In 2009, the state dropped a technology credit from the list of classes students must take to graduate high school.

But students should double-check their school’s requirements, as some local districts are still requiring it.

Last week, the Waco Independent School District board of trustees heard the first reading of a local policy that would keep the technology credit as a graduation requirement. The board is expected to approve the policy at September’s regular school board meeting.

The state’s new graduation requirements, without the tech credit, went into effect last year. A half-credit of physical education also was cut by the state to make more room in students’ schedules for additional requirements in science and math.

A.J. Moore Academy student Tremarcus King, 15, works on a word processing problem at the computer lab during his technology class, which is required for district graduates.
Rod Aydelotte/Waco Tribune-Herald

But during local meetings last year to review course offerings at WISD, parents, teachers, businesspeople and representatives from local colleges said the technology class was valuable.

“Each of those groups voted to include it as a credit,” said Donna McKethan, WISD career and technology education coordinator.

In Waco ISD, the technology requirement can be met by taking Business Information Management or Principles of Information Technology.

The classes focus on proficiency in computer applications, such as Microsoft Word, PowerPoint and Excel.

McKethan said knowing how to use those applications will help students in high school, college and the business world.

“They’re able to walk in and not need to be trained because they’re already familiar with it,” she said.

Trustees expressed concern about the requirement but not about its merit.

“I agree that the skills are valuable and it’s a valuable class,” WISD trustee Angela Tekell said. “There was confusion on whether it was required or not and what grades were required to have it.”

Students who are juniors or seniors this year do not have to take the course, as they might not be able to fit it into their schedules and it was unclear last year whether all students needed the credit, Tekell said.

Tekell, the mother of a Waco High School freshman, said she was glad to find out that the course would be offered to eighth-graders in WISD, so they could master those applications before reaching high school.

Dual credit

High school students can take the course for both high school and college credit. They also can take it in the summer at McLennan Community College for dual credit. Students also can take the course via computer in the computer labs at the high school.

McKethan said WISD counselors are working to make sure high school students and their parents understand the local graduation requirements.

There are three different graduation plans that students can pursue — minimum, recommended and distinguished.

In Waco ISD, a technology applications credit is a graduation requirement in all three plans. The breakdown of graduation plans for Waco ISD students can be found at http://www.wacoisd.org/parents.php.

La Vega Independent School District also kept the technology credit requirement, specifically a Business Information Management course, for all three graduation plans.

Midway Independent School District followed the state’s lead and cut the technology requirement from its graduation plans.

Midway High School Principal Chris Allen said the use of applications such as Word, Excel and PowerPoint is embedded into the core academic classes. Cutting the requirement allows students to take more specified technology courses as electives, such as sports broadcasting and web marketing, Allen said.

“It’s expected they’ll have (the basics) plus the specified skills that align with their post-secondary goals,” Allen said.

wgragg@wacotrib.com

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