5460 - GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS
It shall be the policy of the Board of Education to acknowledge each student's successful completion of the instructional program or a personal curriculum appropriate to the achievement of District goals and objectives as well as personal proficiency, by the awarding of a diploma at graduation ceremonies.
The Board shall annually notify each of its students and a parent or legal guardian of each of its students that all students are entitled to a personal curriculum. The annual notice shall include an explanation of what a personal curriculum is and state that if a personal curriculum is requested, the public school or public school academy will grant that request. The District shall provide this annual notice to parent and legal guardians by sending a written notice to each student’s home or by including the notice in a newsletter, student handbook, or similar communication that is sent to a student’s home, and also shall post the notice on the District website.
The Board shall award a regular high school diploma to every student enrolled in this District who meets the requirements of graduation established by this Board, the Michigan Department of Education (MDE), and as provided by State law.
Credit may be earned by:
traditional course work;
demonstrating mastery of subject area content expectations or guidelines for the credit;
related course work in which content standards are embedded;
non-traditional course work;
independent teacher-guided study;
testing out;
dual enrollment;
advanced placement courses;
international baccalaureate or other "early college" programs;
Michigan Department of Education (MDE)-approved formal career and technical (CTE) program or curriculum; or
on-line class.
If a student successfully completes all of the following credit requirements while in grades 7 to 12, the District will notate on the student's transcript or diploma that the student has earned a STEM endorsement:
- All applicable requirements of the Michigan merit standard for a high school diploma under sections M.C.L. 380.1278a and 1278b.
- At least six (6) credits in mathematics. At least five (5) of these credits must be in courses that are either listed in section M.C.L. 380.1278a(1)(a)(i) or that cover the same content standards as a course listed in section 1278a(1)(a)(i), including a credit for pre-calculus or calculus.
- At least six (6) credits in science. At least four (4) of these credits must be in courses that are either listed in section M.C.L. 380.1278b(1)(b) or that cover the same content standards as a course listed in section 1278b(1)(b).
- At least one-half (1/2) credit featuring significant course work involving technology activities and at least 1/2 credit featuring significant course work involving engineering activities. These credits may be gained through separate technology and engineering course work or in conjunction with course work associated with the credits required under subdivisions (b) and (c).
Students shall successfully complete an on-line course or learning experience OR shall have the on-line learning experience incorporated into each of the required credits of the Michigan Merit Curriculum.
Special education students who properly complete the programs specified in their I.E.P., or in a personal curriculum, and meet the requirements for a high school diploma, and have received the recommendation of the I.E.P.C. may participate in graduation activities as recommended by the student's I.E.P.C. Reasonable accommodation shall be made for students with disabilities, as defined under State or Federal law, to assist them in taking any required tests or assessments for graduation.
For State-mandated curriculum requirements, a student shall be granted credit toward graduation if s/he successfully completes the subject area content expectations or guidelines developed by the department that apply to the credit. A student may also receive credit if s/he earns a qualifying score, as determined by the State on the assessments developed or selected for the subject area by the State or the student earns a qualifying score, as determined by the District on one or more assessments developed or selected by the School District that measure a student's understanding of the subject area content expectations or guidelines that apply to the credit. For subject areas and courses in which a final examination is used as the assessment for successful attainment of the subject area content, a grade of C+ or better is required.
The Board shall grant credit toward high school graduation for any student who successfully completes, prior to entering high school, a State-mandated curriculum requirement, provided s/he completes the same content requirements as the high school subject area, and the student has demonstrated the same level of proficiency on the material as required of the high school students.
Such credit shallbe counted toward the required number of credits needed for graduation. Mastery credits shall be counted toward any subject area requirement and any course sequence requirement. Once mastery credit is earned in a subject area, a student may not receive further credit for a lower sequence course in the same subject area.
A high school student shall be granted credit in any foreign language not offered by the District providing the student meets the competency criteria established by the Superintendent.
A high school student shall be granted credit for completion of an internship or work experience that meets all of the requirements of MCL 380.1279h, subject to the Board's right to deny credit for the reasons and in the manner set out in MCL 380.1279h. The appeal rights set out in this statute apply in the event of a denial.
A student engaging in an internship or work experience under M.C.L. 380.1279h must complete a reflection projection. The reflection project shall include:
- A copy of the student's time card from the internship or work experience.
- A resume that includes the internship or work experience.
- A written summary of the internship or work experience.
The career and technical education credits may include work-based learning by a student working at a business or other work setting with appropriate oversight by the District over the student’s experience and learning in the work setting in which the work-based learning occurs.
Commencement exercises will include only those students who have successfully completed requirements as certified by the high school principal. No student who has completed the requirements for graduation shall be denied a diploma as a disciplinary measure. A student may be denied participation in the ceremony of graduation, however, when personal conduct so warrants.
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