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By Gerald Ochs
Rappahannock News Writer
The School Board initiated an inquiry into changing its graduation requirements policy and, as an initial step, received a first cut of such changes from the schools' Director of Curriculum and Instruction, Richard Smith. Working at the request of the Board's Policy and Legal Committee, Mr. Smith drafted modifications that he said were prompted by the high school's change to 4 x 4 block scheduling. Under the new scheduling schema, he added, high school students could earn as many as 32 credits through their senior year, while the State requires only 24 for graduation.
That requirement could be met, theoretically, by the end of a student s junior year, and Mr. Smith cautioned on the inadvisability of early graduation. The changes drafted would add additional requirements and so forestall the possibility of early graduation, while better preparing Rappahannock County Public School students for the "real" world.
Mr. Smith listed the four new requirements in his draft, and said that all had been reviewed and okayed by building administrators. The four proposed additions are that students: complete an information systems technology course that would validate their understanding of office software tools; have the option of obtaining offsite credits by attending either of Lord Fairfax Community College’s two campuses or by using distance learning facilities at the high school; as juniors and seniors, elect to engage in a work-release program that would be modified into a cooperative work course for school credits; and develop a transition plan prior to graduation that would outline their objectives for a six-to-twTelve month postgraduation period.
The Board discussed the draft and inquired about additional possibilities including credits for community service and vocational education-related requirements. They then decided to pass these new prospective requirements to building administrators for their approval, and then to determine whether the State would agree to any new graduation requirements for Rappahannock students. Greenhouse growth
The new greenhouse has attracted much attention already, according to Interim
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