Jackson Free Press

Graduation is the most important time for seniors. This is the beginning of the transition from high school to college, and the transition from being told you are just a kid to being told you are an adult.

The last several years have seen a significant increase in the number of high-school teens graduating. Still, graduation can become unobtainable for some seniors. Senior year is the time to have fun but can also be a time of unrealized stress.

Many obstacles and distractions stop seniors from receiving their high-school diplomas, including not applying for scholarships on time, not applying for college, not being accepted into college, not getting the appropriate ACT score, taking Advanced Placement exams, keeping their grades up, getting senior release, and making sure they obtained all their credits to graduate. These un-encouraging things can stop a student from continuing through their high-school career.

However, despite these obstacles, a greater portion of high-school seniors are graduating. The National Center for Education Statistics states, "In school year 2013-2014, the adjusted cohort graduation rate (ACGR) for public high schools rose to an all-time high of 82 percent. ... This indicates that approximately four out of five students graduated with a regular high school diploma within four years of the first time they started 9th grade."

There are also multiple ways that a state or even a household can help increase the graduation rate. During senior year, students do not want or need added stress from other people who are not in their families. Instead, others can personally help a senior continue on the path to graduation.

Parents, you should not constantly pester your child about applying for college, what scholarships they applied for, if he or she has received financial aid or keep up with a preferred college. Trusting that your child is aware of their responsibilities and checking in on them now and then will encourage them to act as the adult they are growing up to be.

The National Education Association reports that states such as Kentucky and Alabama have even implemented new strategies or reforms to better help students as well. Some of the reforms include raising the legal age for dropping out of school, having smaller classrooms and making graduation rates a state priority. When states are making the number of seniors graduating a priority, they are setting the foundation for more students willing to do what it takes to receive his or 
her diploma.

Moreover, an increased graduation rate also means more students are willing to continue his or her education after high school, whether by attending a four-year university, a two-year junior or community college, or a trade school. By earning a diploma or taking up a trade, an individual can get a job with a better salary.

Increasing education through college is increasing the pay-grade. The longer you stay in school, the more money you make.

Jennifer Sheilds is a senior at Clinton High School. She was a member of the Mississippi Youth Media Project (youthmediaproject.com) last summer. Read more of her work at jxnpulse.com.