2023-2024

EDINA HIGH SCHOOL COURSE CATALOG

Welcome to Edina High School!

We are excited and proud of the work we do at Edina High School to provide an exceptional education and assist students in preparation for their future.  We look to equip students with the necessary skills to be successful at the next level; whether it is college, vocational training, or work.  This process begins with registration and our course catalog serves as a guide to the many academic programs offered.  Please read this catalog carefully as it will prove helpful in academic planning today, and for the future. 

As you consider your course planning for the upcoming years, pay special attention to the points below:

A typical course load for students is six periods out of the seven offered each semester. 

Consider taking rigorous courses, but monitor your daily and evening schedule and balance.

   - Do you have a job outside of school?

   - Are you involved in an extra-curricular activity?

   - Are there other outside commitments that could take priority over school?

   - How much time will you have to allocate to homework/studying?

Look at courses related to your interests beyond high school.

Program planning is a team effort that involves parents, students and staff.

Click here to be directed to our Registration Website 

Graduation Requirements

Students must earn 43 semester credits in grades 9-12 in order to qualify for graduation.

The following is a brief description of requirements; please refer to the individual subject sections of this guide and the Graduation Requirements Worksheet, (links above), and also available from the Student Services office, for additional clarification.

College Credit and Advanced Learning Opportunities 

Students have many enriched course offerings from which to choose.  Such options include the possibility of earning college credit through  Project Lead the Way (PLTW), Advanced Placement (AP) or College Level Examination Programs (CLEP). Additional information about enriched learning opportunities is included in this catalog and from counselors. Advanced Placement examinations require payment of a fee.  They are administered on campus each May. College Level Examination Programs are administered at many colleges and universities upon the student’s entry. Any student interested in this option should consult the catalog of the college or university to which he/she is applying. 

Specific courses that are designed to provide an enriched approach and/or to provide preparation for Advanced Placement examinations are as follows:

Grade Weighting

Advanced Placement (AP) courses are weighted at 1.2 in the student's academic GPA as compared to other courses offered in this registration guide.

Schedule Changes

The teacher schedule is created each year to accommodate course selections by students. From this, faculty members are employed, textbooks are purchased, and rooms are assigned based on these course requests. The master schedule does change from semester to semester and students are not guaranteed the same teacher or class schedule each semester. Because our district is growing and classroom capacity is at the cap, schedule changes will follow a strict procedure.

Students will receive a copy of their course requests in the spring to verify they have registered for the appropriate classes.

Once the semester has begun, a schedule change request will only be made for the following reasons:

Course Additions: Students may add a course to fill an unscheduled hour, student prep, or another course only if there is available space in the desired class during the first week of each semester. Students are expected to complete all of the work that was assigned in the new course prior to enrollment.

Course Drops: Students may drop a course prior to the end of the fourth week of each semester without penalty, provided the student maintains at least six credit-bearing courses. Students should fill out a course drop form available in the counseling office. Students who drop a class after the deadline will receive a grade of "NC" included on their transcript and must retain six credit-bearing courses.

Course Level Changes: Level changes may be made in rare and unique circumstances. Students who attend class regularly, turn in all required work, and seek additional support as needed, will increase their likelihood of achieving academic success. If a student experiences serious academic difficulties and/or has failing grades, a parent/student/teacher conference is recommended. Students who follow these steps yet continue to experience consistent academic failure should see their counselor to discuss a level change. Space in the desired course must also be available.

Post-High School Planning

 TYPICAL FOUR YEAR COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES

In general, being academically prepared for college means adequate preparation in English, history/social studies, mathematics and science.  Most college programs also require the study of a world language.  Study in these fields may enable students to score higher on college  entrance tests.  Nearly all colleges expect students to have taken at least 32 semester credits in these college preparatory, academic areas while in grades 9-12. The more selective the college, the more preparation they expect in core academic disciplines.

To learn about specific admission requirements, students should consult websites of the colleges and universities where they are interested in possibly attending. In particular, please note their requirements for English credits.  While Edina High School accepts some courses for English credit, some schools may not accept them as part of a four-year admissions requirement in English. In addition, Whigrean and Zephyrus will not meet the English requirement for either Edina High School or four-year colleges or universities. There are a few universities that may not accept courses such as Film and Literature or Mass Media. As always, if a student has any questions about admission requirements, he/she should talk with their respective counselor.

Entrance requirements for more selective colleges and for several of the colleges of the University of Minnesota are as follows:

MORE SELECTIVE FOUR YEAR COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES

Most colleges require the following courses/credits in Grades 9-12 as a minimum:

8 credits in English (emphasis on writing, speaking and literature)

8 credits in math (1 year of algebra, 1 year of geometry, 1 year of advanced algebra, and 1 year of FST or Precalculus)

6 credits in laboratory sciences

7 credits in social sciences

8 credits in a single world language, strongly recommended (Grades 8-12)*

*American Sign Language is accepted as a second language by most, but not all schools.

The expectations at competitive colleges are significantly higher. These colleges would expect prospective students to have challenged themselves by taking at least some Advanced Placement or enriched courses.

UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA

Students planning to attend the University of Minnesota, or any of its branches, their freshman year should complete the following, at a minimum, in Grades 9-12:

· 8 credits in English (emphasis on writing, speaking and literature)

· 8 credits in mathematics (1 year each of algebra, geometry, and FST or college algebra prep)

· 6 credits in laboratory sciences (1 year each of a biological and a physical science)

· 4 credits in a single world language (Grades 8-12)

· 6 credits in social studies (including United States history)

· 2 credits in visual and performing arts, including instruction in the history and interpretation of the art form (e.g., theater arts, music, band, chorus, orchestra, drawing, painting, photography, graphic design, etc.)

We strongly encourage students to take courses beyond these minimum requirements.  Additional coursework beyond these minimums increases a student’s chances for admission. Indeed, while not requiring more courses, almost all successful applicants present additional classes.

MINNESOTA STATE UNIVERSITY SYSTEM

Students planning to enter a Minnesota State University are required to complete the following courses in grades 9-12:

· 8 credits in English (emphasis on writing, speaking, and literature)

· 6 credits in science (1 year each of chemistry, physics, and biology)

· 6 credits in mathematics (1 year each of algebra, geometry, advanced algebra)

· 4 credits in a single world language (Grades 8-12)

· 6 credits in social studies (1 year each of US history and geography)

COMMUNITY COLLEGES

Community colleges offer some vocationally oriented programs involving one or two years of study to prepare for full-time employment.  They also offer the first two years of a traditional four-year college program.  Most community colleges admit any student who has graduated from high school, however some programs have special admissions requirements. Interested students should check catalogs and/or speak directly with an admissions representative.

BUSINESS AND TECHNICAL SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES

A wide variety of programs are offered in these schools, both public and private.  Some involve prior training in high school. Interested students should check the catalogs of these schools in the Career Center or phone the school directly for suggested high school preparation.

JOB ENTRY AFTER HIGH SCHOOL

Students who plan to enter employment directly after high school graduation may want to consider courses to improve their skills in mathematics, communications, and technical fields. Students considering moving into employment directly out of high school should also consider that they may want to pursue post-secondary training at a later time.

MILITARY SERVICE

Many training opportunities are offered in the military services. Some of these involve special preparation in high school. Military information is readily available from the recruiters and in the Career Center.  Recruiters from the various branches visit once each quarter.

Athletic Eligibility College-Bound Student-Athlete - Division 1 or 2

If you intend to participate in Division 1 or 2 athletics as a college freshman, you must register and be certified by the NCAA Initial Eligibility Clearinghouse. The Clearinghouse is the agency that handles all eligibility for Division 1 and 2 athletics. For more information, please visit our NCAA website.

REGISTRATION PROCESS

Clearinghouse Registration Materials are available on the website www.eligibilitycenter.org that maintains and processes all of the initial-eligibility certifications. Complete the online form at the website listed above or call the NCAA publications hotline at 800-638-3731 for a free copy of the Guide for the College-Bound Student-Athlete which contains the registration forms and a Clearinghouse brochure. This guide can also be viewed online in the Student-Athlete Eligibility and recruiting section of the web site.

TEST SCORES

To be certified, you must submit your ACT or SAT scores to the NCAA Clearinghouse.  Your scores must be sent directly from the testing  agency to the Clearinghouse.

CORE COURSE GUIDELINES/NCAA INITIAL-ELIGIBILITY CLEARINGHOUSE

Students inquiring about approved core courses should consult with the NCAA Clearinghouse website at: 

https://web1.ncaa.org/hsportal/exec/hsAction.

The EHS school code for all NCAA documents is 240708.  Students should see their counselor if they have questions about anything related to the NCAA or athletic eligibility.