It is the philosophy of the Girard School District that each student can benefit by selecting courses available in the program of studies which will provide intellectual, emotional, social, aesthetic, and physical growth during their four years of high school education. Every student who expects to obtain a high school diploma from the Girard School District shall be responsible for completing all the course requirements at Girard High School.
Students must schedule eight (8) credits each year. To earn credit, all required courses and necessary electives must be passed with a grade of “D” or better.
Students are required to have 2 credits of Arts and Humanities to graduate. These credits may be earned in any of the following areas/courses: World Languages, Art, Music, Family & Consumer Science & Social Studies. *Students are required to earn 7 credits in elective courses, but will take as many as 11 elective credits in high school.
*THE BOARD OF EDUCATION RESERVES THE RIGHT TO INCREASE GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS CRITERIA FOR HOMEROOM ASSIGNMENTS:
6 Credits: 10th Grade (with at least 3 in required courses)
12 Credits: 11th Grade
20 Credits: 12th Grade
If a student completes the 28 required credits for graduation at the end of the 1st semester of their senior year, he/she must still be enrolled in 4 credits at Girard High School for the 2nd semester to be considered a student in the Girard School District.
New classes may only start after approval by the school board. In some cases a course may be removed from the master schedule if approval is not granted.
Girard High School is an intensive 4 block schedule day. All students are required to schedule (8) eight credits of courses or their equivalent in an academic year. Each student will schedule (4) four credits each semester. Students failing a required course should include it on their course selection sheet for the following year or make plans to take it during summer school. If a student receives an (I) Incomplete in any course, he/she is not permitted to take that course in summer school, but must schedule it for the following school year.
Students must do 2 job shadows and make a presentation on 3 different careers they have researched while in high school. Students will be required to take the Keystone Exams in Literature Composition, Biology, Algebra I. This will start with the class of 2015. It is mandatory that Keystone Results be posted on student transcripts.
Students are not permitted to drop a course after the tenth day of class.
There must be at least (10) students enrolled in a course in order for it to be offered during summer school. Students may take up to (2) two courses in summer school in which they previously failed. Students may not take a course in summer school in which they previously received an (I) Incomplete. Parents and students may request more information on summer school from the guidance office.
Only those courses which are highly accelerated in academic difficulty are given a weighted grade. Weighted grades are shown on a student’s transcript exactly as they are earned from a teacher. Weighted grades assist a student in class ranking. A student’s class rank is calculated with the “weight” factor; however, an earned “C” in a weighted course is not recorded as a “B.” The guidance counselors can further explain class rank. All courses listed as “Academic” in their title, receive a weight of 1.0. The courses listed below are the weighted courses at Girard High School.
Course Credit Grade Multiplier G.P.A. Points
Academic English 1.0 A 1.0 4.0
Honors English 1.0 A 1.1 4.4
AP English 1.0 A 1.2 4.8
Honors Algebra I
Honors Geometry
Trigonometry
Organic Chemistry
Meteorology
Honors Biology
Honors Chemistry
Honors Physics
Spanish III & IV
French III & IV
Honors English 9, 10, 11 & 12
Honors Algebra II
Honors Statistics
Honors U.S. & World History I
Honors U.S. & World History II
Honors American Government
Honors Economics
Paleontology I & II
Human Anatomy & Physiology
Astronomy II
Chemistry for Health Science
Level 2 & 3 ECTS Programs
RMU Pre-Calculus
RMU Calculus
RMU Statistics
RMU Principles of Sociology
RMU Argument & Research (AP English Language and Composition)
RMU Classic/Modern Lit (AP English Literature and Composition)
RMU Environmental Science
RMU Biology (AP Biology)
RMU Human Anatomy and Physiology
RMU Physics
RMU Public Speaking
RMU Fundamentals of Info Tech
AP Chemistry
AP American Government
AP World History
AP Human Geography
All R.C.I./ Dual Enrollment/College in High School Courses