Position statement: Students should be given the option of taking required prep courses credit/no credit, or at the accelerated level, to keep these classes from negatively affecting their GPAs.   

Countless students at LT do everything in their power to maintain a high GPA.  From filling their schedules with AP classes to staying up until early hours of the night doing homework, students’ high GPAs are well-deserved.

However, there is one thing in the way of all this hard work: required preparatory level courses.  LT requires students to take various prep courses to graduate.  All include four years of Physical Education, one year of World History, one semester of Health, one semester of Driver’s Education and one semester of Consumer Economics.  These classes, while necessary, tend to negatively impact the GPAs of students.  Students should have the option of taking required prep courses credit/no credit, or at the accelerated level, to keep these classes from affecting their GPAs.

If a student is taking multiple accelerated or honors courses, a prep class will bring down his or her weighted GPA even if they get an A. Students could take all classes at the honors level and still be weighed down by that one required prep course.

Seventy-nine percent of students at LT who took a survey in fall 2013 reported academic stress as a problem. The stress is primarily caused when students work hard to maintain a high GPA.  The extra stress that these courses cause students is unnecessary.  If these courses were allowed to be taken credit/no credit, students would be less stressed.

Fear of required prep courses lowering their GPAs causes students to resort to multiple plans to keep their GPA from falling.  For example, to keep gym from affecting their GPA, some students take measures such as getting waivers or doctors’ notes to excuse them from gym class.  In these circumstances, students either take an alternative class in place of gym or study hall.  Students also can take a class called Exercise Physiology in place of gym for a semester.  Many students take this to have an “accel gym.”  Other students participate in sports that they would not otherwise do, just to have gym as a credit instead of a grade.  These desperate actions illustrate the need for LT to offer gym for credit instead of a grade.

Students take similar measures for other required prep courses.  Sophomores who don’t want prep Driver’s Education to decrease their GPA often take it outside of school.  This costs hundreds of dollars and takes a ton of time.  It would be more beneficial for students to be able to take the course at an accelerated level to get their licenses.

World History has an easy solution.  College Board offers an AP World History test; why not allow GPA concerned freshmen to take this class?  LT is trying to boost the number of students taking AP classes and these students should start early.

There are not many detours students can take with Consumer Economics.  Most students who are worried about their GPA take it their second semester of senior year.  At this point, they have already sent their transcripts to the colleges they are applying to and have virtually nothing to lose concerning their GPAs. LT should offer credit/no credit Consumer Economics to help with these situations.

Students take extreme measures to keep required prep courses from affecting their GPAs.  The school should meet them halfway and allow these courses to be taken credit/no credit or accelerated.