H IGH SCHOOL G RADUATION R EQUIREMENTS FOR INCOMING 9 TH GRADERS – 2014-15 Northwest Independent School District
Northwest ISD Our VISION is to be the best and most sought- after school district where every student is future ready: Ready for college Ready for the global workplace Ready for personal success
G RADUATION PLANS – S ORTING OUT THE OPTIONS All NISD students will be advised in the development of their personal graduation plan to focus their area of study toward their interests. As students begin to consider options, NISD school counselors will provide information on the variety of course studies to select in order to follow a Career Pathway, apply to take part in an Academy, or obtain a sequence of courses leading to a specific area of study.
W HAT ’ S N EW ? As a part of the House Bill 5 passed in the 83 rd Legislature, new graduation requirements are mandated under the new Foundation High School Program for students entering Grade 9 in the 2014-15 school year and thereafter. Students entering Grade 9 in 2014-15 and thereafter will select one or more endorsements to meet graduation requirements by confirming and signing a personal graduation plan with the student and the student ’s parent or guardian. The new requirements are optional for current students who would be the graduating classes of 2015-2017*. The current minimum, recommended and distinguished graduation requirements continue to meet the state requirements that allow students to graduate college ready.
S TUDENTS ENTERING 9 TH GRADE 2014-15 A student entering Grade 9 in the 2014-2015 school year and thereafter shall enroll in the courses necessary to complete the curriculum requirements for the Foundation High School Program with an Endorsement Plan along with the opportunity to complete the Distinguished Level of Achievement. Each student selects (in writing) an Endorsement in the spring of 2014. Students in NISD are expected to follow the Distinguished Achievement Level within the new graduation requirements along with the Foundation Plan with an Endorsement*. *After the student's sophomore year and only with written parent permission, a student may decide to continue toward graduation under the Foundation High School Program without earning an endorsement.
W HAT IS AN ENDORSEMENT ? An endorsement is a coherent sequence of credits in a specific area of interest as defined by the new graduation requirements. Five Endorsements Arts and Humanities Business and Industry Multidisciplinary Studies Public Services Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) These endorsements are documented on diplomas and transcripts. Each endorsement requires a total of 26 credits for graduation.
F OUNDATION WITH AN E NDORSEMENT REQUIREMENTS English Language Arts – 4 credits Math – 4 credits Social Studies – 3 credits Science – 4 credits *Languages Other Than English (LOTE) – 2 credits (same language) *Speech – ½ credit *Fine Art – 1 credit *Physical Education – 1 credit Electives – 6½ credits (dependent upon endorsement) *Credits in Languages Other Than English, Speech, Fine Arts, or PE may be acquired by various courses noted in the High School Course Selection Guide. Students must complete curriculum requirements of the Foundation High School Program with at least one endorsement.
G RADUATION REQUIREMENTS SIDE - BY - SIDE *NISD expects that all students work to achieve the Distinguished Achievement Distinction
D IPLOMA DISTINCTIONS Distinguished Achievement Requirements The Distinguished Level of Achievement allows students to receive a level of achievement that indicates the highest level of graduation requirements. To achieve this distinction, students: Must meet the requirements for a selected Endorsement; and Obtain 4 total Math credits (to include Algebra II) Examples – Algebra I, Geometry, Math Models, Algebra II Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II, Advanced math
D IPLOMA D ISTINCTIONS Performance Acknowledgements Students may earn a performance acknowledgment on their diploma and transcript for outstanding performance in the following areas. Dual credit courses Bilingualism and bi-literacy AP testing ACT – Plan, PSAT, SAT, or ACT Earning a nationally or internationally recognized business or industry certification or license *See NISD Course Selection Guide for more detailed information.
ARTS AND HUMANITIES E NDORSEMENT Students who choose the Arts and Humanities endorsement will need to take a coherent sequence of credits in a specific area of interest that may include: World Languages Fine Arts Social Studies
B USINESS AND I NDUSTRY E NDORSEMENT Students who choose a Business and Industry endorsement will need to take a coherent sequence of credits in a specific area of interest that may include: Business Management Media Technology Financial Services Horticulture and Floral Design Sales and Marketing Ag Science Pre-Veterinary Broadcast Journalism Agricultural Mechanics Newspaper Animal Science Debate NISD AMAT Academy NISD Culinary Arts and Hospitality Academy
M ULTIDISCIPLINARY E NDORSEMENT Students who choose the Multidisciplinary endorsement will need to take a coherent sequence of credits to fulfill the requirements by completing: 4 credits in the four Foundation areas to include English IV and chemistry and/or physics; or 4 credits in advanced placement or dual credit courses to include one credit in each of the Foundation subjects; or NISD Collegiate Academy
PUBLIC SERVICES E NDORSEMENT Students who choose the Public Services endorsement will need to take a coherent sequence of credits in a specific area of interest that may include: Human Services Education and Training o Health Services o Emergency Medical Technician o Health Science Pre-Veterinary o NISD AMP Academy NISD Cosmetology Academy
STEM E NDORSEMENT Students who choose a STEM endorsement will need to take a coherent sequence of credits in a specific area of interest and Algebra II, Chemistry and Physics. Options may include: o STEM/Engineering o Information Technology o NISD STEM Academy
NISD A CADEMIES The Academies of Northwest ISD include a comprehensive four-year plan that begins in the ninth grade and prepares students for entry-level employment, an associate degree, a baccalaureate degree, and/or other types of advanced training. Students must apply to an academy for acceptance. Only academy students will be able to participate in the academy courses. The Academy of Media Arts and Technology (AMAT) - Northwest High School The Academy of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) - Northwest High School The Academy of Medical Professions (AMP) - Byron Nelson High School The Academy of Culinary Arts and Hospitality - Byron Nelson High School The Academy of Cosmetology - Steele Accelerated High School Collegiate Academy - Steele Accelerated High School
R EQUIRED STAAR E ND OF C OURSE A SSESSMENTS As an on-going requirement for graduation, students enrolled in the following courses are required to be assessed with the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness End of Course (EOC) and must pass all five EOCs prior to graduation. Algebra I English I English II U.S. History Biology
M ORE I NFORMATION Guidance Counselors will be providing more information to current and incoming high school students to inform them of the many options under the new graduation requirements. If you have immediate questions, please contact your school counselor. To learn more about the new graduation requirements, access our Quick Link located on the District and Campus Home pages at www.nisdtx.org. For additional information, access the Texas Education Agency webpage explaining the new graduation requirements.
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