FILLMORE : Student Selection of Classes Faces Review

Fearing that Fillmore High School graduates are unprepared for careers or college, school officials have drafted a plan to ensure that students enroll in the right classes.

The Fillmore Unified School District Board of Trustees gave its approval Tuesday for teachers and administrators to join forces with staff counselors in guiding students’ academic progress.

High School Principal Jamie Castellanos said he will examine course schedules for all 11th- and 12th-graders.

“For the first two years, it’s pretty much locked in what classes they take. It’s the juniors and seniors who have important choices to make,” Castellanos said.

Teachers will also be involved in the annual reviews of student course selection.

Castellanos said some students are uninformed about which classes are necessary for college. Others avoid difficult math, science and English courses to keep their grade-point averages high.

The board chose improved guidance of students over an increase in graduation requirements, which has been discussed for four years.

“Our graduation requirements are fine,” said board Chairman Dick Richardson. “They meet or exceed state standards. But we’ve had kids falling through the cracks. They find out in their senior year that they don’t have the math or chemistry that they need. This plan addresses that.”

The new guidelines include a required meeting for parents of incoming ninth-grade students with the counseling staff to discuss four-year planning, graduation requirements and goal setting. The policy will take effect this year.