1 Graduation Requirements At [SCHOOL NAME] Date, 2009Location or Subtitle Placed here

2 Will I graduate? No matter what your postsecondary plan, the first step towards success is graduating from high school. TODAY’S AGENDA: We will review: Our school’s mission How our school tracks your credits and GPA How many total credits you need to graduate How many credits you need in each subject area Any special requirements you need to know about How to qualify for an advanced diploma

3 [SCHOOL’S MISSION STATEMENT] THINK IT THROUGH: As you review the graduation requirements at our school, think about how these requirements help us to meet our mission.

4 How are credits accumulated? In order to earn a credit, you must: [DESCRIBE MINIMUM ACHIEVEMENT HERE, SUCH AS EARNING A 65 or HIGHER OR A C-] Each course at [SCHOOL NAME] is worth [#] credits towards graduation. How is Grade Point Average calculated? At [SCHOOL NAME], your GPA is calculated using the following equation: [INSERT EQUATION HERE, PROBABLY SOMETHING LIKE: Grades for all courses / Total number of credits = GPA] SPECIAL CASES Some courses count more or less towards your final GPA. These include: [EXAMPLE: Electives do not count towards your GPA. These include PE and Art OR Advanced Placement Courses count 1.5 towards your GPA]

5 How many credits do I need? Every student in [DISTRICT/SCHOOL NAME] must meet the following minimum requirements in order to earn a high school diploma: [#] total credits OTHER In order to earn a credit, you must: [DESCRIBE MINIMUM ACHIEVEMENT HERE, SUCH AS EARNING A 65 or HIGHER OR A C-] Each course at [SCHOOL NAME] is worth [#] credits towards graduation. Additionally, [SCHOOL NAME] requires that you earn a certain amount of credits in each of the following subject areas:

6 ENGLISH: [#] credits [DESCRIPTION/ADDITIONAL INFORMATION] Required courses:

7 MATHEMATICS: [#] credits [DESCRIPTION/ADDITIONAL INFORMATION] Required courses:

8 SCIENCE: [#] credits [DESCRIPTION/ADDITIONAL INFORMATION] Required courses:

9 SOCIAL STUDIES: [#] credits [DESCRIPTION/ADDITIONAL INFORMATION] Required courses:

10 [SUBJECT AREA]: [#] credits [DESCRIPTION/ADDITIONAL INFORMATION] Required courses:

11 Standardized Tests In addition to earning credits in subject area classes, you must perform satisfactorially on the following [NAME OF TEST, i.e. “Regents Exams”]. [TEST NAME][MINIMUM SCORE] [DATE TAKEN]

12 Special Requirements In addition to earning credits and passing your tests, in order to graduate from [SCHOOL NAME], you also need to meet the following special requirements: [REQUIREMENT #1] [REQUIREMENT #2] [REQUIREMENT #3]

13 Advanced Diplomas Beyond the basic diploma, you can earn special distinctions, honors, or diplomas by taking the following steps: [DIPLOMA / HONOR NAME] [WHAT IT IS][HOW YOU GET IT]

14 Think It Through Now that you understand what it takes to graduate from [SCHOOL NAME], think about how you would answer the following questions about our graduation requirements: ARE YOU READY? Are our graduation requirements fair? How do our requirements match up with admissions requirements at colleges and special programs? Are they rigorous and challenging enough to prepare students for college-level work? QUANTITATIVE EVIDENCE Why do high schools have minimum graduation requirements at all? Why do they offer advanced diplomas? Why do colleges use numbers, scores and minimum requirements to judge applicants?