| Policy
Concerning
Graduation Requirements
and
Basic Skills Requirements for Graduation
The
CTHSS graduate will be expected to attain the following knowledge
by content area:
English Language
Arts: Demonstrate proficiency,
confidence, and fluency in reading, writing, listening, speaking,
and viewing; the graduate will explore and respond to classical
and contemporary texts from many cultures and historical periods.
Mathematics:
Apply a range of numerical, algebraic, geometric, and statistical
reasoning and skills to formulate, analyze and solve real-
world problems.
Science:
Demonstrate knowledge of the basic concepts of, and interrelationships
among biology, chemistry, physics, environmental sciences,
and be able to apply scientific skills, processes and methods
of inquiry to the real world.
Social Studies:
Demonstrate knowledge of history, civics and government, geography
and economics, the social sciences, and humanities, including
one year of U.S. history and one year in civics/government.
Technology Education:
Demonstrate knowledge about the nature, power, influence and
effects of technology and be able to design and develop products,
systems and environments to solve problems.
Health, Wellness
and Physical Fitness:
Understand and develop behaviors that promote lifelong health
and wellness, and recognize the importance of and participate
in physical activities and learning designed to maintain and
enhance healthy life styles.
Learning Resources
and Information Technology:
Use information and technology effectively and be able to
apply related strategies to acquire basic skills and content
knowledge.
Trade/Technology:
Demonstrate the set of skills and competencies required to
enter the workforce, be accepted in apprenticeships or pursue
postsecondary studies.
Credit
Requirements for Graduation
Students are expected
to schedule and earn sufficient credits each year, in grades
9, 10, 11 and 12 in order to meet graduation requirements.
Twenty-nine credits are required for graduation* (class
of 2011 and beyond) and must include courses from the following
content areas:
| 9th
Grade Exploratory Program* |
3
credits |
Trade/Technology
Program
|
9
credits |
Academics
English
Social Studies (includes Civics)
Mathematics
Science |
4
credits
3 credits
3 credits
3 credits
|
|
Other
Requirements
Physical Education
Health
Electives |
1 credit
1 credit
2 credits |
*Includes
exploratory for freshmen students only. One-half
credit each will be issued for the first two phases of exploratory
if a grade of 60 or better is earned. Two credits will
be issued for phase three. Transfers into the system
would come with other course credit for application toward
graduation.
Promotion
Requirements
- To achieve 10th grade status a student must accumulate
6.5 credits and receive a 60 or higher in phase III of
exploratory and a combined grade of 60 or higher for phase
I, II and III of exploratory
- To achieve 11th grade status a student must accumulate
14.5 credits and receive a 60 or higher in trade/technology
- To achieve 12th grade status a student must accumulate
22.5 credits and receive a 60 or higher in trade/technology
- Seniors must earn a minimum of 6.5 credits and must participate
in the National Occupational Competency Testing (NOCTI)
exam or alternative technology assessment
If a student does not meet the requirements to be promoted
to the next grade, he/she may opt to repeat his/her grade
if space permits or return to his/her local district.
Basic Skills Requirement for Graduation
District Performance Standards
LANGUAGE
ARTS
Performance Standard
Students will demonstrate the ability to read a piece of
literature and respond critically in writing; read and
interpret information; and write using standard English
conventions.
Options
Students have multiple opportunities over the course of their
sophomore, junior and senior year to demonstrate their
performance relative to the Language Arts performance standard. Students
satisfy the district performance standards for the basic
skills in language arts if they have:
- Achieved
a score in either band three (Proficient), four (Goal)
or five (Advanced) on a related section of the Connecticut
Academic Performance Test (CAPT) – Writing
Across the Disciplines and/or Reading Across the Discipline; or
- Achieved
a score at the 50th percentile or higher on a related
section of the Preliminary Scholastic Assessment
Test/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test or
the Scholastic Assessment Test (PSAT/NMSQT/SAT) – verbal
and/or writing skills; or
- Passed
the required English 11, English 12 or full credit
English elective course with a 70 or higher; or passed
the final two District Wide Trimester Assessments (DWTA)
with a 70 or higher in 11th grade; or completed an
independent study project in English with a 70 or
higher in 12th grade to be designed and assessed
by the school English department.
MATHEMATICS
Performance Standard
Students shall demonstrate the ability to solve multiple
step mathematical problems that require demonstration of
basic math operations including fractions, decimals and
percentages and the use of algebraic equations; and explain
in writing how they arrived at each answer.
Options
Students have multiple opportunities over the course of their
sophomore, junior and senior year to complete the mathematics
performance standard. Students satisfy the district
performance standards for basic skills in mathematics if
they have:
- Achieved a score in either band three (Proficient), four
(Goal) or five (Advanced) on the Connecticut Academic Performance
Test (CAPT) in Mathematics; or
- Achieved a score at the 50th percentile or higher on
the mathematics section of the Preliminary Scholastic Assessment
Test/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test or the
Scholastic Assessment Test (PSAT/NMSQT/SAT), or
- Passed one of the following courses with a 70 or higher:
Algebra II, Honors Pre-Calculus, Honors Calculus, Statistics,
or full credit senior math electives; or passed the final
two District Wide Trimester Assessments in one of these
mathematics courses with a 70 or higher in 11th grade;
or completed an independent study project in mathematics
with a 70 or higher in 12th grade to be designed and assessed
by the school math department.
SCIENCE
Performance Standard
Students shall demonstrate the ability to use scientific
inquiry skills to explore world life problems using the
content of biology, physics, chemistry and earth science;
evaluate the information for validity and reliability;
and use that information to support a position on a contemporary
scientific issue.
Options
Students have multiple opportunities over the course of
their sophomore, junior and senior year to complete the
performance standard. Students satisfy the district
performance standards for basic skills in science if
they have:
- Achieved a score in either band three (Proficient),
four (Goal) or five (Advanced) on the 3rd generation
of the Connecticut Academic Performance Test (CAPT) in
science, or
- Passed one of the following courses with a 70 or higher:
Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Honors Physics, AP Physics,
or a senior science electives course; or passed the final
two District Wide Trimester Assessments (DWTAs) in one
of these courses with a 70 or higher in 11th grade; or
completed an independent study project in science with
a 70 or higher in 12th grade to be designed and assessed
by the school science department.
TECHNOLOGY
Performance Standard
Students shall demonstrate the set of skills and competencies
required to enter the field, be accepted in apprenticeships
or pursue post-secondary technical studies as evidenced
by their trade/technology portfolio.
Options
Students have multiple opportunities over the course of
their junior and senior year to complete a trade/technology
portfolio. The trade/technology portfolio includes
a skills checklist and competency assessment list and
accomplishments.
STUDENT TRANSFERS
The district policy applies in full for students who transfer
into the district prior to CAPT in grade 10.
- Transfers after the Connecticut Academic Performance
Test (CAPT) administration in Grade 10 but prior to
CAPT administration in grade 11 - The
system policy applies in full. If the student
is an in-state public school transfer, then the grade
10 CAPT scores in language arts, math and science achieved
in the previous district would apply and count towards
our policy as well as any applicable coursework grades/credits. If
he/she did not take CAPT, or did not meet the standard
in the previous district, then he/she follows the out
of state path for CAPT re-testing. If he/she
is an out-of-state transfer, then the requirement would
be to test on the CAPT in grade 11 in language arts,
mathematics, and science and if he/she doesn’t
achieve the proficient score then the other alternate
paths in the policy would apply to meet the standard.
- Transfers after CAPT in Grade 11 or in Grade
12 - These transfer students will be exempted
from the basic skills performance standards requirements
for graduation.
Exploratory Program
The
Connecticut Technical High School System (CTHSS) ensures
each ninth grade student participates in the technology
exploratory program. The
exploratory program introduces each student to the goals
and objectives for each trade/technology; provides an objective
measure of student performance and a measure of potential
for success for each student in all trades/technologies.
The ninth grade exploratory year is viewed as an extension
of the admission process that serves as (1) a verification
of the student’s desire for a technical education
and (2) as an assessment of technical aptitudes. The exploratory
program is divided into three phases: Phase I gives students
career information on each trade technology offered; Phase
II gives each student a hands-on experience in three trade
technology areas; and, Phase III gives students a permanent
placement to begin the study of a trade/technology
that he/she will concentrate on for the next three years.
Please
Note: In order for a student to continue in
the CTHSS beyond grade nine, he/she must successfully complete
the exploratory program. Successful completion is
defined as a grade of 60 or higher in Phase III, as well
as a cumulative grade of 60 or higher in the exploratory
program. Failure to successfully complete the exploratory
program will make it necessary for a student to transfer
back to his/her sending district.
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