East Ridge Should Have More Elective Essay

Why does East Ridge High School have little to no electives? East Ridge needs more electives for its students. Having a selection of very few electives makes it hard for students to engage in things they’re interested in, actually want to learn about, and hurts students that are gifted in a certain elective or struggle. First, East Ridge should have more electives. This is because not all students may want to learn about the electives the school provides, but instead branch out to something they’re more familiar with. The Article “The Case for Electives in School” states “In a nationwide survey I conducted of sixth through 12th graders, I asked what engaged them the most as learners. Across the nation, student choice ranked high in results. And according to education researcher Robert Marzano,

Students will be more likely to learn if it is something they are interested in. Next, many students at East Ridge High School want to have classes that teach them about the field they would like to go into. If we don’t have those classes, students will never be able to experience learning about that topic to see if that is what they want to do in the future. The text “Middle School Electives Can Launch Self-Discovery” tells us “If we can prepare them, in a prerequisite sense, for the highly targeted, skill-based electives offered in high school, we create greater articulation at the high school level,” Barnes said. The experience of electives helps more graduates gain a sense of where they’re headed and the clarity to set and meet their own goals.” (paragraph 10). Students need to be prepared to learn what they want to do after high school. Without more school electives, they will be unsure of what they would like to learn. Also, students would like to take classes and learn about things that they enjoy and find