California High School to make major changes for the next school year

A major change in the system used to rank graduates will be effective at California High School for the 2011-12 school year. In addition, the high school will increase the number of class periods per school day from the current seven to eight.

At the regular monthly California R-I School Board meeting on Wednesday, March 23, the Board approved the changes after lengthy explanations and discussion by members of a committee, administrators and the Board.

Starting with the current junior class, the graduates will be ranked according to what is known as the Latin Honors System. Rather than having a top 10 percent, the graduates will be ranked by honors more commonly seen at the university level: summa cum laude, magna cum laude and cum laude.

This change was developed by a committee which looked into what has been found to indicate success for students at the post-secondary level.

The change to eight class periods and 15 additional minutes of classroom time is being put into effect largely because the recent changes by the Missouri Department of Education which increase the required number of math, science and English classes.

(For more of this story check out the March 30, 2011, issue of the California Democrat)