations.
"The reduction or total elimination of community service hours was helpful for this year's seniors as they had not the opportunity since March 2020 to get the community service hours done," said academic counselor Kellee Markos. "No one knew what to expect when COVID hit, so districts are changing things as needed."
This pandemic has limited the options for COVID-safe community service and has also affected both juniors and seniors through SAT testing. Academic counselor Nicole Pearson noted that the safety concerns with taking the SAT has led to changes in the admissions process for beyond just 2021.
"UCs have said that they are not going to require SATs for admissions meaning students must be very creative in what they highlight for their admissions," said Pearson. "They no longer have this really big test to set themselves apart from other students. That's a change that will still be implemented through 2024."
Assistant Principal of Instruction Brendan Simons explained that UCs have relaxed their requirement for SAT scores as testing has become increasingly more difficult to access during the pandemic. As a result of UCs eliminating their standardized test requirements, the SAT was optional for Pioneer juniors this year.
"Colleges are receiving a record amount of applications due to the waived SAT requirement," said Simon. "There may be some gaps in knowledge for students going into college. This is largely a result of online learning.”
While the requirements which students must meet to graduate have changed, there is still uncertainty around how graduation will take place this year as distance and hybrid learning will continue until the end of the year.
"We are still waiting on guidelines from the county to see what we can do in terms of graduation this year,” Simon said. “I feel for all our students but especially the seniors."
Altogether, the recent changes in grad requirements this year have helped seniors who had not completed volunteer hours, seniors are still hoping for a graduation after working hard for the past four years.
It's unclear what graduation will look like in the following months, hopefully the ongoing adjustments throughout distance learning will allow seniors to thrive despite the continuous battle with a pandemic.
Although changing requirements has benefited many students for the better, certain factors have left students with more time to worry about graduation.
"Now that we cannot volunteer anymore, it leaves some students with a bunch of free time on their hands and nothing to use it with," said Gino Rossetto, 12 "I wish we could have an actual graduation. It really has been rough, to say the least, but in life, you just gotta keep moving."
Overall, students at Pioneer High Schools are still persevering despite the current conditions and difficulties of distance learning.
Regardless of the current circumstances, hybrid learning is set to begin in April, however there is still not much information on graduation.
"Everyone is affected by COVID, school closures, and distant learning and got along the very best they could for the past year,” Markos said “Pioneer students are resilient and will come back strong!"
Many students have limited access to the volunteer work needed to meet the previous community service requirement of 40 volunteer hours. Ultimately, this has resulted in the district-wide decision to change the community service hour requirements for high school students and also tweaking other requirements so students will be able to graduate. Similar to community service hours, SATs are no longer a strict necessity for students applying to college
The decision to eliminate community service hours is dependent on the fact that many nonprofit organizations are unable to safely accept volunteers without breaking necessary COVID-19 regulations.
"The reduction or total elimination of community service hours was helpful for this year's seniors as they had not the opportunity since March 2020 to get the community service hours done," said academic counselor Kellee Markos. "No one knew what to expect when COVID hit, so districts are changing things as needed."
This pandemic has limited the options for COVID-safe community service and has also affected both juniors and seniors through SAT testing. Academic counselor Nicole Pearson noted that the safety concerns with taking the SAT has led to changes in the admissions process for beyond just 2021.
"UCs have said that they are not going to require SATs for admissions meaning students must be very creative in what they highlight for their admissions," said Pearson. "They no longer have this really big test to set themselves apart from other students. That's a change that will still be implemented through 2024."
Assistant Principal of Instruction Brendan Simons explained that UCs have relaxed their requirement for SAT scores as testing has become increasingly more difficult to access during the pandemic. As a result of UCs eliminating their standardized test requirements, the SAT was optional for Pioneer juniors this year.
"Colleges are receiving a record amount of applications due to the waived SAT requirement," said Simon. "There may be some gaps in knowledge for students going into college. This is largely a result of online learning.”
While the requirements which students must meet to graduate have changed, there is still uncertainty around how graduation will take place this year as distance and hybrid learning will continue until the end of the year.
"We are still waiting on guidelines from the county to see what we can do in terms of graduation this year,” Simon said. “I feel for all our students but especially the seniors."
Altogether, the recent changes in grad requirements this year have helped seniors who had not completed volunteer hours, seniors are still hoping for a graduation after working hard for the past four years.
It's unclear what graduation will look like in the following months, hopefully the ongoing adjustments throughout distance learning will allow seniors to thrive despite the continuous battle with a pandemic.
Although changing requirements has benefited many students for the better, certain factors have left students with more time to worry about graduation.
"Now that we cannot volunteer anymore, it leaves some students with a bunch of free time on their hands and nothing to use it with," said Gino Rossetto, 12 "I wish we could have an actual graduation. It really has been rough, to say the least, but in life, you just gotta keep moving."
Overall, students at Pioneer High Schools are still persevering despite the current conditions and difficulties of distance learning.
Regardless of the current circumstances, hybrid learning is set to begin in April, however there is still not much information on graduation.
"Everyone is affected by COVID, school closures, and distant learning and got along the very best they could for the past year,” Markos said “Pioneer students are resilient and will come back strong!"