This year the state of Kansas is implementing a new set of graduation requirements for all incoming freshmen. Several new changes have been made by Shawnee Mission Northwest:

Students will complete 3.5 credits of ELA. Previously, it was four full credits. 

A new communications class is required for incoming freshmen. It is semester-long and aims to teach students interpersonal skills. Northwest principal Dr. Gruman said existing staff will be utilized for the teaching of this class. 

One full credit of STEM courses are required by the new curriculum. Seventy one classes qualify for the STEM credit, including newspaper, calculus, physics, animation and game design, aerospace and robotics. 

In addition, a half  PE credit is now required for incoming freshmen, as opposed to the previous full credit. 

“We still have a lot of students that enjoy taking PE,” Dr. Gruman said. “So we’re encouraging them to do that because it will fill the elective bucket.”

Some PE teachers do not approve of the new curriculum. 

“We are doing a disservice to our students,” PE teacher and department chair Brian Vesta said. “I fear that by only requiring a half of a credit, out of the 56 they take in high school, we are telling them that their health and fitness is not important.”

Students adhering to the new curriculum will also need seven full elective credits, not 7.5. 

On top of that, freshmen will also need to earn two “Post Secondary Assets” to graduate. Post Secondary Assets are not a course, but achievements outside of the classroom for students to complete. Post Secondary Assets may include things like 40+ community service hours, the Seal of Biliteracy, workplace experience, SAT scores of 1200 or higher, participating in at least two high school sports/activities, having a 90% attendance rate and more. 

The class of 2028 and all following grades will adhere to the new graduation requirements.