Many high school students in Bethel Park High School are getting prepared for graduation every day. A part of this is the graduation project. Projects were needed to be completed in order to graduate from BPHS. Now, it is no more.

As part of the new graduation requirements for the school, it is not needed for a student to complete a project for his/her graduation beginning with the 2015-2016 seniors. This is a result of the changes to the Core Education System. The school is now adopting the Pennsylvania Core Standards, which is based on Common Core Standards, but is not the same thing.

“The graduation project that was required in the past is no longer a requirement from the state (PDE), so [the school] dropped it as well,” Dr. J said.

“Most students did projects that were embedded within specific classes,” Mrs. Rose, the superintendent, said to The Almanac.

As part of the new graduation system, the 2017 seniors will now have to pass the algebra, biology, and literature Keystone Exams. In 2019, an english composition exam will be added, and in 2020, the civics and government exam will be included for seniors. Students will also have to pass these exams to graduate.

“Beginning with the class of 2017, passing the Keystones is mandatory to graduate,” Dr. J said. “The changes were announced two years ago.”

These changes also include the new Course Selection Guide, which was introduced for 2015-2016 high school students.

The graduation project was initiated for Bethel Park in 1999 and has been in place ever since. Projects were started in other school districts in Pennsylvania during that year. However, projects varied for each school.

To read the new Course Selection Guide, click here.