At the Bellows Falls Union High School, students can make progress toward earning a diploma through a variety of non-traditional learning experiences. Those experiences are summarized below:
Dual Enrollment coursework:
Currently, BFUHS offers three classes in-house for both high school credit and college credit. Our
Advanced Placement Calculus course can earn a student college credit through River Valley Community College. Credit through Community College of Vermont can be obtained through successful completion of the following courses: Honors American Literature and 21st Century Writing. Students can also earn Dual Enrollment credit by successfully completing courses taken at colleges and universities, with prior approval from the school administration. All Vermont students (current juniors and seniors) have access to two dual enrollment vouchers to pay for courses taken at Vermont Colleges/Universities. Students have the option to take courses at Colleges/Universities as a level 4-Honors or unleveled. This must be figured out with their school counselor.
Early College Program:
Qualified students can spend their senior year of high school as a fully enrolled college, thus
finishing their requirements for their high school diploma while also completing their first year in college.
Work Based Learning:
Students can make progress toward earning a high school diploma by earning credit through “on-the-job”
experiences. Our Work Based Learning Coordinator is tasked with helping
students create a work based experience that meets the needs of the student and the workplace, while
demonstrating sufficient documented new learning to earn credit toward graduation.
Independent Studies:
When students have an interest in taking BFUHS courses but have schedule conflicts, they may be able to
take a class as an “Independent Study” (if a teacher is available). Students will only be approved for an
independent study if the teacher, school counselor, and administrator all agree that the student has the skills
needed to work independently, with a couple of meetings with the teacher in a week, and still meet the
expectations of the course in question.
Online “Virtual” learning:
Students can take online courses for credit toward graduation. We most commonly access Vermont Virtual
Learning Collaborative (VTVLC) for such learning experiences, although other accredited vehicles for high
school courses will also be considered on a case-by-case basis.
Career Center programs:
At BFUHS, we have a distinct advantage in the area of Career Center options for students. Our students
can attend either the Windham Regional Career Center (WRCC) in Brattleboro or the River Valley
Technical Center (RVTC) in Springfield.
Vermont Adult Learning High School Completion Program:
Students can earn a BFUHS Diploma by completing a VT Adult Learning High School Completion
Program plan, which is created in collaboration with the student (and family), a representative of Vermont
Adult Learning and a representative of the high school. This plan can include a wide variety of learning
experiences and may or may not include coursework at BFUHS.