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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 4
credits
Social Studies
(includes Civics) 3
credits
Mathematics 3
credits
Science 3
credits
Other Requirements
Physical
Education 1
credit
Health 1
credit
Career Development
(11th Grade) 1
credit
Elective 1
credit
*Includes
exploratory for freshmen students only. One
credit 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. See page 7 for information
on exploratory program. 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, 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 trade/technology
programs; 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 return to
his/her sending district. |
