West Hartford Public Schools
I.
Introduction
To graduate from West
Hartford Public Schools a student must have satisfactorily earned a minimum of
21.75 units of credit and must have met the credit distribution requirement.
Students must also meet four
performance standards: reading/writing, mathematics, science, and technology. The district’s performance standards in
reading/writing and mathematics shall take effect for the class of 2006. The
district’s performance standards in science and technology shall take effect
for the class of 2007.
II. Credit
Distribution
The following courses must be passed:
A. English 4
units
B. Mathematics 3 units
C. Science 2
units
1 unit physical science
1 unit life science
D. Arts and/or
Technical Education 1 unit
E. Social Studies 3
units
1 unit in U.S. history
1 unit in world civilization
½ unit in American government
½ unit elective
F. Physical Education
& Health 1.75 units
G. Electives 7
units
Upon
recommendation of the high school principal and approval of the Superintendent
of Schools, this requirement for graduation may be met, in part, on an
equivalency basis as designated in the administrative regulations.
III. District's Performance Standards
A. Reading/Writing: Students shall, prior
to the completion of their senior year, produce an essay based upon an assigned
reading that is focused, organized, elaborated and edited for Standard English
conventions.
B. Math: Students shall, prior to the
completion of their senior year, demonstrate an ability to perform mathematical
operations, to include working with fractions and decimals, in order to solve
multi-step problems in algebraic and applied settings. Certain tasks will
either require students to explain their procedures or justify answers in
writing.
C. Science: Students shall, prior to the completion of their
senior year, demonstrate an ability to perform science investigational skills
and competencies.
D. Technology: Students shall, prior
to completion of their senior year, demonstrate technology competency through
discipline-specific learning.
Upon
graduation, each student who has met these requirements will be presented with
a high school diploma.
West Hartford Public Schools
I. Performance Standards
A. Reading/Writing: Students shall, prior to the completion of
their senior year, produce an essay based upon an assigned reading that is
focused, organized, elaborated and edited for Standard English conventions.
B. Math: Students shall, prior to the completion of their senior
year, demonstrate an ability to perform mathematical operations, to include
working with fractions and decimals, in order to solve multi-step problems in
algebraic and applied settings. Certain tasks will either require students to
explain their procedures or justify answers in writing.
C. Science: Students shall, prior to the completion of their
senior year, demonstrate an ability to perform science investigational skills
and competencies. Students will define
a problem for investigation or experiment by identifying the variables; design
and conduct a scientific investigation or experiment; write detailed
descriptive observations of qualitative variables; accurately measure
quantitative variables including correct units; organize and display data in
writing, data tables, and/or graphs; form and judge the validity of conclusions
as supported by observations and data.
D.
Technology: Students shall, prior to completion of their senior year,
demonstrate technology competency through discipline-specific learning.
Students will create a variety of products which demonstrate the ability to use
word processing and/or desktop publishing software, spreadsheet and database
software, multimedia authoring tools, subject-specific technology tools, and
electronic research tools.
A.
In order to meet the District Performance Standards in
reading, writing, mathematics, and
science students must score at level 3 or higher on the Connecticut
Academic Performance Test (CAPT) test administered in May of the sophomore
year. The CAPT will be administered in accordance with State Department of
Education (SDE) directives. In order to meet the
district performance standard for technology, students must complete all items
on the technology competency checklist, as certified by professional staff.
B. If a student does not meet the district performance standards on
the CAPT or does not complete all items on
the technology competency checklist, other
options will be provided by the
senior year (see section III).
C. Special
Situations
1. Transfers: Students who transfer
into the West Hartford Public Schools and are granted senior status, may be
exempted from West Hartford’s performance standards for graduation.
2. Special Education: District performance standards apply to all students, including
those with disabilities who receive special education services. For students
who possess substantially limiting impairments, the PPT process may determine
how a student will demonstrate the basic skills necessary for graduation and
will document those options on the student’s IEP.
3.
English Language Learners (ELL): Students who are identified as English
Language Learners
at the time of the CAPT
administration will need to meet individually defined graduation requirements
established by the ELL review team. Those ELL students who are exempt from the
CAPT administration under state guidelines because of their ELL status and may
be exempted from district performance standards for graduation if so indicated
by the ELL review team.
A. Reading
and Writing: The district standard is a score at level 3 or higher on both the
reading and writing sections of the CAPT. If a student does not meet both of
these standards, the district will provide opportunities over the course of a
student’s junior and senior years to meet the performance standard.
Students in
their junior year must retake the section of the CAPT on which they failed to
meet the West Hartford standard.
Students who do not pass
the retake of the CAPT will be required to take a reading and writing
non-credit tutorial course and satisfactorily meet the performance standard at
the end of this course. This non-credit tutorial course is required in addition
to the 4 English units of credit required for graduation.
B. Mathematics: The district standard is a score at level 3 or
higher on the mathematics section of the CAPT. If a student does not meet this
standard, the district will provide opportunities over the course of a
student’s junior and senior years to meet the performance standard.
Students in their junior
year must retake the math section of the CAPT.
Students who do
not pass the retake of the CAPT will be required to take a mathematics
non-credit tutorial course and satisfactorily meet the performance standard at
the end of this course. This non-credit tutorial course is required in addition
to the 3 math credits required for graduation.
C. Science: The district standard is a score at
level 3 or higher on the science section of the CAPT. If a student does not
meet this standard, the district will provide opportunities over the course of
a student’s junior and senior years to meet the performance standard.
Students
in their junior year must retake the science section of the CAPT.
Students who do not pass the retake of the CAPT will be required to
take a science non-credit tutorial course and satisfactorily meet the
performance standard at the end of this course. This non-credit tutorial course is required in addition to the 2 science
credits required for graduation.
D. Technology: Students, who
by the end of the junior year have not satisfactorily met the district’s
performance standard in technology will be required to successfully complete
one of the following:
1. One or more high school
courses, which have been identified as providing direct technology competency
opportunities, and complete the checklist to meet the district performance
standard.
2. An independent study
contract that completes the checklist to meet the district performance
standard.
3. One or more courses in a
pre-approved off-campus institution, which have been identified as containing
activities that complete the checklist to meet the district performance
standard.
If
a senior is not eligible for graduation with the class due to failure to meet
the graduation credit requirements and/or performance standards, then the
student may:
A. Enroll in summer school and meet the requirements or
B. Enroll in courses pre-approved by the administration and meet the
requirement or
C.
Make special
arrangements for re-testing to meet the performance standard as outlined in
section III or
D.
Return to high
school as a fifth year student and meet the requirements.
Students
in jeopardy of not graduating due to failure to meet the graduation
requirements and/or performance standards, and their parents/guardians, will be
formally notified in writing of their status by the administration. The
notification will occur at the end of each semester beginning in January of the
student’s junior year.
Students
whose score on the district assessment does not meet the performance standard
may appeal their score. Students and/or parent(s)/guardians must submit a
written request for an appeal to the principal within 20 school days of
receiving their score.
The
principal will communicate the results of the re-assessment to the student and
parent(s) /guardian within 20 school days of receipt of the appeal.
VII.
Credit Options
A. Children with specific learning disabilities
may be granted exceptions to specific course requirements when these
disabilities require alternative approaches to instruction. The specific disabilities requiring
exceptions and/or equivalency programs may include:
1. neurological handicaps
2. partial or total loss of sight and/or hearing
3. cerebral palsy
4. speech impairments
5. orthopedic handicaps
6. emotional disturbances
The
Superintendent, upon recommendation of the principal, will grant specific
exemptions or equivalent credit to those youngsters suffering from any one or
combinations of these handicaps in instances where the professional staff deems
such action to serve the best interests of the student.
B. The Superintendent, upon recommendation of the principal, may
grant equivalent credit for community experience involving work and study
outside the school in courses offered through the work/study program, community
school, and other similar projects. The mathematics involved in actual sales
work, auto mechanics, computer maintenance, restaurant operation, home
construction, etc., can be considered as reasonable equivalents of classroom
work in individual cases where the professional staff deems such to serve the
best interests of the student.
C. Some students may request in-depth study and
work through specialized study or research at such educational agencies as
universities, libraries, and museums in the United States or abroad. Such
students may apply for exemption from requirements or for equivalent credit.
The Superintendent, upon
recommendation of the principal, may grant an exemption or equivalent credit
for individual students for in-depth training through out-of-school exposure
after consideration of the following:
1. Recommendation for program
modification by members of the professional staff
2. Conference with parents
3. Accreditation status, if any, of any
educational institution involved (e.g. University of Barcelona, Spain;
University of Hartford, etc.)
4. Credit by examination after the completion of
an appropriate out-of-school experience
D. Among our high school population, there are
students capable of graduating from high school after three years or interested
in early admission to a college or university.
Upon receipt of the
student’s application for early graduation or college admission, the
Superintendent, upon recommendation of the principal, may grant specific fourth
year credit exemptions when such exemptions appear to be in the student’s best
interest. Prior to granting such
exemptions, the Superintendent may require fourth year study in the West
Hartford Summer School or course credit via an examination—measures which might
be taken only if the proposed college course descriptions appear to warrant
such supplementary performance procedures. In cases of those students who
desire to spend a fourth year in independent study prior to college entrance, a
plan for such independent study should be submitted by the student and approved
by teachers and principal.
Any request for
waiver of credits, either for early admission to college or early graduation,
should be approved by the student’s teachers, guidance counselor and building
principal and then forwarded to the Superintendent for his approval. Relevant
to early graduation requirements, it should be noted that students requesting
credit waivers are required to present evidence of having taken one year of
physical education for each year that he or she attended high school.