To the Editor:

I am writing on behalf of the North Kingstown student body to address a very prevalent issue: Removing the senior project. Many schools in Rhode Island have already came to the decision to remove it, and North Kingstown is one of the last in the state to still have it. Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE) stated that it is possible for students to graduate based on core classes along with standardized testing, such as SAT. As long as students pass their classes, and achieve a score of “partially proficient” or higher on the standardized tests, they would be eligible to graduate. Since half of the 12th grade English curriculum is dedicated to working on the project, removing it would free up plenty of time to cover topics that students are not able to learn currently. This new system would allow for more time for seniors to focus on academics, college planning, and more, in their final year of high school.

Riley Lalonde