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Granite Bay Gazette wFriday, February 7, 2020
Elective enrollment declines due to academic pursuits Students choose to take weighted classes to boost their GPA instead of taking non-weighted courses BY BRENT EVANS
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E
lective enrollment at Granite Bay High is on the decline as fewer and fewer students are enrolling in optional classes – and one reason could be that students feel pressure to take higher-level Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate classes. Media teacher Zachary Weidkamp said he thinks “students are not enjoying high school because of incorrectly perceived (academic) expectations.” Weidkamp said students should broaden their horizons outside of the academic realm.
“You can never go back and repeat the high school experience again,” Weidkamp said. “I think the culture is bad for students and limits their ... options.” According to Weidkamp, colleges are looking for more well-rounded students, not just for those with the highest GPA. “I don’t think that students and parents really fully understand what colleges are looking for in students,” Weidkamp said. “I also don’t think that colleges have clearly communicated what they are not looking for.” According to prepscholar.com, taking electives is a good way for colleges to gauge a student’s interests and abilities and can also help them gain an advantage over other students who took
a less well-rounded schedule. GBHS assistant principal Jessup McGregor said he agrees that colleges are concerned about much more than pure academics. “Without looking at the numbers, my impression is that there is a large concern over GPA and (getting into) college,” McGregor said. “They’re looking to pick classes that will make them ... competitive after high school.” Numbers aren’t just dropping at GBHS. During the 2017-2018 school year, over 230 elective teachers were laid off in New York alone, according to publicschoolreview.com. The website also reported that students who took certain music classes scored approximately 44 points better on the math portion of the SAT than students who didn’t. Some might argue that 44 points can be the difference between getting into an Ivy League school and getting rejected, which is something some students take extremely seriously. However, there are two sides to the issue.
“I feel like ... some people feel the need to take that extra AP class instead of doing something that they’re interested in, but I would say on the other hand, sometimes people are actually interested in that AP subject material,” senior Faraaz Godill said. This is a reality at GBHS, as many students are genuinely interested in their AP classes, regardless of whether or not they earn college credits. Although it’s obviously not impossible to take high-level classes alongside electives, it’s not easy. Many students find themselves in a tough position, having to choose between one or the other as each option takes up a class slot and, depending on the course, time they could be spending on something else. But, it can be done. Godil also participates in electives in addition to the challenging classes that he takes. “(I) take AP classes but … also participate in speech and debate,” Godill said. “I wouldn’t say it’s mutually exclusive.”
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