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Good News for High Achieving
Middle School and High School Students
The Board of Education recently made changes to the school system’s
Graduation Policy, giving high achieving middle and high school
students new opportunities to be acknowledged for their outstanding
academic achievement. Here’s what you should know:
Middle school students and current ninth graders can earn high school
credit .
You will earn high school credit if you take and pass Algebra I,
Geometry, Algebra II, Pre-calculus, Spanish I, or French I in middle
school and pass the associated assessment. Grades you earn for high
school level classes will be recorded on your middle school report card;
passing grades will be recorded as a “pass” on your high school
transcript when you begin ninth grade. High school courses that you
take in middle school will not affect your high school grade point
average.
If you earn high school credit while in middle school in mathematics or
a foreign language, you will still be required to take 3 math credits in
high school and 2 foreign language credits in high school, if you choose
the foreign language pathway.
Students entering ninth grade in 2005-06, may also receive high school
credit for having taken designated high school level courses while in
middle school and having passed the associated assessment. The
credit is earned in middle school; it is awarded in high school.
What is the advantage of taking high school courses in middle school?
You’ll get a head start on your high school schedule so you can take
higher-level courses in high school in mathematics and/or foreign
language. And, your high school transcript will acknowledge that you’ve
taken on the rigor of high school level classes in middle school.
High school students can receive endorsements on their diploma
Students now will receive diploma endorsements for attaining specified,
cumulative GPAs:
The Howard County Public School System Certificate of Merit is granted
to students who earn a minimum of 12 credits in merit courses and who
achieve an unweighted cumulative grade-point average of at least 3.0
on a 4.0 scale.
The Howard County Public School System Certificate of Merit with
Honors is granted to students who earn a minimum of 15 credits in
merit courses, at least one of which is a GT or AP level course, and who
achieve an unweighted cumulative grade-point average of at least 3.4
on a 4.0 scale.
The Howard County Public School System Certificate of Merit with
Distinction is granted to students who earn a minimum of 15 credits in
merit courses, at least three of which are GT or AP level courses, and
who achieve an unweighted cumulative grade-point average of at least
3.75 on a 4.0 scale.
This year’s ninth graders are the first class that must PASS the HSAs.
Students entering Grade 9 this year and beyond must take the Maryland
High School Assessments for English, algebra/data analysis, biology
and government. In the past, students simply needed to take the
assessment. Now, students must achieve one of the following:
The passing score on each test
A minimum score for each test and a combined overall score
A specific score on (an) MSDE-approved comparable
assessment(s), or
A passing score on the four High School Assessments by a
combination of bullets 1 and 3.
Other High School Graduation Requirements
Other graduation requirements remain the same:
A minimum of 21 credits in specific disciplines - A credit is the
unit of
achievement awarded for the completion of a course and/or the
successful demonstration of established learning goals. Course credits
are published in the Catalog of Approved High School Courses.
Students who receive credit for high school courses taken in middle
school will need to fulfill this 21-credit requirement. Students must
satisfactorily complete 4 years of approved study beyond the eighth
grade unless one of the approved alternatives is satisfied. (See Section
D in Policy 2121 or speak to your high school guidance counselor.)
Complete a Student Service Learning Requirement, usually
during
the middle school level, and
Participate in an approved program of Career Preparation, which
is
similar to the former World of Work program.
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