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Career Diploma

August 18, 2009

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Acts 246 and 298 of the 2009 Legislative Session

• Create a second standard high school diploma called the career diploma.

• Establishes the entrance requirements and curriculum requirements for the career diploma.

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Who is Eligible?

Two ways students may qualify for the Career Diploma pathway

1. Meet the promotion requirements to enter ninth grade

2. Be 15 or older during the school year, score Approaching Basic on either the math or ELA component of LEAP, and meets other requirements

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Students qualifying for the career diploma pathway in 2009-2010 by meeting the second criteria must also satisfy the following requirements

• Attend summer school and take the retest• Achieve a GPA of 1.5 or higher during the eighth grade• Meet the attendance and behavior requirements specified in the district PPP

for these students• Participate in a dropout and prevention program during the ninth grade.

NOTE: policy language for these entrance requirements will be considered by BESE on August 20, 2009.

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Assessment Requirements

Students in the Career Diploma pathway must meet the same assessment requirements as students in the College and Career Diploma pathway.

• 2009-2010 ninth graders – GEE• 2010-2011 and beyond – End-of-Course tests

NOTE: BESE has not yet considered policy relating to the assessment requirements for the Career Diploma. What follows in red text is a recommendation.

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Course Requirements• Students must have 23 credits to receive a career

diploma.• Students must complete an area of concentration

including four elective primary credits in the area of concentration and two related elective credits, including one computer technology course.

• Students must have a career awareness course like Education for Careers or Journey to Careers

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Course Development

The LDE will be working with the LCTCS to develop courses that meet the requirements for high school credit as well as the requirements for the technical and community colleges. This will ensure that students can receive dual credit.

NOTE: BESE has not yet discussed curriculum requirements. Courses listed in red are recommended. Courses listed in blue are in the law or existing BESE policy.

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English – 4 credits• English I• English II• Senior Applications in English – in 12th grade• Remaining shall come from:

– A remediation course (if required – taken first)– Technical Reading and Writing* (½ credit) or Business

Communications* (½ credit) or Using Research in Careers* (½ credit) – American Literature* (½ credit) or Film in America* (½ credit) – English III– English IV– A course developed by the LEA and approved by BESE

*Curriculum to be developed by the LDE

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Mathematics – 4 credits• One of the following

– Algebra I (1 credit) or– Algebra I-Pt. 1 and Algebra I-Pt. 2 (2 credits) or– Applied Algebra I (1 credit)

• Financial Mathematics• The remaining units shall come from the following:

– A remediation curse (if required—taken first)– Geometry or Applied Geometry– Culinary Math*– Construction Math*– Medical Math*– Applications in Statistics and Probability– Math Essentials– Algebra II– Advanced Math—Pre-Calculus– Discrete Math– A course developed by the LEA and approved by BESE

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Science – 3 credits• Biology• 1 unit from the following physical science cluster:

– Physical Science, Integrated Science, Chemistry I, ChemCom, Physics I, or Physics of Technology I

• The remaining units shall come from the following:– Nutrition and Food Science*, Forensic Science*,

Aerospace Science, Earth Science, Agriscience II, Physics of Technology II, Environmental Science, an additional course from the physical science cluster, or a course developed by the LEA and approved by BESE

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Social Studies – 3 credits• American History• ½ unit of Civics • ½ unit of Free Enterprise• The remaining unit shall come from the following:

– Child Psychology and Parenthood Education*, Law Studies, Psychology, Sociology, World History, World Geography, Western Civilization, Economics, American Government, African American Studies, or a course developed by the LEA and approved by BESE

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• PE (1½ credits) and Health (½ credit)

• Electives – 7 credits, including– A career readiness course such as Education for Careers

or Journey to Careers– Six credits required for a career Area of Concentration to

include four elective primary credits in the career area and two related elective credits, including one computer/technology course.

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Remaining Issues

• Allowing upper classmen to enter the career diploma pathway

• Allowing students to switch from one diploma pathway to another

• Revising the Graduation Index for high school accountability