File: IKF - H.S. GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS File: IKF - H.S. GRADUATION REQUIREMENTSIn pursuit of its mission to ensure that all students reach their learning potential, the Board of Education has established the following graduation requirements.
State and district content standards
All students must meet or exceed state and district content standards prior to becoming eligible to graduate.
Units of credit needed
A. Credits Required: All students are required to earn 85% of scheduled hours offered in grades nine through twelve in order to be eligible for graduation.
(A unit of credit is granted upon successful completion of a class which meets the equivalent of one period each day for the full year.) Half credits will be given for completing a successful one-half of a full year's course.
B. Transferred Credits: Transferred credits from other school districts will be accepted upon enrollment of the student in the Cheraw School District.
C. Classification: A student must earn 85% of scheduled hours offered per year in order to obtain classification for that class.
Example: (1996) 24 hours (3 years of 8 offered hours) X 85%= 20.4 credits to be earned in order to classified as a senior for 1997-98
Example: (1997) 7 hours (1 year of 7 offered hours) X 85% =6 credits to be earned in order to be classified as a sophomore for 1998-99.
Students shall remain in the same class classification for calendar year as their credits dictate at the start of school in August. Credits earned during the year will not allow them to move to the next classification at semester time. For example, student enters their Junior year with 20 credits, one less credit then needed to be a Senior. He/she earns 4 credits by semester time but would not be allowed to be classified as senior but remain a Junior for remainder of year.
D. Schedule Change: No schedule changes will be permitted after the first week of the semester. All changes must be approved by the administration, the counselor, the teachers involved, and the student's parents. A request to change class schedule must be obtained from the administration or counselor.
E. Failure of Course: Any student failing a required course must repeat the course the following year or as soon as schedule permits. Any student failing only a semester must repeat that semester as soon as the schedule permits or the following year.
F. Completion of Requirements: Only those students completing all requirements for graduation as set by law and the school will receive diplomas.
G. Failure to Meet Requirements: All students not meeting those requirements will receive a certificate of participation which states which requirements were not met for graduation.
H. Valedictorian/Salutatorian: Valedictorian of the class shall have a grade point average of no less than 3.6. Salutatorian shall have a grade point average of 3.4 or above. On years that no one meets these requirements, graduation will proceed without that position being filled. Valedictorian/Salutatorian will be declared at the end of the first semester of the senior year, when all grades are figured up to this point. The top two students will be Valedictorian or Salutatorian or Co-Valedictorian or Co-Salutatorian depending upon grade point average.
I. Grade Point Average: The 4.00 method will be used first to determine Valedictorian/Salutatorian. Secondly a weighted grading system will be used to determine Valedictorian/Salutatorian if a tie is encured with the straight GPA. The (*) in policy IKFA, Indicates those classes that will be weighted for the class rank. This will be figured at the end of the first semester of the senior year only. College classes taken may be placed on the weighted grading system if the class taken is considered to be advanced. The Superintendent will determine if the college class is an advanced class. Any college classes enrolled in prior to Year 1993 Day 1 Month 12 December 1, 1993 will not be weighted.
The classes on the weighted grading system will be worth- A=5, B=4, C=3, D=2, F=0.
J. Handicapped/Special Ed Students: Handicapped/Special Ed. Students who successfully complete an individualized course of study, but who have not completed the graduation requirements set by the local school board may be granted a diploma which certifies the completion of that course of study. This course of study is probably best outlined in the Individualized Education Plan (IEPs), which are developed for individual students. No Special designation should appear on the diploma of the handicapped students.
Handicapped/Special Ed Students who attend school on a regular basis, but who do not meet the requirements for completion of individualized education program diploma may be granted a certificate of attendance or completion. "S" and "U" grades may be used for educationally handicapped students who have been mainstreamed into regular education classes.
K. Foreign Exchange Students: Foreign exchange students and other students attending Cheraw Schools from another country other than the United States of America, will be granted a special diploma upon the successful completion of their senior year classes. This diploma will state: This diploma is for the successful completion of one year of education by this foreign exchange student at Cheraw High School.
I. Gifted and Talented Students: Gifted and Talented Students who successfully complete a personalized course of study, but who have not completed the graduation requirements set by the local school board may be granted a diploma which certifies the completion of that course of study. This course of study is probably best outlined in the Personalized Education Plan (PEP), which are developed for individual students.
Credit from other institutions and home-based programs
All students entering from outside the district must meet the district graduation requirements. The principal shall determine whether credit toward graduation requirements shall be granted for courses taken outside the district. Students who are currently enrolled in the district and wish to obtain credit from outside institutions, or through on-line programs, must have prior approval from the principal.
The district shall accept the transcripts from a home-based educational program. In order to determine whether the courses and grades earned are consistent with district requirements and district academic standards, the district shall require submission of the student´s work or other proof of academic performance for each course for which credit toward graduation is sought. In addition, the district may administer testing to the student to verify the accuracy of the student´s transcripts. The district may reject any transcripts that cannot be verified through such testing.
Independent study
Independent study, work experience and experienced-based programs approved in advance by the principal may be taken for high school credit. Students must submit a request for approval that includes a summary of the educational objectives to be achieved and monitored by a faculty member.
For a PEP to be developed for a student that is gifted and talented they must be recommended by at least 3 teachers and approved by the principal and the superintendent. Students test scores, attitude, and abilities will all be taken into considerations. A staffing with parents, teachers making the recommendation, administration, counselor, and student will determine the PEP. A teacher that is also a parent of the student being recommended should not be a recommending teacher.
This PEP should follow as closely as possible the graduation requirements for High School Students.
High School Classes are taken at the Middle School level they will count as High School credit on their High School transcript, and will be averaged in with the high school classes taken for their total GPA. The student is then to take advantage of the post-secondary program at the 11th and 12th grades. The Board believes that all students should take full advantage of their educational opportunity and discourages early graduation.
Revised: February 2001
Revised: October 2001
Revised: June 2002
Revised: May 25, 2004
LEGAL REFS.: C.R.S. 22-33-104.5 (home-based education law)
C.R.S. 22-1-104 (teaching history, culture and civil government)
C.R.S. 22-32-132 (discretion to award diploma to honorably discharged veterans)
CROSS REFS.: AE, Accountability/Commitment to Accomplishment
AEA, Standards Based Education
IA, Instructional Goals and Learning Objectives
IHAC, History and Civil Government Education
IHBG, Home Schooling
IHCDA, Postsecondary Options/Concurrent Enrollment
ILBA, District Program Assessments
ILBB, State Program Assessments