Sara Leonard Parent Academic Liaison Mira Mesa High School

Graduating at Mira Mesa High  Course Requirements  Pass the CAHSEE  Senior Exhibition/Portfolio  Academic and Citizenship: 2.0 GPA or above

CREDITS:  Know that meeting high school graduation requirements does not guarantee acceptance to colleges or universities.  To graduate, students must earn a total of 44 semester credits in appropriate areas between grades 9-12.

Appropriate Areas/Requirements:

California High School Exit Exam CAHSEE  Issued in 10 th grade over two days  Tests student proficiency in English and Math  Students must pass both portions in order to receive a high school diploma in the state of California  350 is a passing score/380 is a proficient score  Students with IEPs receiving special education services can apply for a waiver but must attempt the exam per Federal NCLB requirements

GRADE POINT AVERAGE (GPA):  An overall 9th – 12th grade GPA of 2.0 or higher is required to graduate. The GPA is computed on the basis of: A=4, B=3, C=2, D=1, F=0.  A GPA of 2.0 in both scholarship and citizenship is required for participation in extracurricular activities, including interscholastic athletics.

WEIGHTED GRADE POINT AVERAGE:  Weighted courses receive more points towards a students GPA  Only Advanced Placement and some honors courses will be given a weighted GPA for high school graduation  AP students are no longer required to take the AP exam to receive a weighted grade

SENIOR PORTFOLIO:  San Diego Unified School District requires students complete a senior portfolio as a graduation requirement.  Detailed information about senior portfolio requirements can be found on the school website.  Students have multiple options to meet this mandated requirement.

OPTION: COMMUNITY SERVICE  Community service requirements for college admissions should be carefully reviewed.  It is not a requirement for high school graduation, but it is highly recommended for acceptance into many colleges and universities.

OPTION: DIPLOMA WITH ACADEMIC DISTINCTION  Option 1: Student must earn a GPA of 3.5 or higher for all courses taken in grades 10, 11, and the first semester of grade 12.  Option 2: Student must meet the following three requirements:  1. Grades 9-12: 2 years of Science and Foreign Language. Requirements may be met prior to grade 9 if courses are equivalent to those offered in grades  2. Grades 10-12: 14 semester credits with grades A or B in specific selected courses.  3. Four of the required 14 semester credits must be earned in grade 12.

“Other” College Requirements:  Take the SAT and/or ACT  UC, State and private colleges or universities have varying entrance requirements  Students can take tests multiple times and schools use the “top” scores  Students can take the PSAT in October to get a better sense of what the SAT is like

Throughout High School  Communicate with the school and your student  Review student transcripts every semester  Meet with counselors to discuss missing credits and options of credit recovery  Encourage students to pass classes the first time since resources will be limited in the coming years for credit recovery options