If you want a different result, make a different choice.
~ ~ FLEX your way to Graduation ~ ~
If you want a different result, make a different choice.
Do you want to invest in your own education?Â
Or do you know a student who wants to?
FLEX offers credit-bearing opportunities for students to meet graduation requirements through personalized, proficiency-based learning. Each student-led course is designed to align with the student’s goals, needs, and learning style. Students collaborate with a FLEX partner (BUHS teacher or community member) and the Flexible Pathways Coordinator to define objectives, create an outline, and assess progress. These dynamic-curriculum courses evolve based on student interests.
Eligibility:
Students must be committed to graduating and willing to put in the necessary work.
Approval from the Flexible Pathways Coordinator is required.
Priority is given to students with space in their academic schedule and the ability to balance other commitments.
Students are expected to come to FLEX with their projects/ideas to develop.
Students may:
*Take only 1 FLEX course in a specific content/department area.*
**Take 1 FLEX course per year.**
***Be withdrawn from their FLEX course if their grade is 50 or less in the first half (Q1/Q3) of the semester.**
FLEX STUDIES: (Piloted in Fall 2021) FLEX Studies offer high-quality, co-created learning opportunities to meet graduation requirements. Students design at least 80% of their content, learning methods, and demonstrations of knowledge, while the remaining 20% is guided by the FLEX Mentor/Flexible Pathways Coordinator. The course evolves dynamically throughout, adapting to students' changing needs, with credit (core or elective) based on student needs and the quality of work.Â
FLEX WORKS! (Piloted in Fall 2022) FLEX WORKS! FLEX WORKS! provides students with the opportunity to earn up to 4 graduation credits per semester by combining real-world work experience with academic learning. Students participate in jobs, internships, apprenticeships, or job shadows while completing related assignments and projects that connect workplace experiences to academic standards.
Structure: Ex. 4 credits
Approximately 72 hours of documented work experience per semester
Approximately 72 hours of academic assignments and independent projects
Regular progress check-ins with the Flexible Pathways Coordinator
Learning Outcomes:
Through FLEX WORKS!, students will develop and demonstrate:
Vermont Transferable Skills
AOE 21st Century Skills
Job-specific skills relevant to their current or future work experience
FLEX 50: EXTENDED INCOMPLETE: Starting in the 2025-2026 school year, this teacher-referred opportunity will no longer be offered through the FLEX Program. It will be reabsorbed into the extended INC offered in the BUHS handbook section 12: Grades and Credits.
This teacher-referred option allows students to attain credits from failed Fall classes during the immediate Spring semester. Eligibility parameters follow the department's guidelines for credit recovery. Â
FLEX SUMMER: (Piloted Summer 2023): Kickstart your FLEX Study in the summer! The Flexible Pathways Coordinator collaborates each spring with motivated students to integrate summer activities into a FLEX Study for the upcoming fall semester. Students earn credit by documenting learning through programs like the Governor's Institute of Vermont, The Experiment in International Living, and local jobs. Enrollment occurs in the fall, and students have the entire semester to complete the course.Â
INDEPENDENT STUDIES:(absorbed Fall 2022)
Independent Studies at BUHS are now managed by the Flexible Pathways Coordinator (FPC). Students interested in pursuing an Independent Study must first consult with the FPC. Repeating a course as an Independent Study is not allowed—extensions of prior learning must include documented new skills. Applications are available through the FPC, with rolling admission based on capacity.  Independent Study Protocol & Application ~ for perusal.
Special Cases: Some situations fall beyond existing Flexible Pathways ~ the Flexible Pathways Coordinator works with necessary stakeholders to develop an individualized plan that meets the needs of the student/s. These are often admin/counselor-referred.
Flexible Pathways & and Educational Options
 (including and beyond the FLEX offerings I coordinate) are foundÂ
In the BUHS PROGRAM OF STUDIES: p. 14-15Â