Chart Your Course Handbook 2021-2022 2021-2022 RISD Counseling Services Table of Contents Table of Contents 0 INTRODUCTION 3 RISD GRADUATION PROGRAM OVERVIEW 4 FOUNDATION HIGH SCHOOL PROGRAM 5 ENDORSEMENTS 6 Arts and Humanities 7 Business and Industry 8 Multidisciplinary 9 Public Services 9 STEM 9 DISTINGUISHED LEVEL OF ACHIEVEMENT REQUIREMENTS 11 PERFORMANCE ACKNOWLEDGEMENT 11 SECONDARY DISTRICT PROGRAMS AND RELATED INFORMATION 13 ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT RECORD (AAR) 13 ADVANCEMENT VIA INDIVIDUAL DETERMINATION (AVID) 14 ALTERNATIVE CREDIT GUIDELINES 14 AWARDS AND HONORS GENERAL ELIGIBILITY GUIDELINES 20 CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION 22 ADVANCED LEARNING SERVICES 22 COLLEGE VISITATION GUIDELINES 26 COMPENSATORY EDUCATION 26 DROP AND ADD COURSES 27 DUKE TALENT IDENTIFICATION PROGRAM 28 EQUAL OPPORTUNITY AND NONDISCRIMINATION 28 EVENING SCHOOL 28 FORMAL GPA 28 GRADING AND HOMEWORK GUIDELINES 30 GRADING AND REPORTING PROCEDURES 35 GRADING PROCEDURES: SCHOLASTIC PENALTIES/MAKE-UP WORK/ ATTENDANCE 37 L.V. BERKNER HIGH SCHOOL STEM ACADEMY 38 LIBRARY & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY 39 LIMITED ENGLISH PROFICIENCY (LEP) 39 MAGNET SCHOOL PROGRAMS 40 MEMORIAL PARK ACADEMY 46 NATIONAL MERIT SCHOLARSHIP® PROGRAM 47 OPT-OUT PROVISION 47 PROCEDURES FOR STUDENT APPEALS 48 PROMOTION AND RETENTION GUIDELINES 49 RESEARCH PAPER GUIDELINES 51 RISD P-TECH ACADEMIES 52 SERVICE LEARNING AWARD 52 EIGHT PERIOD DAY 53 SPECIAL STUDENT SERVICES 54 SUMMER PROGRAMS 54 2/10/2021 1 TESTING INFORMATION 55 TEXTBOOKS 57 TRANSFER PROCEDURE 57 DESCRIPTION OF JUNIOR HIGH COURSE OFFERINGS 58 ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS 58 ENGLISH COURSES 58 ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE (ESL) COURSES 60 READING COURSES 61 SPEECH COURSES 62 MATHEMATICS 62 SCIENCE 65 SOCIAL STUDIES 67 LANGUAGES OTHER THAN ENGLISH (LOTE) 70 FINE ARTS 71 ART COURSES 71 MUSIC COURSES 73 THEATRE ARTS COURSES 76 PHYSICAL EDUCATION 77 PHYSICAL EDUCATION COURSES 77 HEALTH EDUCATION COURSES 79 CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION 79 Career & Technical Education Pathways 79 Career & Technical Education Magnet Pathways 83 OTHER ELECTIVES 94 ADVANCEMENT VIA INDIVIDUAL DETERMINATION (AVID) COURSES 95 SPECIAL EDUCATION 96 DESCRIPTION OF HIGH SCHOOL COURSE OFFERINGS 98 ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS 98 ENGLISH COURSES 98 ESL COURSES 105 READING COURSES 106 SPEECH COURSES 107 JOURNALISM COURSES 108 MATHEMATICS 111 MATHEMATICS COURSES 112 SCIENCE 120 SCIENCE COURSES 121 SOCIAL STUDIES 129 SOCIAL STUDIES COURSES 130 LANGUAGES OTHER THAN ENGLISH (LOTE) 137 LOTE COURSES 138 FINE ARTS 142 ART COURSES 142 DANCE COURSES 152 MUSIC COURSES 154 THEATRE ARTS COURSES 165 PHYSICAL EDUCATION 170 2/10/2021 2 HEALTH COURSES 170 PE COURSES 171 CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION 180 Career & Technical Education Pathways 180 Career & Technical Education Magnet Pathways 185 Agriculture Food and Natural Resources Courses 186 Architecture and Construction Courses 188 Arts, AV Technology, and Communications Courses 191 Business, Marketing, and Finance Courses 195 Education and Training Courses 201 Health Science Courses 202 Hospitality and Tourism Courses 204 Human Services Courses 207 Information Technology Courses 209 Law and Public Service Courses 210 Manufacturing Courses 212 Science Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Courses 214 Transportation, Distribution and Logistics Courses 222 OTHER CTE COURSES 224 TECHNOLOGY APPLICATIONS COURSES 225 OTHER ELECTIVES 225 SPECIAL EDUCATION 230 NON-CREDIT COURSES GRADES 9-12 233 APPENDIX 234 APPENDIX A: TEA/UIL Criteria For Eligibility to Participate in Extra-Curricular Activities 235 APPENDIX B: NCAA Eligibility and NCAA Eligibility Center 241 APPENDIX C: Factors in the College Admission Decision 251 APPENDIX D: Pre-AP/AP (Advanced Placement) Courses, Dallas College Dual Credit, and UT OnRamps Dual Enrollment 252 APPENDIX E: ESL PROGRAM 257 APPENDIX F: Graduation Planning Information 258 INDEX 262 INTRODUCTION 2/10/2021 3 The RISD Secondary Program of Studies is an annual publication distributed through the Department of Guidance and Counseling to support RISD students during their secondary academic career, in keeping with each of the District’s vision and goals: Vision RISD – Where all students learn, grow, and succeed. Mission To serve and prepare all students for their global future Values Integrity * Inspiration * Inclusiveness * Innovation RISD Focus Students are the primary focus of RISD. And Staff is the primary focus of administration. 2020 Vision Goals Students are highly engaged in their educational life. Profound curriculum is the foundation for learning. RISD has high performing, student-focused teachers. RISD ensures excellence in operations. The Program of Studies provides to all students and parents important information that is critical to students’ academic success. This guidebook includes specific descriptions of graduation requirements, instructional programs, course information, grading guidelines, and other academically related district policies and guidelines. Although a primary tool for student pre-registration, we strongly encourage you to refer to the Program of Studies throughout the school year as a resource for answers to other questions you may have concerning instructional issues. RISD maintains a strict policy of nondiscrimination and equal opportunity in all programs. Please see your school counselor, teacher(s), and/or principal(s) concerning additional questions or explanation of information. RISD GRADUATION PROGRAM OVERVIEW FOR STUDENTS ENTERING 9th GRADE (for the first time) IN 2014-2015 AND THEREAFTER TEXAS GRADUATES MUST COMPLETE THE FOUNDATION HIGH SCHOOL PROGRAM 2/10/2021 4 The District expects that all RISD students will fulfill the requirements of the RISD Foundation High School Program, earn at least one Endorsement, and enroll in the courses necessary to earn a Distinguished Level of Achievement. A student may graduate under the Foundation High School Program without earning an endorsement if after the student’s sophomore year: • The student and the student’s parent or person standing in parental relation to the student are advised by a school counselor of the specific benefits of graduating from high school with one or more endorsements; and • The student’s parent or person standing in parental relation to the student files with a school counselor written permission, on a form adopted by the Texas Education Agency [and available in your school counseling office] allowing the student to graduate under the Foundation High School Program without earning an endorsement. (19 TAC §74.11(b).) The following is a snapshot of the: Foundation High School Program Foundation High School Program with one or more Endorsements Foundation High School Program with Distinguished Level of Achievement Performance Acknowledgements Note: High School Advancement in Classification – Grades 9-12 Mastery of at least 70 percent of the objectives on state-approved courses is required. Grade-level advancement for students in grades 9-12 must be earned by course credits as follows: • Beginning Grade 10: Six (6.0) accumulated credits • Beginning Grade 11: Twelve (12.0) accumulated credits • Beginning Grade 12: Eighteen (18.0) accumulated credits See the following pages for graduation credit requirements. FOUNDATION HIGH SCHOOL PROGRAM FOR STUDENTS ENTERING 9th GRADE (for the first time) IN 2014-2015 AND THEREAFTER FOUNDATION HIGH SCHOOL PROGRAM – 22 credits (without Endorsement) 2/10/2021 5 Subject Credits Needed English (including AP, Dual Credit, and OnRamps courses) 4 • English 1, 2, and 3 • Advanced English Course Mathematics (including AP, Dual Credit, and OnRamps courses) 3 • Algebra 1 • Geometry • Algebra 2 (opt out provision) Science (including AP, Dual Credit, and OnRamps courses) 3 • Biology • Chemistry (opt out provision) • Physics (opt out provision) Social Studies (including AP, Dual Credit, and OnRamps courses) 4 • World Geography/AP Human Geography • World History (opt out provision) • US History • US Government (1/2 credit) • Economics (1/2 credit) Physical Education 1 Fine Arts 1 Languages Other Than English 2 • Two credits in the same language OR • Two credits from AP Computer Science, AP Computer Science Principles, Computer Science 1, 2, and/or 3 Technology * 1/2 Health ** 1/2 Electives 3 Total Credits 22 *The one-half Technology credit required for the RISD Foundation High School Program must be from Touch Systems Data Entry; Principles of Business, Marketing and Finance; Business Information Management 1; or Principles of Information Technology. **The one-half Health credit must be from Health Education 1, Principles of Health Science, or Health Science. Opt out Provision allows for flexibility in a student’s course sequence to meet individual needs where appropriate. Students who desire to opt out of certain course requirements should carefully review the implications of the action with their counselor. Course changes could alter the graduation program designation under which the student may be eligible to graduate and could affect eligibility for admission to the student’s chosen institution of higher learning. Students who wish to request to opt out of a course and enroll in an alternate course should submit the “Student/Parent Request to Opt out of Course” form to the student’s counselor. The campus Opt- out Committee will consider the request and the student’s Personal Graduation Plan (PGP) will be updated accordingly. See Appendix F for Opt out Request ENDORSEMENTS FOR STUDENTS ENTERING 9th GRADE (for the first time) IN 2014-2015 AND THEREAFTER FOUNDATION HIGH SCHOOL PROGRAM