State Assessment - STAAR (State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness)

Students must receive a passing score on the following EOC assessments: English I, English II, Algebra I, Biology, U.S. History to qualify for graduation.

Endorsements are areas of specialized study including:

Arts and Humanities Business and Industry

Public Services Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM)

Multidisciplinary Studies (requires Geography, World History, US History, Government and Economics)

* Math and Science requirements vary per endorsement.

Distinguished Level of Achievement indicates a higher level of academic achievement earned by going beyond the Foundation High School Program with Endorsement. A student must earn this designation to be eligible for the “Top 10% Rule” automatic admission to a Texas public university.

Performance Acknowledgments allow students to earn an additional acknowledgment on their transcripts because of outstanding performance in areas such as dual enrollment or dual credit courses and bilingualism and biliteracy; on Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, PSAT, ACT ASPIRE®, the SAT or ACT exams; or by earning a state-, nationally- or internationally- recognized business or industry certification.

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Credit

All credit must be completed in grades 9-12 except high school courses satisfactorily completed in grades 6, 7 and/or 8. Only courses approved by the State Board of Education (SBOE) and listed in the Texas Administrative Code, Chapter 74 may be used to meet graduation requirements. Courses listed in this catalog are SBOE-approved except those noted as “Local Credit Only” developed to meet identified LTISD needs or interests. Local credit and grades are awarded for these courses to document participation. Credit may be earned by satisfactorily completing correspondence courses (limit of 3 credits), dual credit/dual enrollment courses, and/or credit by exam for acceleration and/or recovery if the student has obtained prior approval and submitted transcripts of grades to high school registrar.

All students shall be required to take a minimum of four un-weighted credits during high school. These four un-weighted Regular credits shall be used in the calculation of class rank and of the top ten percent. A student shall complete three of the four required un-weighted Regular credits prior to the beginning of his or her senior year.

High School Courses Taken in Middle School

LTISD offers courses for high school credit in middle school. Students who take these courses must show satisfactory completion of the prerequisite and Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills as well as state and district requirements. Credit will be reflected on the student’s high school transcript; grades for these courses will not be averaged in the high school GPA. Students who complete Algebra I and/or Geometry in middle school should plan to continue with higher-level mathematics courses in grades 9-12. Students who successfully complete another language in the 8th grade may use this unit to satisfy one credit of the “Other Languages” requirement.

Grade Level Classification

Freshman: Must have been promoted from the 8th grade.

Sophomore: Must have earned 6 credits and completed one year of high school.

Junior: Must have earned 12 credits and completed two years of high school.

Senior: Must have earned 18 credits and completed three years of high school.

(Exception for students who have filed an Early Graduation Plan)

This classification is based on the number of credits at the beginning of each year. Credit for correspondence, dual credit, and credit by exam is not awarded until the final grade is recorded in the registrar’s office.

Transfer Credit Policy - Course Credit from an Accredited State, National, or International School

LTHS grants course credit from an accredited educational institution providing that (1) the course credit is recorded on an official transcript of that educational institution, (2) the course is a recognized credit course in the State of Texas, and (3) the course meets the TEKS for the specific course. To see how transfer credit is applied to GPA and class rank please visit the GPA calculation page.

Valedictorian and Salutatorian Recognition

In order to compete for the honor of valedictorian and salutatorian, a student must be enrolled at this campus for his/her entire junior and senior years. In addition, the student must complete at least six state credits at the high school in the senior year. In order to be eligible to be valedictorian or salutatorian, a student must meet all graduation requirements for the Foundation Program with Endorsement and Distinguished Level of Achievement. EIC (Local) Policy

Early Graduates

Students wishing to graduate early must apply for early graduation by returning the required completed form to their counselor. To be eligible to graduate early, students will complete all coursework and the state-required testing required of the 9th-grade class in which they begin high school. In addition, any correspondence courses must be completed by the end of the semester prior to graduation. Early graduates will be ranked in the Spring semester prior to graduation with the graduating class with which they actually graduate and will be eligible for honors positions (except Valedictorian and Salutatorian). However, students who meet the requirements of the Early High School Graduation Scholarship Program under Education Code 56.203 at the end of the summer school session will not be ranked within a graduating class. Those who graduate one semester early will retain the rank earned at that time. EIC (Local) Policy