Carson High School’s Class of 2023 graduates toss their caps in celebration at the end of the ceremony on June 3. Carson City School District’s Adult Education graduates who receive their diploma have the option to walk in graduation.
Photo by Jessica Garcia.
Anyone older than 18 who never graduated from high school can take classes and receive their diploma, and the Carson City School District means anyone.
“We get transcripts from the ’70s where people are trying to apply to get our diploma,” said Bob Chambers, director of Adult and Correctional Education for the Carson City School District.
The Adult Ed program, which provides opportunities to those who were unable to complete their high school diploma, offers services for individuals to prepare them for obtaining their general education diploma, or GED.
Chambers said anyone in the local community who has not graduated from high school is eligible to take classes for free.
“One thing that most people don’t understand about the adult diploma is that it has some different qualifications, or just a different curriculum,” he said.
Traditional high school students 18 and younger are required by state law to complete 24 credits to graduate, generally with four units in English language arts, three units in mathematics, two units in science, three units in social studies and additional units in the arts, computer science, health and physical education. They take part in assessments, also required by law.
But adult education only requires 20.5 credits. The enticement comes for those who might be interested in getting their GED, for which the district is a testing center, Chambers added.
“What the GED does is, if they score high enough, we can actually start to waive credits toward their high school diploma, which cannot be done on a standard diploma,” he said.
Students receive help from district teachers, who prepare and commit to teaching the Adult Ed classes offered from 6 to 9 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays after their day schedules.
“It’s a serious commitment,” Chambers said. “It’s nice that we have Carson City School District teachers who are professional, fully certified and willing to teach those classes.”
For those who are uncomfortable about taking a test after being out of school for so long, there are GED prep classes to refresh their skills. Teachers provide practice tests to make sure students are ready to pass the real exam, Chambers said.
The service is available to anyone who never completed their diploma, whether it’s academic or disciplinary or financial, the last of which is most common in Carson City. For some, all one needs to advance into management is that certificate they never obtained, Chambers said.
“Sometimes life happens to people at a lot younger age, and sometimes they enter the work world sooner than they wanted because of necessity and now they’ve found themselves where they could go to school at night,” Chambers said. “Their education is compromised due to financial needs at home, which is hard but ultimately most people choose, ‘I’m going to take care of my family.’”
Chambers served as Carson High’s principal for three years and transitioned this summer to the district’s Adult Ed director position. He said he will always remain a Senator.
“This is where I needed to be,” he said. “In a lot of ways, Carson High is the heartbeat of the town. It’s such a central location, and in this role, I get to support the high school with their learners at-risk. Here, I get to work with the most at-risk population … but the way you help the community is to give (the at-risk learners) other alternatives when they get out so they can be successful members of this community.”
Adult Ed classes begin Sept. 11 and are offered in person and online. For information, visit www.carsoncityschools.com.