REQUIREMENTS FOR GRADUATION

COURSE REQUIREMENTS

New York State provides a local diploma option for students who do not meet requirements for a regents diploma. The local diploma option is available for students entering 9^th grade through the fall of 2007. This option is available to Special Education students who enter grade 9 prior to September 2010.

LOCAL DIPLOMA REGENTS DIPLOMA ADV. DESIGNATION

Content Area	Credits	Content Area	Credits	Content Area	Credits
English	4	English	4	English	4
Social Studies	4	Social Studies	4	Social Studies	4
Math	3(a)	Math	3(a)	Math	3(a)
Science	3(a)	Science	3(a)	Science	3(a)
LOTE	1	LOTE	1	LOTE	3 (b)
Art/Music	1	Art/Music	1	Art/Music	1
Health	0.5	Health	0.5	Health	0.5
Physical Education	2	Physical Education	2	Physical Education	2
Electives	3.5	Electives	3.5	Electives	1.5
Total:	22.0	Total:	22.0	Total:	22.0

Note: (a) A commencement level course in technology education may be used for the third unit in either science or math (but not both) after the regents exam has been passed. Credits in science must include one life science and one physical science course.

(b) Students acquiring 5 units in Art, Business, Technology or Vocational Education may be exempt from the LOTE requirement for the Advanced Regents Diploma.

TESTING REQUIREMENTS

New York State provides a local diploma option for students who do not meet requirements for a regents diploma. The local diploma option is available for students entering 9^th grade through the fall of 2007. This option is available to Special Education students who enter grade 9 prior to September 2010.

LOCAL DIPLOMA(a)(c) REGENTS DIPLOMA (b) ADV. DESIGNATION (b)

(See footnote (a) for required exam scores) (PASSING REGENTS SCORE (PASSING REGENTS SCORE

OF 65 AND ABOVE) OF 65 AND ABOVE)

English Language Arts	English Language Arts	English Language Arts
Math A	Math A	Math A and Math B
Global History	Global History	Global History
US History	US History	US History
Science	Science	2 Science Exams (1 Life Science & 1 Physical Science)
LOTE (Checkpoint A or high school credit) 65 only	LOTE (Checkpoint A or high school credit)	LOTE (Checkpoint A and Checkpoint B) (See note (b) above.)

(a) Students entering 9^th grade in 2005, need a score of 65 or above on two required Regents exams and score 55 or above on three (3) required Regents exams. Students entering 9^th grade in 2006, need a score of 65 or above on three required Regents exams and score 55 or above on two (2) required Regents exams. Students entering 9^th grade in 2007, need a score of 65 or above on four required Regents exams and score 55 or above on one (1) required Regents exam. Students entering 9^th grade in 2008 do not have the local diploma option and must score 65 or above on all five required regents exams.

(b) Students may earn a Regents Diploma with Honor or a Regents Diploma with Advanced Designation with Honor by achieving a 90% average or higher on all required exams.

(c) Students identified by the committee on special education as having a disability, who do not receive the required score on a regents exam may receive testing credit by passing the regents competency test (RCT) in that subject

Course Requirements (one at a time)

Note testing requirement changes for students entering 9^th grade in 2005.

I. English - Four credits are required.

II. Social Studies - Four credits are required. The fourth required unit is Advanced Government and Economics.

III. Mathematics – Three credits are required (one of which may be a technology course at Vo-Tec* after meeting the regents testing requirement).

IV. Science – Three credits are required (one of which may be a technology course a Vo-Tec* after meeting regents exam requirements). Students must graduate with a life science and physical science credit.

V. Health - ½ credit is required. Students must pass Health sometime in grades 9 through 12. Lake George students normally take health in tenth grade.

VI. Art and/or Music - One credit is required. Students may use Studio in Art, Design and Drawing for Production, Band or Chorus.

VII. Language other than English (LOTE) Students must pass the Checkpoint A exam with a 65% or pass a high school class for a Regents or Local diploma and students must earn 3 credits and pass Checkpoint B for an Advanced Regents diploma(a). Students identified by the Committee on Special Education may be exempt from the three-year language requirement if their IEP states that the requirement is not appropriate.

(a) To earn the advanced designation, students must complete one of the following: 3 credits of a LOTE and 65% or higher on the Regents exam or 5 credits in art, technology, business or vocational courses

VIII. Physical Education - All students must take physical education each year and earn 2 units by graduation.

* A technology education course may be used as the third unit of credit in science or mathematics, but not both.

MISCELLANEOUS

1. Beginning with the graduating class of 2006, (also known as the Cohort Class of 2002), students in grades 9-12 will stay with their original Cohort group (which is the year student entered 9^th grade) throughout high school. Students who have not earned enough credits for promotion will be placed in a guideroom consistent with their Cohort grade level. If he/she falls behind in their required credits, then he/she may continue with his/her Cohort group, until he/she is a senior. If a senior has not satisfied all of the New York State graduation requirements, including earning 22-units of credit, (as listed on pages 1-3 hereof), he/she will not be included in the graduation ceremonies. He/She will return for a 5^th year with the class that follows him/her (unless otherwise stated on an I.E.P.). The policy for student council and class officer positions is that students shall only be qualified for an election to a class office or student council representative if they have met the academic eligibility requirements during each quarter of the year which election is held.

2. All students, including seniors, must be involved in a minimum of six assigned periods, plus Physical Education, each semester. Students with fewer than six assigned periods will be assigned to study halls to bring their total assigned periods to the required number. To be eligible for Honor Roll, the student must be taking at least five subjects plus physical education.

3. To prepare for entrance into most two-year terminal programs such as found in a Junior College, Community College, or an Agricultural and Technical Institute, one should concentrate on a strong math and science background.

4. Preparation for a 4-year college program usually necessitates strong math, science and language concentration. A minimum of 2 years in each of two of the areas and 3 years in one area is generally required. More than minimum increases the applicant's chances of acceptance considerably.

5. For other post high school educational institutions, requirements vary accordingly to the type of program sought.

6. The most important consideration in planning your high school program is matching the rigor of your courses to the ability and motivation you have to successfully complete the course expectations.

ADVANCED PLACEMENT COURSES

The AP Program

The Advanced Placement Program (AP) is a collaborative effort between motivated students, dedicated teachers and committed high schools, colleges, and universities. Since its inception in 1955, the program has enabled millions of students to take college-level courses and exams, and to earn college credit or placement, while still in high school.

Most colleges and universities in the United States, as well as colleges and universities in more than 30 other countries, have an AP policy granting incoming students credit, placement, or both on the basis of their AP Exam grades. Many of these institutions grant up to a full year of college credit (sophomore standing) to students who earn a sufficient number of qualifying AP grades.

Each year, an increasing number of parents, students, teachers, high schools, and colleges and universities turn to the AP Program as a model of educational excellence.

More information about the AP Program is available at the College Board’s online home for AP professionals (apcentral.collegeboard.com). Students can find more information at the AP student site (www.collegeboard.com/apstudents).

Lake George Jr.-Sr. High School offers AP English Language and Composition and AP English Literature and Composition, AP Biology, AP United States History, AP World History and AP Mathematics-Calculus AB.

Alternatives to Specific Regents and Local Diploma Requirements

A student may challenge a maximum of 6-1/2 units of credit for either a Regents or local diploma without completing the units of study. If you wish to challenge a specific course, you should discuss this proposal in advance with your counselor and ultimately it must be approved by the administration.

G.E.D. Preparation Program

General Educational Development (G.E.D.) Preparation Program is an in-house opportunity for students 16 to 21 years of age who are at risk of dropping out of school as well as those identified students for whom a Regents or I.E.P. diploma is not the answer. The G.E.D. Tests are a series of five examinations designed to measure a broad range of general high school educational knowledge and skills ranging from basic to advanced. The five tests measure writing skills, social studies, science, mathematics and reading skills.

*There are very specific requirements to be placed in the G.E.D. Preparation Program. Students who have earned their G.E.D. may be eligible to participate in the graduation ceremony of their cohort year. Students should speak with their guidance counselor for more details.

*Students in this program are required to do a half-day of academic preparation in the tests and a half-day of vocational preparation or a work component. There is also an attendance requirement for this program.