New Graduation Requirements For students entering high school during the school year and beyond

New High School Graduation Requirements Students entering Grade 9 in the school year and thereafter shall enroll in the courses necessary to complete the curriculum requirements for the Foundation High School Program and the curriculum requirements for at least one endorsement.

Foundation High School Program A student must earn at least 26 credits to graduate in GCISD  English language arts -four credits  Science-three credits One credit must consist of Biology or AP Biology  Social studies-four credits  Mathematics-three credits Two of the credits must consist of Algebra I and Geometry.  Languages other than English (LOTE)-two credits any two levels in the same language Computer Science I, II, or III are options

Foundation High School Program  Physical Education-one credit  Professional Communications -.5 credit  Health -.5 credit  Fine Arts-one credit  Technology - one credit  6 Electives

All Endorsement Requirements  In GCISD, all students must meet these requirements for all Endorsements: Complete Foundation High School Program  AND Algebra II Any additional requirements per each Endorsement area

STEM Endorsement Chemistry and Physics and:  A coherent sequence of courses through Career and Tech Ed in STEM Science Technology Engineering Mathematics  Or

STEM Endorsement  A total of Five credits in mathematics by successfully completing Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II and two additional mathematics courses for which Algebra II is a prerequisite or  A total of Five credits in science by successfully completing Biology, Chemistry, Physics and two additional science courses.

Business & Industry Endorsement A coherent sequence of courses in Career and Tech Ed from the following: Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources; or Arts, Audio/Video Technology, and Communications; or Business Management and Administration; or Finance; or Hospitality and Tourism; or Information Technology; or Marketing; or Transportation, Distribution, and Logistics; or

Business & Industry Endorsement Four English elective credits by selecting courses to include three levels in one of the following areas: Advanced Journalism: Newspaper; or Public Speaking; or Debate; or Advanced Journalism: Yearbook

Public Services Endorsement  A coherent sequence of courses in Career and Tech Ed from the following: Education and Training Health Science

Arts & Humanities Endorsement  A total of five social studies credits or  Four levels of the same language in a language other than English or  Two levels of the same language in a language other than English and two levels of a different language in a language other than English or  Four levels of American Sign Language or  A coherent sequence of four credits by selecting courses from one or two categories or disciplines in fine arts or

Arts & Humanities Endorsement  Four English elective credits by selecting from the following: English IV (counts for both the Foundation and the Endorsement requirement) Independent Study in English Literary Genres Creative Writing Advanced Placement (AP) Literature and Composition

Multidisciplinary Studies Endorsement  Four credits in each of the four foundation subject areas to include English IV and Chemistry and/or Physics; or  Four credits in advanced placement (AP) or dual credit courses selected from English, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, Economics, LOTE or Fine Arts.

Distinguished Level of Achievement A student may earn a distinguished level of achievement by successfully completing the curriculum requirements for the Foundation High School Program and the curriculum requirements for at least one endorsement, including four credits in science and four credits in mathematics to include Algebra II. A student must earn distinguished level of achievement to be eligible for top 10% admission.

Performance Acknowledgments A student may earn a performance acknowledgment on the student's diploma and transcript for outstanding performance in a dual credit course by successfully completing:  At least 12 hours of college academic courses, including those taken for dual credit as part of the Texas core curriculum, and advanced technical credit courses, with a grade of the equivalent of 3.0 or higher on a scale of 4.0; or  An associate degree while in high school