High School Instructional Planning Guide 2020-2021
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High School Instructional Planning Guide 2020-2021 General Information Superintendent’s Message ........................................................................................ 4 Denton ISD Board Goals ........................................................................................... 5 High School Curriculum ............................................................................................. 6 Campus Contacts ..................................................................................................... 7 Instructional Contacts................................................................................................ 8 High School Graduation Plan ..................................................................................... 9 Performance Acknowledgements ............................................................................ 10 Endorsements ......................................................................................................... 11 Grade Point Average Calculations ........................................................................... 12 Denton ISD Approved Courses for GPA and Rank Calculations ............................... 13 Sample GPA Calculations ........................................................................................ 14 Denton ISD Grade Points System ............................................................................ 17 Grading Categories ................................................................................................. 18 GPA “Ties” .............................................................................................................. 18 Required Course Loads ........................................................................................... 19 Schedule Changes .................................................................................................. 19 Grade Level Classification ....................................................................................... 19 Counseling Services ................................................................................................ 20 FAFSA – Free Application for Federal Student Aid ................................................... 21 Post-Secondary Planning Tips ................................................................................. 22 STAAR/EOC ............................................................................................................ 26 PSAT, SAT, and ACT .............................................................................................. 27 National Merit Scholarship Information .................................................................... 28 Academic Eligibility Centers .................................................................................... 29 Advanced Academics ............................................................................................. 30 International Baccalaureate Diploma Programming ................................................. 41 Gifted and Talented Program – EXPO ...................................................................... 34 Dual Credit .............................................................................................................. 35 TSI (Texas Success Initiative) Assessment, Exemptions, and Waivers .................... 38 College, Career, and Military Readiness .................................................................. 39 Blended and Online Learning ..................................................................................... 40 Fine Arts ................................................................................................................... 42 Career and Technical Education ................................................................................. 45 Alternative Methods for Earning Credit ................................................................... 49 Course Descriptions Core Academics English Language Arts .................................................................................................... 51 Mathematics / Computer Science .................................................................................. 59 Science ........................................................................................................................... 66 Social Studies ................................................................................................................. 73 Special Education (additional courses) .......................................................................... 81 World Languages ........................................................................................................... 81 Physical Education and Health ................................................................................90 Fine Arts Visual Arts .......................................................................................................... 93 Theatre Arts ....................................................................................................... 97 Dance .............................................................................................................. 100 Band ................................................................................................................ 102 Orchestra ......................................................................................................... 106 Choir ................................................................................................................ 108 High School 101 .................................................................................................... 112 Air Force Junior R.O.T.C. ...................................................................................... 113 International Baccalaureate ................................................................................... 115 Career and Technical Education Career Development ......................................................................................... 120 Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources. ........................................................ 121 Architecture and Construction ........................................................................... 124 Arts, Audio/Video, Technology, and Communication. ........................................ 126 Business Management and Administration, Marketing and Finance ................... 129 Education and Training ...................................................................................... 132 Health Science .................................................................................................. 133 Hospitality and Tourism ..................................................................................... 135 Human Services ................................................................................................ 137 Information Technology ..................................................................................... 139 Government, Law, Public Safety, and Security .................................................. 140 Manufacturing ................................................................................................... 142 Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math .................................................... 144 Transportation, Distribution, and Logistics ......................................................... 146 Index ...................................................................................................................... 147 Dear Denton ISD Students and Families, In keeping with our commitment “to prepare every student for their future in today’s world,” the DISD wants your high school experience to be full of meaningful learning that prepares you for your future. This High School Course Catalog and Planning Guide will assist students and their families in thinking about their own future and selecting courses of study that will meet each student’s individual needs, satisfying graduations requirements, and preparing our students for life after high school. This guide is full of information that will assist you through the educational pathway designed to afford you the opportunity to fulfill your dreams and create your future. Please take note of the variety of course offerings in the areas of science, mathematics, arts, humanities, languages, social sciences, and career and technology. Challenge yourself to be all you can be and take advantage of the many course offerings and areas of study available to you. It is our expectation that you will choose your courses wisely with the end result in mind. Careful planning requires good information and useful resources. Please take the opportunity to visit with your guidance counselor about the advantages of Naviance. Naviance is a resource provided free to DISD students and their families to connect what students do in the classroom to their life goals, including finding colleges and careers based on their personal skills and interests. More information is available at www.naviance.com . On behalf of the Denton ISD staff and the Board of Trustees, I wish you the best success in your high school years. After four years in high school, you will participate in commencement. This commencement is called high school graduation; however, it will not be the end of your educational career, in fact, it will be the beginning of a life filled with learning, accomplishments, trials and tribulations. I pledge our DISD commitment