In the past, a high school diploma represented hard work, dedication and foremost, that a student was ready to move on for college. In the present, however, that is no longer the case.

All one needs to do in order to graduate is to pass all of the required classes. While this may seem hard to accomplish, in reality, it is relatively easy.

After all, the administration makes sure that all students take the necessary classes. All the student needs to do is not get a failing grade, which shouldn’t be that hard to do.

A student just has to show up to class and participate, and will be likely that they will get above a failing grade. However, this is where my criticism lies.

The work required to pass a class is too easy. I know of students who show up to class, do nothing but stare at a wall, never turn in the homework and manage to still pass.

As a result, students who do below the minimum are allowed to graduate. These students were not dedicated or hardworking and they are making a mockery of the high school diploma.

Every year at graduation, I am surprised by students who are able to graduate. In the back of my head, I wonder how long it is until they drop out of college. Then, I question how they were able to graduate from high school in the first place.

So how can this be fixed? Well, for starters, we can make it so that students actually have to work for their grades. The percentage makeup of each class could be reviewed so that a student can not pass solely on participation points. It should be changed so that if a student never did their homework, and always got below C’s on a test, they would fail the class.

Other times, though, a teacher is simply too sympathetic to a student’s plight to fail them. The more common occurrence is that grade-saving extra-credit is offered. Students then are able to manage passing solely due to extra credit.

Now, I am not saying that extra-credit should be eliminated because sometimes hardworking students do screw up and need a way to redeem themselves and their grades. Rather, I am saying that teachers should keep an eye on students’ grades and make sure that students are passing because they are doing their homework and working hard, and not because of extra credit opportunities.

Furthermore, percentage points (like those on the Wildcat Cards) should not be taken anymore. They misrepresent grades and allow students to pass a class by doing little to nothing. Moreover, it makes no sense that a student who excelled on a math state assessment to use percentage points in a different subject, like English. That’s like saying, “let’s reward so-and-so in math, by helping them out with another, non-related class.”

Perhaps if students learn that they can no longer skate by, then they will actually try. If they don’t learn, then there is a simple solution: make them a ‘super’ senior.

These measures may restore the dignity to a high school diploma. Then maybe, this year at graduation, I won’t see any future college dropouts, but only future college graduates.