5460A - CRITERIA FOR AWARDING THE DIPLOMA WITH HONORS

West Clermont Local School District

Administrative Guidelines

5460A - CRITERIA FOR AWARDING THE DIPLOMA WITH HONORS
Graduating Classes of 2011 and Beyond (beginning with students starting high school in Fall 2007):

A.	The District shall award the Diploma with Honors to any student who has fulfilled the following requirements:

	1.	met the course, credit, and other requirements established by the Board or completed the IEP developed for the student

	2.	attained at least the applicable score on the tests required by the State Board of Education for graduation

	3.	completes the academic curriculum in the high school and has met at least seven (7) of the following eight (8) criteria:

		a.	earn four (4) units of English

		b.	earn at least four (4) units of Mathematics, which shall include Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II or equivalent and another higher level course or a four (4) year sequence of courses which contains equivalent content

		c.	earn at least four (4) units of Science, including physics and chemistry

		d.	earn four (4) units of Social Studies

		e.	earn either three (3) units each of one (1) foreign language, or two (2) units each of two (2) foreign languages (must include no less than two (2) units for which credit is sought)

		f.	earn one (1) unit of fine arts

		g.	maintain an overall high school grade point average of at least 3.5 on a 4 point scale up to the last grading period of the senior year, or


	h.	obtain a composite score of 27 on the American College Testing Program's (ACT) Tests, or an equivalent composite score of 1210 on the Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT)

3a.	completes an intensive career-technical education curriculum in the high school and has met at least seven (7) of the following eight (8) criteria:

	a.	earn four (4) units of English

	b.	earn at least four (4) units of Mathematics, which shall include Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II or equivalent and another higher level course or a four (4) year sequence of courses which contains equivalent content

	c.	earn at least four (4) units of Science, including physics and chemistry

	d.	earn four (4) units of Social Studies

	e.	earn four (4) units of Career-Technical education program that leads to an industry-recognized credential, apprenticeship, or be part of an articulated career pathway which can lead to post-secondary credit

		(Otherwise, the student must achieve the proficiency benchmark established for the applicable Ohio Career-Technical competency assessment of the equivalent.)

	f.	maintain an overall high school grade point average of at least 3.5 or 4 point scale up to the last grading period of the senior year

	g.	achieve proficiency benchmark established for appropriate Ohio Career-Technical Competency Assessment or equivalent assessment aligned with State-approved and industry validated technical standards


		h.	obtain a composite score of 27 on the American College Testing Program's (ACT) tests, or an equivalent composite score of 1210 on the Scholastic Assessment Tests (SAT)

B.	Students shall not be required to meet more than the specified number of criteria described in #3 or #3a above, nor shall any student be required to meet any one of such specified criterion.

C.	Students shall not be required to make application or declare their intention to qualify for the Diploma with Honors.

D.	Before the beginning of each school year, the high school principal shall notify all high school students and their parents of the criteria required for earning the Diploma with Honors.

E.	The Principal shall notify the Great Oaks Career Center of the requirements established by the Board for District students to be awarded a Diploma with Honors. The principal shall request and verify that the joint vocational school district provides to each enrolled District student, at the beginning of each year, the Board's requirements for both a regular diploma and the Diploma with Honors. In addition, the principal is directed to obtain from the JVS by no later than May 1st the diploma status for each enrolled District student.