Scholars program kicks into action

Barney Breen-Portnoy / Charlottesville Daily Progress
Published: February 2, 2008

As part of a statewide initiative, an effort is being made throughout the Charlottesville area to encourage eighth-graders to pursue advanced courses in high school to open doors to better career opportunities.

The Commonwealth Scholars Program features several facets - including presentations to eighth-graders by business professionals, mentoring opportunities throughout high school and the placement of a special seal on diplomas of students who meet academic requirements.

The participating school divisions in Central Virginia are Albemarle, Charlottesville, Fluvanna, Greene and Nelson. Presentations have been made in the past month at Henley, Burley, Sutherland, Jouett and Walton middle schools while presentations are scheduled in the coming weeks at Nelson, Fluvanna, Buford and Monroe middle schools.

The local effort is being coordinated by Piedmont Futures - a business-education alliance, created and funded by the Albemarle, Charlottesville, Fluvanna, Greene and Nelson school divisions, in collaboration with Piedmont Virginia Community College, to engage local businesses in career education.

"The Commonwealth Scholars Program is really aimed at students who might otherwise just get standard degrees," said Erin Hughey-Commers, business liaison for Piedmont Futures. "This challenges them to raise the bar and take more rigorous classes in high school."

The Commonwealth Scholars Program was founded in 2006, when Virginia received a two-year, $300,000 State Scholars Initiative grant from the U.S. Department of Education.

During the 2006-07 school year, Walton was the only local school to participate in the program.

"Many students said they found it really helpful to talk to folks who are out there and can tell them what it is really like and what kind of pieces are important to pay attention to in school that will be useful later on," Walton Principal Betsy Agee said. "We had somebody talk about ways that they used Algebra I in their career, and that really helped kids see that there is a point to what they're doing now."

The program would have been limited to Walton again this year, had Piedmont Futures not arranged to expand the program to other area schools.

Piedmont Futures has recruited and trained dozen of business professionals to visit schools and talk to students.

"This represents a wonderful commitment from our business community," said Evelyn Gorman, the director of Piedmont Futures. "Business people are telling the students that 'You are our future and we care about you.'"

The presentations last about an hour and include a slideshow that touches on subjects ranging from emerging global competition for jobs to the difficulty of living on minimum wage.

Tom Thompson, director of the Charlottesville Business Innovation Council, talked to students at Burley two weeks ago. He said he became motivated to volunteer after visiting colleges with his daughter and learning how competitive admission is.

"When kids are in eighth grade, they still have the chance to make decisions that will give them more options to take the next step, whether that be a job, community college or four-year college," he said.

To get a special Commonwealth Scholars Program seal on their diplomas, students must take four years of English, three years of math, three years of laboratory science, three and a half years of history and social studies, two years of foreign language and one year of fine arts or career and technical education.

Those requirements are more stringent than those required to receive a standard degree and are less than are needed for an advanced degree.

According to Albemarle assistant superintendent Bruce Benson, approximately two-thirds of the graduating students in the county last year received advanced degrees.

Benson believes that the Commonwealth Scholars Program could help raise that percentage.

"This program is a great fit for our division and our goal of having our students become members of the global community and economy," he said. "Taking more rigorous courses helps students develop more of the skills needed to be successful in today's workplace."