Written by Bella Mongillo |

This year at the 8th Grade Open House, the administration announced to the students and their parents that Connecticut adopted new requirements to graduate high school starting next year with the class of 2023. Some changes will include requiring 25 credits by graduation, 2 credits more than the current requirements, and allowing more flexibility in fulfilling the credits.

Guidance Counselor Myriah Rodowicz heads the committee of teachers who are studying the new graduation requirements for The Morgan School. A few weeks ago, the committee sent out separate surveys for students and faculty requesting their input on graduation requirements: however, the results are not available. Mrs. Rodowicz believes that the new graduation requirements will be a good opportunity for students to personalize their learning. Personalizing their learning means there will be more flexibility in class options. Students will have more choice as to how they fulfill the requirements.

While Mrs. Rodowicz believes that the new requirements will benefit students, she is also aware that there some people on the graduation committee who disagree and don’t see a problem with the current requirements. She explained that people need to consider who the changes will impact. She said, “Not everyone will be happy.”

While at Morgan there are not any definite changes to the requirements yet, there are some proposals. Instead of requiring four years of English, students could be required to take 9 credits in humanities, at least three which are English credits. Instead of a fourth credit in English, students could take an elective such as Journalism, Intro to Art or Rock Band. Students would also need 9 credits in STEM, which may include Personal Finance, Intro to Engineering, Child Development, Calculus or Environmental Science. There is also one credit required for a Mastery-based diploma assessment, which could mean Junior Portfolio will be counted as a credit.

Chairman of the English Program and Graduation Committee member Paul Serenbetz believes there are still many unanswered questions when it comes to the new requirements. “There is a debate on what qualifies as English,” he stated.

One of the more controversial topics being discussed is whether or not varsity athletes should have to take a PE class. There are many schools around Connecticut that allow students to get a PE credit if they play on a varsity sport.

Even though the requirements are changing, it seems that the current daily schedule will stay the same. The only major change will be potentially fewer study halls to fill in the additional required credits.