Distinguished Diploma Pathway: A Student Perspective

Mr. Richards, the Springfield Platteview Superintendent, recently hosted a meeting for all those interested in taking the Distinguished Diploma Pathway on April 27th, 2018. Richards explained the benefits to taking on the rigorous coursework. As freshmen and sophomores decide their high school courses, they must keep their pathway in mind. There are positives and negatives to every situation, and taking a class you may not need or pass is a big decision, especially if you are considering college after high school. The Distinguished Diploma pathway is not necessary for what it is trying to accomplish when there are classes that you can take without following the requirements. The path should be more of a guideline rather than a list of requirements. By knowing what the pathway stands for, its positives, and its negatives, a student will be able to see how much better their high school career could be on taking what they want, not what the Distinguished Diploma preaches.

According to the PHS School Handbook, the pathways are threefold. They include the 1) College and Career Pathway 2) University Bound, and 3) Distinguished Diploma. The purpose of the pathways, listed on page 23 of the handbook, state that they “assist students in planning for their future choices.” The Distinguished Diploma includes all AP and honors classes as well as a 3.6 GPA requirement. If this is achieved, the student will receive recognition at commencement ceremonies as well as a Distinguished Diploma.

The 10-12 grade counselor, John Stanton, states that the benefit of the Distinguished Diploma is that “it will ensure that a student graduates from PHS having taken a rigorous college prep course load. That will have not only a positive affect on level of academic preparation for college, it will also impact a student’s ability to score well on the ACT.” Multiple sources such as ThoughtCo.com, a lifelong learning website, agree. They mention that “more selective colleges like to see that students have completed a more rigorous curriculum than the one required.” Usually, these selective colleges include state universities, such as University Of Nebraska at Omaha, or Ivy League schools. Emmi Hardwood, a director of college counseling at a school in California mentions, “I think that for many students, it’s a great introduction to challenging material, which can then make their transition to college easier because they have already engaged with challenging course work in high school.” Another benefit is that the path prepares you for multiple scholarships. Many colleges see the hard work and grade point averages you achieved in high school, giving you a better opportunity for scholarships than those who did not partake in such challenging classes. Overall, there are multiple benefits for choosing to involve yourself in difficult courses and long hours of studying: college preparation, admittance, and scholarships.

Although there are multiple positive reasons to involve yourself with the Distinguished Diploma pathway, there seems to be more negatives. For example, there are numerous studies that show how the mark of being distinguished does not necessarily mean you are ready for college. The Princeton Review writes, “AP courses, however, culminate in the AP Exam. Good AP scores show = colleges you are ready to succeed at college-level work and can even earn you college credits.” This means that taking an advanced placement or honors course is simply not enough. Furthermore, it costs around $92 to take the AP exam which- if colleges only look at the AP test and not the actual class- is a disadvantage to students who cannot afford the test. You must be able to achieve a high score on the AP exam to be truly ready to take on the coursework in college. As The Atlantic states, “AP courses are not, in fact, remotely equivalent to the college-level courses they are said to approximate.” The prime reason for taking the Distinguished Diploma pathway is to get ready for college, but if the courses- AP or Honors- do not prepare you, is there a purpose?

Another downside to the construct of the pathway is the fact that not taking just one class on the list means that you are not on track to receive a Distinguished Diploma. Mr. Stanton mentions that “students not on the Distinguished Diploma Pathway- perhaps because they simply couldn’t fit all of the required courses in to their schedule- can still pursue high level academics at PHS.” If you can still take the difficult classes and not be on the pathway, there really is no point for the Distinguished Diploma pathway.

Along with difficult coursework and good grades, colleges also look at extracurriculars. With the amount of homework and studying that comes out of the required courses in the Distinguished Diploma pathway, it is extremely difficult and overwhelming to do both activities and meticulous studying. Furthermore, the stress of college, grades, and other life activities is often too much for a teenager. According to USA Today, 55% of teenagers feel moderate to extreme stress during the school year, and they do not know how to manage it, leaving them confused, trapped, and often depressed. The already stressful part of being a teenager in high school is enough, but adding on too much to handle is not healthy. In summary, the hard work you put in might not be worth it because the AP classes might not actually prepare you for college work, extracurricular involvement could lead to suffering, your mental health and well being might be taking a toll.

It should be noted that taking higher education courses are beneficial, and the argument is not over the fact of how good your transcript will look after taking these classes, but rather deeming if the Distinguished Diploma pathway is necessary for college preparation. Due to the uncompromising requirements, overbearing stress, and lack of sincere college preparation, the Distinguished Diploma is a pathway that, according to this writer, is not worth the hard work.