Pioneer Plus Program Puts Students Back on Track
Pioneer Plus program helps struggling students get enough credits to graduate high school.
By Bibi Sediqi
Pioneer Plus program helps struggling students get enough credits to graduate high school.
By Bibi Sediqi
About 25% of high school students in the United States are unable to graduate on time due to missing credits that are required to graduate. Pioneer provides an opportunity for students who are a part of that 25% to redeem themselves by giving them a second chance to graduate.
Pioneer Plus is a credit redemption program designed to help students who are not meeting the required credits in order to graduate. The program is a part of the students schedule, plus has four classes that allow students to redeem credits in English, math, science and history.
Social studies teacher Sarah Day is one of the teachers who helps teach the Pioneer PLUS program.
“The Plus program is made up of the four core classes. Students who are behind credits in any two of those classes are eligible for the program. While in the Plus class they have the opportunity to get the current credit as well as make up the credit that they are behind. For example, some students currently in the Plus government class are working on making up US History credits, while others are working on making up World History credits,” said Day.
This program teaches students to be more active with their studies and actually engage in the work, unlike last year’s distance learning.
“As with most of us, it was very difficult to get students engaged. This is a population of students who are mostly not self-starters and distance learning just keeps students at arms length when Plus students need daily attention. I had to reduce not only curriculum demands but assignment expectations in order to keep students academically afloat,” said Rob Zaccheo.
Students such as Anoushey Sandhu, 9, noticed that the program had a positive impact on their friends’ education.
“I have a few friends that are in the program, from what I hear it looks like it helps them a lot. I’ve seen a change in their work effort and it looks like they actually are trying,” said Sandhu.
Despite the program being a helpful resource for students, there are times where students who apply do not get enrolled. The students who are accepted into this program go through a selective process that ensures that they are willing to put in the effort required.
“We used to be oversighted by the learning options who coordinate Liberty and Broadway but now it falls under site principal control. We also had more students from the general population but since we moved from 240 credits to 220 credits (for graduation) there are less students to offer the program too. Now we have a lot more RSP students as seats are available,” said Zaccheo.
The Plus program is a helpful tool for students who are behind on high school credits, but the stereotypes attached to it make many wary of using this tool.
“I’d blame (the stigma) on stereotypes that are implemented in the education system. It’s crazy because I feel I’ve met smarter people in this program than I have before I was in Plus. We’ve all run into difficult circumstances, but we’re still trying and that’s what I feel matters most,” said Plus senior Karol Monroy Nieto.
Despite the negative ideas surrounding the program, Nieto is grateful for the opportunities the program gives her.
“I’ve had a weight lifted from my shoulders as I was worried I wouldn’t be able to graduate. I’ve also learned a lot about things that I wouldn’t have understood on my own,” said Nieto.
Pioneer Plus is a credit redemption program designed to help students who are not meeting the required credits in order to graduate. The program is a part of the students schedule, plus has four classes that allow students to redeem credits in English, math, science and history.
Social studies teacher Sarah Day is one of the teachers who helps teach the Pioneer PLUS program.
“The Plus program is made up of the four core classes. Students who are behind credits in any two of those classes are eligible for the program. While in the Plus class they have the opportunity to get the current credit as well as make up the credit that they are behind. For example, some students currently in the Plus government class are working on making up US History credits, while others are working on making up World History credits,” said Day.
This program teaches students to be more active with their studies and actually engage in the work, unlike last year’s distance learning.
“As with most of us, it was very difficult to get students engaged. This is a population of students who are mostly not self-starters and distance learning just keeps students at arms length when Plus students need daily attention. I had to reduce not only curriculum demands but assignment expectations in order to keep students academically afloat,” said Rob Zaccheo.
Students such as Anoushey Sandhu, 9, noticed that the program had a positive impact on their friends’ education.
“I have a few friends that are in the program, from what I hear it looks like it helps them a lot. I’ve seen a change in their work effort and it looks like they actually are trying,” said Sandhu.
Despite the program being a helpful resource for students, there are times where students who apply do not get enrolled. The students who are accepted into this program go through a selective process that ensures that they are willing to put in the effort required.
“We used to be oversighted by the learning options who coordinate Liberty and Broadway but now it falls under site principal control. We also had more students from the general population but since we moved from 240 credits to 220 credits (for graduation) there are less students to offer the program too. Now we have a lot more RSP students as seats are available,” said Zaccheo.
The Plus program is a helpful tool for students who are behind on high school credits, but the stereotypes attached to it make many wary of using this tool.
“I’d blame (the stigma) on stereotypes that are implemented in the education system. It’s crazy because I feel I’ve met smarter people in this program than I have before I was in Plus. We’ve all run into difficult circumstances, but we’re still trying and that’s what I feel matters most,” said Plus senior Karol Monroy Nieto.
Despite the negative ideas surrounding the program, Nieto is grateful for the opportunities the program gives her.
“I’ve had a weight lifted from my shoulders as I was worried I wouldn’t be able to graduate. I’ve also learned a lot about things that I wouldn’t have understood on my own,” said Nieto.