Counselors gather at Meramec to address alterations to the Missouri program Kavahn Mansouri
-Editor-In-Chief-
High school counselors from throughout the surrounding high school districts attended a luncheon hosted by STLCC-Meramec’s District Enrollment Management Department to discuss prospective changes to the A+ program.
Thirty-one high schools were in attendance Friday, Sept. 23 in SC 200. One of the changes like requiring a passing grade in the Algebra 1 end of course exam for the 2015 high school seniors to be an A+ student, included making retakes available.
Also students have the opportunity to bypass the Algebra 1 end of course exam.
The “way around” the Algebra 1 end of course exam gives students the chance to attend a community college for a semester without passing the test. To obtain A+ financial incentive funds, the student must maintain at least a 2.5 GPA while meeting other A+ standard requirements.
Francis Howell North A+ Coordinator Anne Herman said she believes the changes to the requirements will help students succeed in college.
“I think for most students it will be okay. I was glad to hear they will be able to take the test more than once so they have multiple chances. Even beyond that, they can prove themselves through a semester at a community college,” Herman said.
Public Schools A+ Coordinator James Dishman, Ed.D., attended the meeting.
Dishman said A+ gives students hopes and expectations to go to college.
“I think the big benefit is that these young people now have the hope to go to college. The biggest problem we had in the past is that young people didn’t have the money to go and once they were here they didn’t have the money to stay,” Dishman said. “Now they have hope and expectations being able to go to community college with either A+ financial incentives or FAFSA money through the Pell grant.”
Although A+ gives students the opportunity to retake the test as many times as they like, the student’s school district has the final say on whether a student should take the test once or multiple times.
Dishman said that giving the district the final say limits the students who will be eligible for A+.
“We’re trying to get kids to the point where they have hopes and expectations to go to college,” Dishman said. “Now we’re putting another layer on there, and I know the folks want the students to do better — we do too — but we don’t want students to go off to college and to a bunch of remedial work. That’s not what it’s about.”
Dishman said the changes are more of hindrance for students than an improvement.
“Fewer students will be eligible for A+ and I believe that’s a detriment to our young people,” Dishman said. “There will be fewer of them eligible to access A+ schools financial incentive funds. I have a problem with fewer students being able to go to community college,” Dishman said.
Although Dishman sees the changes to the requirements as harmful, he said he sees what the state is trying to do.
“It will be a deterrent to some students because in the past it hasn’t been an issue,” Dishman said. “They have gone off to community college and had to do three remedial courses, so I can see what the states trying to do. I can see they are trying to get students better prepared to go to college.”
