Preparing students for the future

Waseca Public Schools’ mission statement is to empower all learners to thrive in an ever changing world. That is defined most simply by saying that our goal is that students have options when they leave our schools. Whichever one of the three “E” words students advance to after graduation, enrollment, employment, or enlistment, it is important to us that they did so by choice. Each student has individual talent, skills, and interests that are uniquely their own, and our work in school is to assist them in putting these together to create a plan for the next steps. 

Counselors, teachers, and administrators do this in a variety of ways. The first step is the creation of a four year plan for graduation. The state of Minnesota has a set of required courses that students must complete to obtain a high school diploma. Our staff works closely with students to ensure that they are able to take all of these classes successfully during their time in high school. Credit recovery programs and additional scheduling adjustments are available to students who need additional support to obtain the necessary course credits to graduate. 

In addition to the initial plan for graduation, students in Waseca Public Schools also have the opportunity to create four year plans that allow them to explore their career interests. When students register for classes, multiple career pathways have been identified, with several potential courses listed for each pathway. Students then have the opportunity to take classes that provide exposure and key learning that will support students in this pathway. Students can move freely through pathways as they explore their interests, as these are not intended to create a tracking model, but instead allow students to make decisions about their next steps after graduation with experiences to draw from. 

Courses are sorted by career pathways such as: Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources; Arts, Communications, and Information Systems; Business, Management, and Administration; Engineering, Manufacturing, and Technology; Human Services and Health Sciences Technology; and a list of global electives that fit all pathways. 

Our goal in WPS is to provide students with a strong foundation so that whatever path they choose, they have the skills and knowledge to take that next step. High school students are currently selecting courses for the 2024-25 academic year, and we are excited to see which pathways our students continue to pursue, and hope as well that our local employers are encountering graduates that are prepared and ready to join their teams.