1. The Foundation High School Program (FHSP) + Endorsements
Freshman Class of
The state of Texas passed a new education law, commonly referred to as House Bill 5, in the spring of This new law significantly changes graduation requirements.
Students first entering 9th grade in and thereafter will graduate on the Foundation High School Program, or FHSP, plus Endorsements.
HB-5 information for parents of students first entering high school in and beyond

2. State End-of-Course Testing Requirements
The following 5 end-of-course (EOC) assessments are required:
English I - Reading & Writing (administered as one test)
English II - Reading & Writing (administered as one test)
Algebra I
Biology
US History
The student must pass each of the five EOC assessments to meet state graduation requirements.
There are five required end of course exams, or EOCs. The EOC-tested subjects are English I and English II, Algebra I, Biology and US History. A student must pass each of the 5 end of course exams, as well as all required coursework, to be eligible for graduation from a Texas public high school.

3. The Foundation High School Program: Basic Information
Beginning in 9th grade, counselors will meet individually with students and parents to develop a Personal Graduation Plan (PGP) outlining the student’s course of study.
The Personal Graduation Plan (PGP) will be reviewed each year and must be signed by the parent.
Beginning in 9th grade, the high school counselor will meet with each student and their parents to develop an individualized Personal Graduation Plan, or PGP, which will be updated each year. Since the goal is to meet with each student, these meetings will be scheduled throughout the school year and will begin by early October.
The PGP is designed to map out the student’s course of study to support individual educational and career goals throughout high school, and also to help set you up for success beyond high school.

4. Planning for the 2014-2015 School Year
The printed 2014–2015 Course Catalog was published in December 2013, knowing there would be necessary updates as key decisions were finalized.
The online catalog remains a live document on the Katy ISD website. Updated information is added as it comes available from the State.
Along with the 9th grade course selection sheet, students received a printed copy of the course catalog. The printed copy was published in December, knowing that changes would be necessary as the State Board of Education arrived at final decisions regarding the FHSP and endorsements.
The online version of the course catalog has been updated. The most significant changes are to page 11, where more detail has been added to the endorsements. A change to the endorsements is that the print version has Health Sciences listed under STEM, but all Health Sciences have since been moved to the Public Services endorsement.

5. Course Requirements for the FHSP
LOTE – 2 credits
Credits must be in the same language
Fine Arts – 1 credit
Physical Education – 1 credit
Electives – 5 credits, including
.5 credit Health (Katy ISD-required credit)
Speech (under review)
+ Endorsement (4 additional credits)
Students are expected to earn an endorsement in one of 5 areas. Each endorsement requires
a 4th math credit
a 4th science credit
2 endorsement-specific electives
English – 4 credits
English I, II, III, and an additional/advanced English
Math – 3 credits
Algebra I, Geometry, and an additional/advanced math
Science – 3 credits
Biology, and one course from IPC, or Chemistry, or Physics, and one additional/advanced science
Social Studies – 3 credits
US History, .5 credit government, .5 credit economics, and either world history or world geography
The foundation high school program includes 22 credits: 4 credits in English, 3 maths, 3 sciences, 3 social studies, 2 credits in the same language in a language other than English, 1 fine arts, 1 PE and 5 elective credits.
Students who receive special education services or 504 accommodations may be allowed to substitute specified courses from other foundation areas for the LOTE requirement.
See Course Catalog, page 10

6. A Note About Languages Other Than English
Computer Science I, II, and III could be taken to satisfy the Language Other than English credit. This is an “exception” which specifies that the credits must be earned before September 1, 2016 to count as LOTE.
Before choosing this option instead of a LOTE credit, students are cautioned that many colleges and universities do not acknowledge Computer Science as an acceptable substitution for LOTE credit.
It is incumbent on the student to verify with any colleges they may be interested in attending to ensure that Computer Science credits would be accepted as LOTE.
One important note about languages other than English, or LOTE:
The state is temporarily allowing Computer Science courses to count toward satisfying the LOTE requirement for the Foundation High School Program; however, there is considerable controversy surrounding this, as many colleges do not recognize computer science, or computer programming languages, as acceptable substitutions for meeting the language other than English requirement.
If a student is interested in computer science, they are certainly encouraged to pursue this course of study, but it is strongly recommended that take these courses are taken in addition to completing coursework in a traditional language other than English to satisfy the LOTE requirement.

7. The 22-Credit Foundation
The 22-credit foundation plan is required for all students, regardless of the endorsement the student plans to pursue. This plan allows for some flexibility in choosing the fourth English credit, the third Math credit, and the third Science credit. Students should be mindful of the requirements of their chosen endorsement when making these selections.
While the Foundation requires the completion of either World Geography or World History, students are encouraged to consider taking both World Geography and World History.
Please note that ½ credit of Health is a Katy ISD graduation requirement, and the requirement of ½ credit of speech is pending final decision. The student must include Health, and possibly speech, among the five foundation elective credits.

8. The FHSP + Endorsement
The endorsement is built on top of the foundation. To earn an endorsement in any category, the student must complete a fourth credit in Math and a fourth credit in Science, as well as two additional, endorsement-specific elective credits, bringing the total number of required credits for the Foundation High School Program + Endorsement to 26.

9. See 2014-2015 Course Catalog, page 11(revised online)
The Foundation High School Program:
Basic Information
All students must declare an endorsement in one of 5 areas at the time of entry into 9th grade. Katy ISD students are selecting the endorsement along with their course selections.
Students will have the opportunity to change the endorsement.
The endorsement, and any changes, must be indicated in writing and signed by the parent.
All students are required to choose an endorsement in one of 5 areas: STEM, Business & Industry, Public Services, Arts & Humanities, or Multidisciplinary Studies.
The endorsements are listed at the top of the 9th grade course selection sheet. Each student should choose one endorsement category along with the course selections for next year.
The endorsement should be chosen based on the student’s individual interests and career goals. If necessary, the endorsement can be changed if necessary, with your parent’s approval and their signature.
See Course Catalog, page 11(revised online)

10. See 2014-2015 Course Catalog, page 11(revised online)
Endorsement Options
An endorsement requires a focused study in one or more areas of student interest. There are many benefits to earning an endorsement, including:
Richer student engagement, and
Better preparation for the student in continuing their education beyond high school and/or entering the workforce.
REVISED
The five endorsement areas are STEM, Business & Industry, Public Services, Arts & Humanities, or Multidisciplinary Studies.
The endorsement allows students to tailor the program of study to fit their specific areas of interest. In certain cases, a student may opt out of the endorsement requirement after the sophomore year.
See Course Catalog, page 11(revised online)

11. Science, Technology, Engineering & Math
STEM
Science, Technology, Engineering & Math
STEM requires completion of Algebra II, Chemistry, and Physics.
The STEM endorsement includes courses of study related to:
Advanced science courses beyond Chemistry and Physics; or
Advanced math courses for which Algebra II is a prerequisite; or
A cross-disciplinary study of advanced math and advanced science; or
Computer Science / Computer Programming
A STEM endorsement requires a progressive sequence of 4 credits in at least one of the bulleted courses of study.
STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math.
Please note that while all endorsements require 4 math credits and 4 science credits, STEM is the only endorsement that specifies Algebra II, Chemistry, and Physics as requirements for earning the endorsement.

12. Business & Industry (1 of 2)
The Business & Industry endorsement requires completion of credits in at least one career cluster, selected from:
Agriculture, Food & Natural Resources
Architecture and Construction
Arts, Audio/Visual Technology & Communications
Business
Finance
Hospitality and Tourism
Information Technology
Manufacturing
Marketing
Transportation, Distribution, and Logistics
The business and industry endorsement includes courses of study from a wide variety of areas.
Each of the courses of study listed on this screen are in Career and Technical Education or Technology Applications.
With the exceptions of Computer Science and Computer Programming—which are housed under the STEM endorsement—all Technology courses are included in the business and industry endorsement.
A Business & Industry endorsement in the areas listed on this screen requires a progressive sequence of 4 credits in at least one of the bulleted courses of study.

13. Business & Industry (2 of 2)
The Business & Industry endorsement may also be earned through the completion of four (4) English electives, including:
Three (3) levels in one field of journalism
Newspaper; or
Yearbook; or
Three (3) levels in either
Debate; or
Oral Interpretation
Business & Industry also includes courses of study in Journalism and Speech. The requirements for an endorsement in one of these categories are slightly different than those for the other Business & Industry courses of study. The student must complete
three levels in one area of journalism—Newspaper or Yearbook, or
three levels in one area of speech—Debate or Oral Interpretation
plus one other English elective. The additional English elective must be separate from the 4 English credits required for the Foundation.
For Newspaper or Yearbook students, the additional credit would be journalism, the prerequisite course for either program.
There are multiple additional English credit options for students pursuing a Debate or Oral Interpretation course of study.
A Business & Industry endorsement in the areas listed on this screen requires a progressive sequence of 3 levels in one of the bulleted courses of study, plus one additional English elective.

14. Public Services
The Public Services endorsement requires completion of credits in at least one career cluster, selected from:
Education and Training
Government and Public Administration
Health Sciences
Human Services
Law, Public Safety, Corrections & Security
JROTC (Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps)
The Public Services endorsement also includes Career and Technical Education courses of study, in a wide variety of areas, including all Health Sciences. Health Sciences were moved out of the STEM endorsement and into Public Services, as is noted in the online version of the course catalog. The Public Services endorsement requires a progressive sequence of four credits in at least one of the bulleted courses of study.
A Public Services endorsement requires a progressive sequence of 4 credits in at least one of the bulleted courses of study.

15. Arts & Humanities
The Arts & Humanities endorsement may be earned through completion of at least one of the following:
Five courses in social studies; or
Two levels/credits of one language in a Language Other than English; and two levels/credits of a second language in a Language Other than English; or
A progressive sequence of four credits, selected from one or two Fine Arts disciplines, including Art, Dance, Music, and Theatre
The Arts and Humanities endorsement relates to Social Studies and Languages Other than English, as well as to each of the fine arts disciplines, which include Art, Dance, Music and Theatre.
The Arts and Humanities endorsement requires completion of at least one of the bulleted courses of study.
The Arts and Humanities endorsement requires completion of at least one of the bulleted courses of study.

16. Multidisciplinary Studies
The Multidisciplinary Studies endorsement requires completion of at least one of the following:
Four additional/advanced credits, from within one endorsement area or from various endorsement areas, that prepare the student to either
successfully enter postsecondary education without the need for remediation; or
successfully enter the workforce.
Four credits in each: English Language Arts (must include a traditional English IV), Math, Science (must include Chemistry and/or Physics), and Social Studies; or
Four AP, International Baccalaureate (transfer students only; not offered in KISD) or dual credit courses, selected from English Language Arts, Math, Science, Social Studies, Fine Arts or LOTE.
The multidisciplinary studies endorsement allows the student to select a course of study from a variety of disciplines, and there are several ways to earn this endorsement.
Students who are interested in pursuing a multidisciplinary studies endorsement should be aware that the each of the four options for earning this endorsement have specific course requirements.
A Multidisciplinary Studies endorsement requires completion of at least one the above courses of study.

17. Thinking Ahead: Distinguished Level of Achievement (DLA)
A Distinguished Level of Achievement (DLA) may be earned through successful completion of:
All requirements for the Foundation High School Program, plus
The requirements of at least one endorsement, including
Algebra II among the required math credits, and
A fourth science credit
A student must graduate with a Distinguished Level of Achievement (DLA) to be considered for the Top 10% and eligibility for automatic admission to a Texas public college or university.
Now we’re jumping ahead a little, but it’s important to plan ahead….
The distinguished level of achievement, or DLA is important because it is REQUIRED for the student to be considered for the Top 10% and therefore be eligible for automatic admission to a Texas public college or university.
The requirements for a DLA are largely the same as those for any endorsement, but Algebra II is specified as a requirement for earning the DLA, regardless of which endorsement the student chooses to pursue.
As stated earlier, STEM is the only endorsement that requires the completion of Algebra II.
The Distinguished Level of Achievement will be noted on the transcript and diploma.
See Course Catalog, page 10, under “Recognitions” (revised online )

18. Thinking Ahead: Performance Acknowledgments
Performance Acknowledgements may be earned in one or more of the following categories:
AP test score of 3 or above;
IB test score of 4 or above (transfer students only; IB is not available in Katy ISD);
Qualifying PSAT score based on the 11th grade test;
SAT combined critical reading and math score of 1250 or above;
ACT composite score of 28 or above;
Completion of a minimum of 12 hours dual credit college courses with final grades of A or B (3.0 GPA or above);
Bilingualism and biliteracy; and
Earning a nationally or internationally recognized business or industry certification or license.
Performance acknowledgments are special recognitions for exemplary performance. In most cases, Performance Acknowledgements will be earned in the student’s junior and senior years.
A qualifying PSAT score is a score through which the student is eligible for National Achievement, National Hispanic, or National Merit recognition. The qualifying score is set by the College Board and varies year-to-year.
Please note that the required minimum AP test score is 3, which has been updated online. In the paper copy of the course catalog, the minimum required score is listed as 4.
Any performance acknowledgements earned will be noted on the transcript and diploma.
See Course Catalog, page 10, under “Recognitions” (revised online )

19. What to Do Right Now: Course Selections for the Freshman Year
Choose an endorsement,
Selections must include one course from each of the following
English,
Math,
Science (Biology)
Students are required to take either World Geography (a 9th grade option) or World History (taught at 10th grade level)
Choose courses selected from other areas to complete the seven class periods
If one course marked (sem) is selected, a second (sem) course is also required.
And now back to a few things to do right now:
Our goal is to get the student’s schedule set correctly the first time! To help this happen, they should write neatly when filling out the course selection sheet—and be sure to fill it out completely.
Selections must include an English I choice, a math (Algebra 1– unless a math course for high school credit was taken in junior high) and Biology. Either World Geography or World History is required, but students are encouraged to consider taking both! World Geography is available for 9th grade students, but World History is taught at the 10th grade level.
The student needs enough course selections to completely fill seven class periods.

20. What to Do Right Now: Course Selections for the Freshman Year
Warning! If your child is taking any high school credit course this year, the same course must not be chosen for next year.
If the student is in athletics, choose only one athletics program on the course selection sheet.
Band requires special consideration:
If the student is in band but not in athletics, the band option that gives fall PE credit and spring Fine Arts credit should be selected;
If the student is in both athletics and band, the band option for the full year Fine Arts credit should be selected.
And a few quick words of caution…If the student is taking a high school credit class now, please be sure the same class is not selected for next year. A student can’t earn credit for the same thing twice!
If your child is an athlete, they can only be in one athletics/PE class. If they are a multi-sport athlete, that’s okay. They should choose the sport with the season that begins earliest in the school year. They will then be moved to the next sport when that season starts.
Band students should also be careful in to choose the appropriate class. If the student is not in athletics, they should choose fall semester Marching Band for PE credit and spring Band for Fine Arts credit. If the student is in athletics, the band option that gives the full year fine arts credit should be chosen. These options are clearly noted on the course selection sheet.

21. What to Do Right Now: Course Selections for the Freshman Year
Review the course catalog when making course selections.
Pay special attention to “Selecting Courses for the Next School Year” on page 25, including the “Schedule Changes” information
List alternate choices in the spaces provided.
If the student has any questions about course selections, they should speak with the counselor!
Turn in the course selection sheet as instructed by the counselor.
When making your course selections, please review the course catalog.
Students and parents should be aware of any prerequisites, grade restrictions, course fees, or after school commitments. Also, be sure to review “Selecting Courses for the Next School Year” and the Katy ISD schedule change procedures, both on page 25 of the course catalog.
Sometimes a chosen class doesn’t fit in the student’s schedule. Please be sure to list alternate courses just in case one of the first choice classes doesn’t work with the student’s schedule.
If your child has a question about course selections, they should speak with the counselor.
And finally, the student must turn in the completed course selection sheet!

22. Final Notes
For more information, please consult the online course catalog. The catalog is accessible by clicking on the Parents tab on the Katy ISD home page, then selecting Graduation Requirements. The most up-to-date version of the Course Catalog is available on that page, along with the date that the latest changes were made.
Your child’s school counselor is also available to assist with questions.
Thank you!