It is inevitable that some students will take a few missteps along the way as they move through high school. They might fail a class or do very poorly in one. This can set them off course for graduation and increase the work they need to do going forward to get back on track. Here’s a look at some steps to take to do that.
A wise person once told me, “the first rule of digging holes is to stop digging”. Indeed, if a student finds themself off course for graduation, the very first they should do is avoid doing anything else that will set them further off course. Examine the circumstances that lead to your downfall. If you didn’t do much work for a few weeks, double down on your efforts. If your test grades were your downfall, focus on studying for those. If attendance was the culprit, be on time every time.
If you’re able to clear that hurdle, and the hole isn’t getting any deeper, you can begin working to get out of the one you’re in. If a student fails a course here or there and it is one that is required for graduation, they will likely need to retake that course. This usually isn't comfortable. A student who failed freshmen English, for example, might need to retake that class at the same time they are taking sophomore English. That’s usually not preferred for someone who probably doesn’t like English in the first place, but our failures seldom come without consequences.
Age is usually a consideration here as well. Few people will be excited to still be working in a high school curriculum much beyond their 18th or 19th birthday. In some settings, they may even be prohibited from staying enrolled beyond a certain age. So, there just may not be time for a young person to get too far off course, and still have time to get back on track. For example, Algebra 1 is the first step in the math sequence for many high schools with four required math credits. If a student is expected to graduate in four years, there may not be time for them to take and fail algebra 1, retake it, and then move on, especially more than once. So, there are scenarios where a school is going to ask a student to retake algebra 1 and move them on to algebra 2 at the same time.
Lastly, students should keep an eye on GPAs. Schools often have required minimum GPAs to graduate. Poor GPAs can be harder to mend because that process often takes time. GPAs are cumulative across a student's full high school career. Thus, a student who spent 3 years building an awful GPA, might not be able to fix that in a year. Again, the first rule of digging holes is to stop digging and students must be careful to not take out more dirt than they can put back in.
If a student does find themself behind, it’s important to speak to a school counselor or administrator quickly who can help create a specific plan to get a student back on track. However, It will ultimately be up to the student to do the work that makes that plan successful.
