Graduation Requirements

Graduation Requirements and Course Selection Procedures

All students are required to schedule four credits for each semester. Careful consideration should be given to which courses are selected so that all requirements for graduation are met and students are best prepared to meet their future goals. Every effort will be made to schedule the courses that students select. In the event of insufficient registration or facility limitations, the administration reserves the right to cancel any course or limit enrollment.

I. General Graduation Requirements – Total Credits needed to graduate: 28

English – 4 credits
Math – 4 credits
Social Studies – 4 credits
Science – 4 credits
Physical Education/Health – 1 credit
Physical Education/Safety Education – 1 credit
Graduation Project requirement
Family and Consumer Science (FCS) requirement – The FCS standards will be met through the general education curriculum.

Students must be enrolled in one or more English and Social Studies course every year. Of the four required Social Studies credits, one credit must be a non-American course. Of the four science credits, one credit must be Biology.

II. Career & Technology Center Student Total Credits needed to graduate: 28

In order to be considered a full-day CTC student, a student must complete at least 6 credits of vocational training. A student must meet the following requirements:

English – 3 credits
Math – 3 credits
Social Studies – 3 credits
Science – 3credits
Physical Education/Health – 1 credit
Physical Education/Safety Education – 1 credit
Graduation Project requirement
Family and Consumer Science (FCS) requirement – Beginning with the Class of 2015, the FCS standards will be met through the general education curriculum.

Students who attend the Introduction to Health Careers program in their senior year must earn a credit in each of the following classes; English, math, social studies, and science.

III. Agriculture Education Student – Total Credits needed to graduate: 28

In order to be considered as an Agriculture (Ag) student, a student must complete 11 credits of Agriculture in grades 9 through 12. Substitution courses do not count toward the 11 credit total.

English – 4 credits
Social Studies – 3 credits
Science – 3 credits (may include 1 credit of science through Ag curriculum)
Math – 3 credits (may include 1 credit of math through Ag curriculum)
Physical Education/Health – 1 credit
Physical Education/Safety Education – 1 credit
Graduation Project requirement
Family and Consumer Science (FCS) requirement – Beginning with the Class of 2015, the FCS standards will be met through the general education curriculum.

Agriculture courses counted as required academic credits for Ag students.

Math: Agribusiness and Ag Recordkeeping
Science: Concepts of Biotechnology and Veterinary Science
Ag students must complete courses in Algebra, Algebra II, Geometry, and Biology.

Credit Requirements

To become a senior in good academic standing, students must pass all required classes during their freshman, sophomore and junior years and have earned a minimum of 20 credits. Students who do not meet these requirements must recover their credits outside of the school day.

Keystone Exam Requirements To Graduate

In the 2012-13 school year, the Pennsylvania Department of Education replaced the PSSA Grade 11 tests in math, reading, science, and writing with the Keystone Exams in Algebra, Literature, and Biology. To comply with Pennsylvania School Code 4.24, students must demonstrate mastery of the PA Academic Standards for Reading and Mathematics by attaining proficiency or better on the Keystone Exams in Algebra and Literature. Beginning with the Class of 2017, students will be required by the Pennsylvania Department of Education to demonstrate proficiency on the Algebra I, Biology and Literature Keystone Exams in order to graduate.

Students who attain proficiency or better on the Keystone Exams will receive a certificate from the Pennsylvania Department of Education. Students not demonstrating proficiency in any area must participate in a district-chosen remediation program and assessments. Students who do not attain receive focused remediation in the Reporting Categories (assessment anchors) for which they are performing at the Basic or Below Basic levels. These students will then have opportunities to retest for identified Reporting Categories and be administered a district-approved and Keystone-aligned assessment. The purpose of these requirements is to assure that all students are able to apply, analyze, synthesize, and evaluate information and to communicate significant knowledge and understanding. Students who do not demonstrate proficiency in any area must participate in a project based assessment (PBA) that will be determined by the Pennsylvania Department of Education.

Career Prep, College Prep, Honors, and AP Courses

I. Career Prep

Career Prep courses do not have a prefix in the course title.

Courses are intended for students who fit one or more of the following criteria:

planning to enter the work force after graduation.

II. College Prep

College Prep courses are designated by the prefix CP in the course title.

Courses are intended for students who fit one or more of the following criteria:

read and write at or above grade level.
planning to attend post-secondary education.
strong academic record and work ethic.
meet the grade requirement set forth by the departments.

III. Honors

Penn Manor High School Honors Program courses are designated by the word Honors in the course title.

Courses are accelerated courses intended for students who meet all of the following criteria:

succeed in CP courses and desire an even more rigorous challenge.
self-directed, self-motivated and are independent learners.
meet the grade requirement set forth by the departments.

IV. Advanced Placement

Advanced Placement courses are designated by the prefix AP in the course title.

Courses are accelerated courses intended for students who meet all of the following criteria:

To receive AP credit for an Advanced Placement course, students must take the

AP exam. If not, Honors credit will be given for the class.

Meet the grade requirement set forth by the departments.

Class Weighting for Calculation of GPA

AP+	AP	Honors	CP and Career
A = 5.5	A = 5	A = 4.5	A = 4
B = 4.4	B = 4	B = 3.5	B = 3
C = 3.5	C = 3	C = 2.5	C = 2
D = 2.5	D = 2	D = 1.5	D = 1

Decile Ranking Policy

Penn Manor High School acknowledges the usefulness of a system of computing grade point average (GPA) for secondary school students to inform students, parents, and others of their academic progress. Penn Manor High School utilizes a system of decile ranking based on grade point average for students in grades 9 through 12. Decile ranking (top 10%, 20%, 30%) will be computed to indicate a student’s relative academic placement in relation to their peers.

Grade point average is determined by dividing the number of credits into the quality points earned. Extra quality points earned in weighted Honors (+.5) and Advanced Placement (+1) courses will be included in determining GPA.

Penn Manor students who take college level courses with the prior approval of the high school administration shall have grades from these courses included in determining their grade point average. College courses will receive additional weighting. Courses that are 100 level will receive Honors weighting (+.5), courses that are 200 level will receive AP weighting (+1) and courses that are 300 level and above will receive AP+ weighting (+1.5). Students who take courses through a foreign studies program, with the prior approval of the high school administration, shall have grades included in determining their grade point average.

Grade point average will be used for the purpose of naming the valedictorian and salutatorian. The valedictorian will be awarded to the student with the highest GPA and the greatest number of Advanced Placement credits. The Salutatorian will be the student with the second highest GPA and number of Advanced Placement credits. To be considered for valedictorian and salutatorian honors, a student must attend classes at Penn Manor High School for at least six semesters. A student’s grade point average and decile ranking shall be entered on his/her record and all transcripts and shall be subject to the board’s policy on release of student records.

PENN MANOR HIGH SCHOOL HONORS PROGRAM

To graduate with Honors designation on diploma a student must earn the following in grades 10-12:

Five Honors Courses with a minimum grade of B or better in each.
Four Advanced Placement credits with a minimum grade of B or better in each.
Three levels of the same Foreign Language in grades 9-12 with a grade of B or better in each.
Foreign Language courses taken in grade 9 count toward specific credit totals needed to graduate with Honors.
All required core courses must be College Prep level or higher.
Core courses are defined as English, math, social studies, and science.
Students must maintain an overall, cumulative GPA of 3.75.

Counseling Services

The Penn Manor High School Counseling Department provides a comprehensive counseling program to all students in grades 9 through 12. Academic, career, and personal/social needs are the focus and students have the opportunity to participate in a number of activities. Each counselor is prepared to assist students with the course selection process, explore post-secondary options, and provide academic and individual counseling.

Post High School Education Planning

With the increased opportunities for post-secondary education, it is important that students carefully plan their future by investigating all possible options. Admission requirements to the many post-secondary institutions vary considerably. The counseling department maintains a website that contains resources from many post-secondary institutions. These resources are accessible to students who need information regarding specific entrance requirements and programs of study. Counselors are familiar with the current college admission policies and are available to confer with students and parents about future educational plans. There are several factors that generally influence acceptance to a given institution. Usually considered as the most important is the high school record. This includes courses taken, grades earned, decile ranking, extracurricular activities and test scores.

Four-Year Planning Guide

One of the goals at Penn Manor High School is to best prepare students for post secondary success. A part of this goal can be achieved by helping students enroll in courses that are both rigorous in nature and relevant to their aspirations. Students will be encouraged by counselors to use a four-year planning guide to meet their goals. The guide should help students make the most of their high school experience. If you would like more information about this process or post-secondary opportunities, please contact the counseling department.

NCAA Freshman Eligibility Standards

Students who plan to participate in college athletics must make sure that all NCAA academic requirements are met. For information regarding the rules students should meet with their coach and school counselor. For more information regarding the rules go to www.NCAA.org or www.eligibilitycenter.org.

Course Changes

Student schedules will be mailed home in the summer. The days and times when students are able to make changes to their schedules will be included in the summer mailing. To make a schedule change, you must meet with a counselor on one of the days listed in the letter. No changes will be made after this time period ends. Depending on the number of students who are requesting changes to their schedule, there may be a wait to see a counselor.

The following parameters must be met in order for a scheduling change to occur:

student must have a valid educational reason for the schedule change.
there must be an open seat available for the student in the new course.
counselor and administration must approve the change.

If you have any questions about student schedules or you are unable to attend on a schedule change day, please call your counselor at 872-9520, ext. 1820.

Course Recommendations

Core area teachers will make course level recommendations for next year for each student in their class. The course level will be based on multiple measures including assessment scores, student ability, and course expectations. Teachers will communicate to students the level for which they were recommended. If a student wishes to change the recommendation, student and parent should communicate their desire with the teacher giving the recommendation.

Penn Manor High School

Graduation Project

The Graduation Project is a requirement of the Penn Manor High School curriculum and a mandate from the Pennsylvania Department of Education. To complete the project each student will develop a cumulative career exploration project that will provide students with a post-secondary plan. The project is aligned with the Pennsylvania Career and Work Standards and the Lancaster County Career Pathways.

Graduation Project Instructions

Non-Discrimination Policy

The Penn Manor School District, an equal opportunity employer, will not discriminate in employment, education programs or activities, based on race, sex, handicap or because a person is a disabled veteran or a veteran of the Vietnam era. This policy of nondiscrimination extends to all other legally protected classifications. Publication of this policy in this document is in accordance with state and federal laws including Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972 and Sections 503 and 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. For information regarding civil rights or grievance procedures, contact Dr. Michael G. Leichliter, Section 504 Coordinator, at Penn Manor Administration Office (872-9500).