The Transition to College Program (TCP) is a great way for seniors to adapt to what their schedule may be like in college. Having release periods where they can commit to a job, study, or just to have extra free time is beneficial and mimics how college students have more freetime outside of classes. With the extra free time, it is easier for TCP students to make up for a heavier load of classwork. While TCP is a great first step to adjusting to what college will be like, there are a lot of requirements to be eligible for TCP.
The requirements for being eligible for TCP are to take at least four different fully weighted classes during your senior year, an exemplary record of behavior and attendance during previous grades (less than 40 class absences by March) and being on-track for a Core 40 with Academic Honors or a Core 40 with Technical Honors diploma.
While for some students these requirements may not be too much of a struggle, other students may have difficulty hitting some of these requirements. Students can be out of school for serious medical reasons and miss a large chunk of school and will still be denied although they couldn’t do anything about the fact that they were sick and missed school. Students could have those excused absences and still go above and beyond in their classes but still be denied just because they were sick.
The HiLite staff believe the requirements for the TCP program should be more broad, so it is accessible to most students. First, with the attendance policy, having less than 40 class absences by March may seem pretty achievable, but it means students cannot miss more than ten days of school due to class absences. This would be fine if it meant for unexcused absences, but this requirement sometimes includes excused absences if one is sick or at a doctor’s appointment which is unfair to students because they have no control over whether they are sick or not, and it is especially unfair if the student still did all of the work needed, and passed all of the other requirements. Additionally, students who already miss a lot of school could be more likely to attend all of their classes if they are given release periods, allowing for a good mix of time for school and time for themselves.
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Although we agree with the standardized testing standards and heavier course load, we don’t necessarily agree with all the aspects of the requirements. Students should not be denied for any reasons that are out of the students hands, but should definitely be held to a high standard for the things that are in their control such as grades, unexcused absences, and behavior. As long as students do their work and pass the needed classes, they should have the right to be part of this school’s TCP program.