2024 – 2025
Graduation Requirements
Course & Program of Studies
Student schedules must include 18 academic and 18 vocational credits per year. A student must successfully pass all MCAS exams currently required by the Commonwealth and earn a minimum of credits in the configuration described above, in order to graduate with a high school diploma and a vocational certificate.
Graduation / Promotion Credit Requirements & Schedules
| All students must earned a minimum of 127 credits over 4 years | ||||
| Course Work | Class of 2025 | Class of 2026 | Class of 2027 | Class of 2028 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| English
Must Pass 4 Years |
12 Total | 12 Total | 12 Total | 12 Total |
| Math | 9 Total
including Algebra I & Geometry |
9 Total
including Algebra I & Geometry |
12 Total
including Algebra I, Algebra II & Geometry |
12 Total
including Algebra I, Algebra II & Geometry |
| Science | 9 Total
including Biology I |
9 Total
including Biology I |
9 Total
including Biology I |
9 Total
including Biology I |
| History | 7 Total | 7 Total | 7 Total | 7 Total |
| Related | 8.5 Total
from Junior and Senior Year Only |
8.5 Total
from Junior and Senior Year Only |
8.5 Total
from Junior and Senior Year Only |
8.5 Total
from Junior and Senior Year Only |
| CVTE/SHOP | Must Pass | Must Pass | Must Pass | Must Pass |
| Phys. Ed./Health | 3.5 Total | 3.5 Total | 3.5 Total | 3.5 Total |
| Strategies / Literacy
(Trimester Courses:1 credit each=3 credits) |
6 Total
from Freshman & Sophomore Year |
6 Total
from Freshman & Sophomore Year |
6 Total
from Freshman & Sophomore Year |
6 Total
from Freshman & Sophomore Year |
| * Attendance | No more than 3 Unexcused Absences per Trimester –
9 total per year |
No more than 3 Unexcused Absences per Trimester –
9 total per year |
No more than 3 Unexcused Absences per Trimester –
9 total per year |
No more than 3 Unexcused Absences per Trimester –
9 total per year |
| * Career Portfolio | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| * Career Cruising | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| * Cannot Fail more than | 6 Credits Senior Year | 6 Credits Senior Year | 6 Credits Senior Year | 6 Credits Senior Year |
Course Levels
College Prep (CP)
Advanced College Prep (ACP)
Honors (HON)
Advanced Placement (AP)
Class Rank
Rank in class is established by deriving a quality point average (Q.P.A.) based on points accumulated from the grade in each course.
- College Prep. 2 = 1.0
- College Prep. 1 = 1.1
- Honors course grades (marked with an *) = 1.25.
- Advanced Placement, college
- courses (marked with **) = 1.5
Valedictorian and Salutatorian are selected using the weighted Q.P.A. and rank in class. The Valedictorian and Salutatorian will be determined at the end of the second marking period of their senior year. Specific values are clearly illustrated in the “grading system” section of the Student Handbook. Students should note that outside evaluators often look at rank in class as a basis for making predictions regarding success in employment or Higher Education.
Mass Core and the Massachusetts Board
of Higher Education (BHE) Standards
| All students must earned a minimum of 127 credits over 4 years | ||
| Subjects | MassCore Standards |
BHE Admissions Standards * Most Colleges & Universities |
| English | 4 units | 4 courses |
| Math |
4 units Including completion of Algebra II or the Integrated Mathematics equivalent. A mathematics course during senior year is recommended for all students. Students may substitute one unit of Computer Science that includes rigorous mathematical concepts and aligns with the Digital Literacy and Computer Science standards for a mathematics course. |
4 courses Algebra I & II and Geometry or Trigonometry or comparable coursework including math during final year of high school |
| Science |
3 units lab-based science Coursework in technology / engineering courses may also count for MassCore science credit. Students may substitute one unit of Computer Science that includes rigorous scientific concepts and aligns with the Digital Literacy and Computer Science standards for a laboratory science course. |
3 courses from Natural Science and/or Technology Engineering, including 3 with laboratory work. |
| History | 3 units |
2 courses including 1 course in U.S.History |
| Foreign Language |
2 units of the same language |
— |
| The Arts | 1 units | |
| Other |
5 units Other additional coursework, including Career and Technical Education, or any of the above |
2 courses from the above subjects or from the Arts & Humanities or Computer Sciences |
MassCore:
* State law (M.G.L. c. 71,s. 3) states: “Physical education shall be taught as a required subject in all grades for all students.” Health can be integrated into Physical Education, science, or taught as a stand-alone course.
** A unit represents a full academic year of study or its equivalent in a subject that covers all the standards contained in a specific Curriculum Framework.
*** Students enrolled in a state-approved Career and Technical Education program of studies have the option of opting out of World Language and Art and still fulfill MassCore.
**** Districts may designate students with demonstrated fluency and literacy in language(s) other than English as meeting the MassCore recommendations for World language.
Course Change Policy
Students select their courses in the spring each year for the following school year. Students have the chance to review course offerings, discuss their choices with their parents and teachers, and review their choices with their guidance counselor prior to submitting their final requests. Once these decisions regarding their schedules are complete, course changes are difficult, if not impossible to make.
Schedule Change Procedure
- Add/Drop Period
While we encourage students to solidify schedule requests at the end of the previous school year, there are circumstances that may necessitate a change at the start of the school year. Students may request a change prior to September 30th by making an appointment with their guidance counselor. Changes will be honored only for unusual circumstances, and reassignments are subject to course availability. Students are not allowed to change courses due to teacher preference. Any level changes require a parent, teacher, and/or department head signature.
- Changes Requested after September 30th
Course changes after September 30th are extremely rare. In addition to the above procedure, any course changes made after this date require completion of a Student Schedule Change Form which requires approval of the parent, teacher, respective department head and the sign-off of the guidance director. Any changes made after September 30th are reflected on the student’s transcript (the original course will be noted as a W= Withdrawal).
- Changes Requested after Mid-Term
In addition to the above procedures, all changes requested after marks close for the first mid-term must be approved by the parent, teacher, respective department head, Academic and/or CVTE Principal and Director of Guidance. Any course change this late in the school year would only be considered in an extraordinary circumstance.