Specific Required Courses Are As Follows

GRADUATION

REQUIREMENTS

High school students need forty-eight (48) credits for graduation. All students are required to take six full credit classes daily, plus physical education/weights each semester. A course taken to meet requirements in one area cannot be used to satisfy requirements in another. The school day is an eight period day.

SPECIFIC REQUIRED COURSES ARE AS FOLLOWS:

LANGUAGE ARTS ------8 credits

One year of English Language Arts I

One year of English Language Arts II (Foreign Language will not count as

One semester of Literature Language Arts Credit)

Two elective semester courses (such as Drama/Stagecraft/Public Speaking)

MATHEMATICS ------6 credits (Earned in Grades 9-12)

Algebra will be given high school credit if taken at the middle school. In addition, six credits must be earned at the high school level.

SCIENCE ------6 credits

One year of Biology. In addition, four credits (two years) from other science courses.

SOCIAL STUDIES ------6 credits

One year of World Geography or World History

One year of American History

One semester of Economics

One semester of Government

One elective semester course

FINE ARTS ------1 credit

May be earned through Art, Concert Marching Band, Chorus, Drama/Stagecraft, Yearbook/Newspaper.

VOCATIONAL ------3 credits

1 credit or one semester of Keyboarding.

2 remaining credits may be earned from the following: Business, Computer Science, Family & Consumer Science, Industrial Technology, or Marketing.

PHYSICAL EDUCATION------1/2 credit for each semester in attendance.

SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF GRADE LEVEL INTEGRATION PROJECT.

(Three days of activities...One absence will dictate a grade no higher than “B”, two absences will dictate a grade no higher than a “C”, and three absences will dictate a grade no higher than a “D”. Failure of a grade-level Integration Project will require the student to complete the alternative (for the failed project) for the following year --in addition to successful completion of the regular grade level Integration Project for that year.

SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF A STRUCTURED PORTFOLIO (by grade level).

Most courses offered at UnderwoodHigh School earn one credit per semester for each class period that the class meets, if the class meets every day.

Courses which do not earn a full credit per semester are: Physical Education-including Weight Training (1/2 credit).

EARLY GRADUATION

Some students may desire to graduate before the end of four full years of high school. Students who have this desire need to discuss it with the counseling center prior to registering for classes their junior year. This is necessary in order to include required upper level classes into the students’ schedules at the times they are offered. All Early Graduates must complete the Alternative Integration Project prior to the end of 1st semester, as denoted by the Senior Integration Chairperson.

Students who graduate early are not allowed to participate in extra-curricular school activities; however, students who have graduated early may participate in Prom and spring commencement exercises. No formal graduation ceremony will be held until spring.