Bethel Park School District changing graduation requirements
Students at Bethel Park High School will no longer be required to complete a project as part of the requirements for graduation.
The project requirement is being dropped as part of changes brought about by the adoption of Pennsylvania Core Standards, which is based on the national Common Core Standards.
Starting with the graduating class of 2017, students will be required to pass Keystone Exams – which will demonstrate their proficiency in algebra I, biology and literature. In 2019, an English composition exam will be added. A civics and government exam will be required by students graduating in 2020 and beyond.
Bethel Park School Directors recently approved a course selection guide for the 2015-2016 school year, which reflects the changes mandated by the state.
Since 1999, the district, along with school districts across Pennsylvania, had required graduation projects.
The projects and their complexity varied from district to district and student to student.
Most students did projects that were embedded within specific classes, explained Bethel Park Superintendent Nancy Rose.
Under the new standards, the state will require districts to provide remediation to students who can not show proficiency in the core subjects, Rose said.