The RIDE Career and Technical Education (CTE) Seal is awarded to Rhode Island students that successfully complete all of the necessary requirements (course sequence, credentialing, work-based learning hours, and completing of culminating assessment) of a RIDE approved CTE pathway. Students that achieve this honor receive their seal on their diploma. For more information on all of our Career and Technical Education pathways and related opportunities, please follow the link provided here.

The Commissioner’s Seal Council Designation certifies that a student is proficient in standards aligned to high school expectations in English Language Arts and Mathematics, as confirmed by external evidence. To earn a Commissioner’s Seal, students must successfully meet the established benchmark on both an approved ELA assessment and an approved mathematics assessment in order to earn the one Commissioner’s Seal. 

For the exact requirements necessary to receive the Commissioner's Seal, please see the following RIDE Commissioner's Seal: Assessment List and FAQ document linked here.

At the end of each quarter an honor roll will be published.  Students with grades of all A’s earn High Honor status while students with grades of all A’s and B’s earn Honor status.  Each quarter Portsmouth High School recognizes students who maintain Honor Roll status.

National Art Honor Society was established in 1978 in the United States by the National Art Education Association for high school student’s grades 10-12, for “the purpose of inspiring and recognizing those students who have shown an outstanding ability in art”. With a 90 or above in any art class students will be recommended to join. Students meet once a month to discuss fundraising and outside opportunities to show their art. Students will also be required to perform a number of community service hours for full credit.

The National Honor Society promotes appropriate recognition for students who reflect outstanding accomplishments in the areas of academics, character, leadership, and service.

Membership in the NHS is a privilege which must be earned by demonstrating Scholarship, Character, Service and Leadership during your four years at Portsmouth High School.  Initial selection of candidates is made at the end of the first semester of the junior year.  To be eligible for membership, a student must have a cumulative weighted GPA of at least 3.3 at the completion of the junior year.  Dropping a course as a junior or senior to maintain this GPA affects consideration for nomination.  Final selection is determined by a general faculty survey and committee review of the factors mentioned above.

Each candidate's school department record is reviewed as part of the selection process.  Major infractions, including plagiarism or casting a negative impression on Portsmouth High School, may be grounds for exclusion from membership in the NHS.

Each candidate must also complete 50 hours of voluntary community service, 10 of which must be in peer tutoring after initial selection and before induction.  Verification of the completed service must be submitted to the review committee four weeks before the induction ceremony.

Once selected, each member has a responsibility to continue to demonstrate the qualities of scholarship, service, leadership and character and maintain standards of membership through his/her senior year.  The following guidelines will give further help in the definition of leadership, service, and character.

The student who exercises leadership:

• Is resourceful in proposing new problems, applying principles, and making suggestions.

• Demonstrates leadership in promoting school activities.

• Exercises influence on peers in upholding school ideals.

• Contributes ideas that improve the civic life of the school.

• Is able to delegate responsibilities.

• Exemplifies positive attitudes.

• Inspires positive behavior in others.

• Demonstrates academic initiative.

• Successfully holds school offices or positions of responsibility, conducting business efficiently and effectively, and without prodding, demonstrates reliability and dependability.

• Is thoroughly dependable in any responsibility accepted.

The student who serves:

• Is willing to uphold scholarship and maintain a loyal school attitude.

• Participates in some outside activity: Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, church groups, volunteer services for the aged, poor, or disadvantaged, family duties.

• Volunteers dependable and well organized assistance, is gladly available, and is willing to sacrifice to offer assistance.

• Works well with others and is willing to take on difficult or inconspicuous responsibilities.

• Cheerfully and enthusiastically renders any requested service to the school.

• Is willing to represent the class or school in inter-class and interscholastic competition.

• Completes committee and staff work without complaint.

• Shows courtesy by assisting visitors, teachers, and students.

The student of character:

• Takes criticism willingly and accepts recommendations graciously.

• Consistently exemplifies desirable qualities of behavior (cheerfulness, friendliness, poise, stability).

• Upholds principles of morality and ethics.

• Cooperates by complying with school regulations concerning property, programs, office, halls, etc.

• Demonstrates the highest standards of honesty and reliability.

• Shows courtesy, concern, and respect for others.

• Observes instructions and rules, punctuality, and faithfulness both inside and outside of the classroom.

• Has powers of concentration and sustained attention as shown by perseverance and application to studies.

• Manifests truthfulness in acknowledging obedience to rules, avoiding cheating in written work, and showing unwillingness to profit by the mistakes of others.

• Actively helps to rid the school of bad influences or environment.

Source:  National Association of Secondary School Principals’ National Honor Society Handbook.

National Honor Society Selection Procedure

1. The principal will appoint a National Honor Society advisor and a Faculty Council at the start of each school year.

2. Following the issuance of report cards in January all junior and senior students with the qualifying GPA of 3.3 will be notified of their eligibility prior to February vacation and asked to submit a Student Activity Summary Sheet to the NHS advisor.  Submission of an SAS gives the Faculty Council permission to solicit information from faculty and staff regarding character, leadership and service.

3. In March, a list of those students who submit Student Activity Summary Sheets will be disseminated to the faculty for their input.  Faculty members will be asked to rate candidates on the strength of their character, leadership and service.  Faculty who give a student a rating of 1 (the lowest score) must submit a written explanation for giving the lowest score or the rating will be ignored.

4. The NHS advisor will compile the Faculty Rating Sheets and the Student Activity Summary Sheets and present them to the Faculty Council.  The Council may solicit information from faculty and/or administrators to clarify a student’s candidacy.  Based on the entire information the Faculty Council, by majority vote, will decide which students are appropriate for induction into the National Honor Society.

5. The Faculty Rating Sheets and any written explanations will be collected in strict confidence, kept in strict confidence and destroyed upon their review by the Council.

6. Members will be inducted in April, provided they agree to abide by the rules and conditions of the National Honor Society of Portsmouth High School  (community service, conduct, meeting attendance, etc.).

Students not selected by the Faculty Council

1. Students who are not selected by the Faculty Council will be notified by the NHS advisor and told of the category that was the cause of the student’s non-selection (character, leadership, or service).

2. Non-selected students may appeal the Faculty Council’s decision to the principal.  If the student believes the Faculty Council has made an error in judgment or a procedural error and the principal believes there is sufficient reason for reconsideration, he will notify the advisor to reconvene the Faculty Council.

3. The non-selected student may then submit in writing any information they feel is necessary for the Faculty Council to fully assess their candidacy (essays, letters, etc.)

4. The Faculty Council will reconsider the student for selection in the NHS and make their decision by majority vote.

5. While the deliberations of the Faculty Council are kept confidential, nothing in this procedure should be construed to preclude a student from seeking advice and/or counsel from a member of the PHS faculty on the topic of the student’s suitability for membership in the National Honor Society.

NOTE: NHS members whose weighted GPA falls below 3.3 will be placed on probation for one marking period.  During that period, the members must improve their academic standing or face removal from the Society.

SNHS is a prominent scientific organization that will engender a new group of young thinkers who will be the future of industry, research, and scientific exploration for America. Participation encourages leadership and supports a student's academic achievements in the sciences.

The SNHS recognizes and celebrates students who have excelled in the field of science. By offering membership to high schools to support student interest in science, it promotes academic excellence and motivates students to strive for success in their scientific pursuits.

The Seal of Biliteracy celebrates students who have multilingual competence,  and it also certifies that a student has demonstrated skills in the English language and one or more other world languages.  The Seal of Biliteracy may also help to ensure proper placement in the right level course at the college/university level. Additionally, students may receive college credit for work that they completed in high school. 

In order to receive the Seal of Biliteracy students must: 

• Be in 12th grade AND 

• Complete the English language requirements from a Rhode Island high school where the primary language of instruction is English AND 

• Attain an Intermediate Mid proficiency* rating in a second and/or subsequent language in each mode of communication.

***If students have met the above criteria, The Seal of Biliteracy will be affixed to a student’s diploma and will also be noted on his/her final transcript, which will be sent to colleges/universities. ***