general information

The purpose of this DSISD Middle School Course Catalog is to assist students and parents in planning for course selection to tailor learning experiences to individual student needs, interests, and aspirations. The general information and policies provided are intended to guide students during the pre-registration decision-making process. Many of the policies, requirements, and procedures described are currently under review and are subject to change. 

Availability of courses listed in the course catalog is contingent upon student requests, the availability of staff, and available funding on the campus.  Dripping Springs ISD seeks to provide equal educational opportunities. No student shall be denied the right to participate in any school program because of the student's race, religion, color, sex, or national origin. “No qualified handicapped person shall, on the basis of handicap, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or otherwise be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity which receives or benefits from federal financial assistance.” Under Section 504, complaints must be handled through established channels and procedures beginning with the building principal, followed by appeal to the 504 District Coordinator, the Superintendent or his designee, and finally the Board of Trustees. 

SPECIAL PROGRAMS

Special Education

Dripping Springs Middle School offers a continuum of special education services. Students receiving special education services will be placed by ARD committee decision. Support is provided in a variety of ways that is determined by the student’s individualized education plan (IEP) based on his/her identified disability and identified needs. All accommodations, modifications and services for students provided must result from discussions and decisions that are made during ARD committee meetings and will be reflected in the student’s IEP. 

504

Federal law prohibits discrimination and assures that disabled students have educational opportunities and benefits equal to those provided to non-disabled students. Eligible students have a record of or are regarded as having a physical or mental impairment which substantially limits at least one major life activity, including functions such as learning, self-care, walking, seeing, hearing, speaking, breathing, working and performing manual tasks. In order to receive services, there must be substantial limitation of a major life activity, i.e. a serious problem requiring accommodation within the school. If a student has or is suspected of having a disability or requires accommodations, parents should contact the counseling department for further information. 

ESL

The English as a Second Language (ESL) program is designed for the student whose primary language is a language other than English and who is working on either acquiring English or mastering English proficiency. Students in the ESL program are at different levels of English proficiency. The goal of the ESL program is to empower limited English proficient students to become competent in understanding, speaking, reading and writing in English. This goal is achieved through the use of integrated second language methods and research-based instruction. Decisions related to programming for ESL students will be made by the LPAC committee. 

GIFTED & TALENTED

Dripping Springs ISD is committed to ensuring the most appropriate educational setting for each student. Our Gifted and Talented (GT) Program is designed to meet the needs of students identified through our district GT assessment procedures. Our GT program ensures GT identified students will be clustered in classrooms and provided appropriately differentiated curriculum presented in a way that offers greater depth and complexity and enrichment activities. Clustering will be based on scheduling needs, elective choices, and student to staff ratios. More information on the DSISD GT Program can be found on the district web site. www.dsisdtx.us 

COURSE DESIGNATIONS

Courses are designed in various ways to meet the skills and interests of students. Courses are designated as on-level, Honors and GT. 

On-Level 

On-level provides instruction in all Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) as outlined in the state approved well-balanced curriculum. Students are taught using a variety of strategies, student activities and assessments. 

Honors Level 

Honors (formerly Pre-AP) level is open to all students and is designed to challenge motivated students. This level is more academically challenging and requires more independent learning than the on-level. DSISD recommends the following guidelines to help with decision making about taking an Honors level course: 

If the parent or student is unsure, please contact the student’s current subject area teacher for information. If a student does not pass the Honors level class at the end of a grading term, he/she may be exited from the Honors level and moved to the on-level course. This may require a schedule change impacting several classes. All grades transfer from the Honors course to the on-level course. 

Note: Teachers can make a recommendation to keep a student in an Honors level even if the student is failing at any grading period. Students will be required to meet specific criteria outlined in the agreement with the teacher to remain in the class. 

High School Credit Courses 

DSISD Middle School Campuses offers a select number of high school credit courses for seventh and eighth grade students. Please see the course descriptions for each of these courses for additional information. Please note that these courses will count on the student’s high school G.P.A. but not towards class ranking (RICA). The high school courses offered for credit at the middle school are: 

All courses are limited to space available. 

**These courses are offered at the high school campus and may require students to provide their own transportation.  

middle school requirements

Middle school courses offered in DSISD meet and exceed the requirements set forth by the Texas Education Agency. A middle school student’s program of study is as follows for each grade: 

Sixth Grade 

Seventh Grade 

Eighth Grade 

Homework 

Homework is assigned for a variety of purposes: to practice new skills, review the content just presented, prepare for the next lesson or to simply finish work that was started in class. Parents can expect homework regularly. Please note that the amount of time a student spends on homework may vary, depending on projects assigned and use of class time. If you have any concerns about the time your child is spending on homework, please contact your child’s teacher. 

Promotion Requirements 

As set in school board policy, promotion to the next grade level (in middle school) shall be based on an overall average of 70 on a scale of 100 based on course-level, grade-level standards (essential knowledge and skills) for all subject areas and a grade of 70 or above in language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies. Promotion of 8th grade students to the high school also includes passing state mandated tests in reading and math. 

Summer School 

Dripping Springs ISD offers summer school for middle school students to recover course credit in order to meet promotion standards. There is an enrollment fee for most summer programs. Dates, times and fees will be available from the counseling office in the spring. Students required to attend summer school in order to regain credit will be notified by the middle school.

Students who do not meet standard on their grade level STAAR exams (State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness) will be required to attend 30 hours of targeted and individualized summer school remediation per HB4545 beginning in the summer of 2022.  This remediation will be offered at no cost to students and families. Dates and times of remediation tutorials will be available in May.  

ASSESSMENTS & ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Credit by Examination Without Prior Instruction 

A student in any grade may use examinations (CBEs) in lieu of course work for acceleration, to advance one grade level, or to earn credit in an academic subject. The examinations will thoroughly test the essential knowledge and skills. As per local and state requirements, the student will be required to score an 80 on the exam to earn credit. The middle school offers CBE testing four times a year on specific dates, while various universities offer a flexible testing schedule. Please contact the counseling department for further information. 

Credit by Exam with Prior Instruction

Credit by exam is offered to students who attempted a course and did not pass or to determine appropriate placement for students transferring from home school or non-accredited schools. The student is required to score at least a 70 on such a test to demonstrate subject mastery. A student who has had sufficient prior formal instruction as determined by the district on the basis of a review of the student’s educational records and who has failed a course with a grade of no less than 60 may gain credit for the course by passing a proficiency examination on the essential knowledge and skills of the course. The attendance committee may allow a student with excessive absences to receive credit for a course by passing an examination. A student may not use credit by exam to regain eligibility to participate in extracurricular activities. 

State Assessment Program 

The State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) is a state achievement testing program based on the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS), which are the curriculum standards that teachers use every day as the basis for instruction. In middle school, students take the following STAAR tests: Grade 6: reading and math Grade 7: reading and math Grade 8: reading, math, science and social studies. State law requires that students in the 8th grade must meet standards on the 8th grade STAAR reading and math tests in order to be promoted to high school. Students have three opportunities during the spring and summer to take the tests and meet state standards. Students who do not meet the standard at the first or second testing date receive targeted intervention prior to the next administration of the test. A Grade Placement Committee or IEP committee will determine the grade placement for students who do not meet STAAR standards. 

Students who do not meet standard on their grade level STAAR exams (State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness) will be required to attend 30 hours of targeted and individualized summer school remediation per HB4545 beginning in the summer of 2022.  This remediation will be offered at no cost to students and families. Dates and times of remediation tutorials will be available in May.