2. Preparing for High School and Beyond
Class of 2022

3. Graduation Requirements
You will choose your 4 year plan, endorsement, and pathway soon after Christmas Break.

4. Other Graduation Requirement
Grade 9
English 1
Algebra 1
Biology
Grade 10
English 2
Grade 11
US History
Other Graduation Requirement
STAAR/EOC Exams

5. Earning Credits
A student earns a credit (1.0) when he/she successfully completes a year-long course. Passing requires a minimum of a 70 and being in attendance 90% of the time. A student earns a .5 credit by successfully completing a semester-long course. Students must earn a particular number of credits to be promoted from one grade to the next. 6 credits = Sophomore (Grade 10) 13 credits = Junior (Grade 11) 19 credits = Senior (Grade 12)

6. Completing your Personal Graduation Plan (PGP)

7. Potential High School Credits Fulfilled in 8th Grade
Pre-AP Algebra I*
Art I*
Professional Communications (.5)*
Spanish I*
*Required for high school graduation – Algebra I, one high school fine art (i.e. Art I), two years of the same world language (i.e. Spanish), Professional Communications

8. Graduation Requirements: Foundation High School Plan with an Endorsement = 26 credits
English Language Arts – 4 credits
Math – 4 credits
Science – 4 credits
Social Studies – 3 credits (4 credits recommended)
Physical Education – 1 credit
Languages Other Than English (LOTE) – 2 credits (same language)
Fine Art – 1 credit
Speech – ½ credit
Electives – 6½ credits (dependent upon endorsement)

9. Math Sequences
8th Grade Math
Regular or PreAP Algebra I
Regular or PreAP Geometry
Regular or PreAP Algebra II
Regular or PreAP PreCalculus
PreAP Algebra I (high school credit)
PreAP Geometry
PreAP Algebra II
PreAP PreCalculus
AP Calculus or AP Statistics
You may not receive credit for the same course twice. If you are currently in PreAP Algebra I,
sign up for PreAP Geometry.
9th Grade
10th Grade
11th Grade
12th Grade

10. Physical Education – 1.0 required Options include:
Athletics class (by sport)
Athletic Trainer (all start by assisting Football I)
Band, Color Guard, or Drill Team - provides 1.0 fine art credit AND .5 PE credit (fall only)
(Note - completing two years of one of these activities will provide your full PE credit; can earn a maximum of 1.0 PE credit through these activities.)
Cheerleading I – provides 1.0 PE credit the first year
Dance I - provides 1.0 Fine Art credit and 1.0 PE credit (Aerobic Fitness)
(Note: Athletes who take Dance cannot be awarded additional PE credit.)
PE class

11. Athletics Class -Boys (B) or Girls (G) - Choose ONE sport from the following (If you play two sports, choose the ONE that occurs first in the school year.):
Baseball (B) Basketball (B,G) Cross Country (B,G) Diving (B,G) Football Golf (B,G) Soccer (B,G)
Softball (G) Swimming (B,G) Tennis (B,G) Track (B,G) Volleyball (G) Wrestling

12. Physical Education classes
Aerobic Fitness (.5-1) Individual/Team Sports (.5-1) Outdoor Education (.5) Foundations of Personal Fitness/Strength & Tone (.5-1)

13. World Languages – Languages Other Than English (LOTE) – 2.0 Required
Spanish I
Spanish II or PreAP Spanish II (must have successfully completed Spanish I)
Spanish I/Spanish II for Spanish Speakers (requires an oral and written fluency test)
French I
German I
ASL I*
PreAP Computer Science I*
*May not be accepted by a college/university as a world language; check prospective college admission expectations

14. Fine Art – 1.0 Required Art I
Band I (includes Color Guard/Winter Guard)
Choir I
Dance I or Drill Team I (Drill Team is by audition.)
Digital Art and Animation (Grades only)
Floral Design (Grades only)
AP Music Theory (Must read and write basic music notation and have basic skills in voice or instrument; to be taken concurrently with Band, Choir, or Orchestra)
Orchestra I
Theatre I
Technical Theatre I

15. Foundation High School Plan with an Endorsement
19.5 CORE credits (including required electives)
6.5 elective credits geared towards your ENDORSEMENT
Total: 26 credits for graduation!
7 classes per year X 4 years = opportunity for 28 credits

16. What is an ENDORSEMENT?
A coherent sequence of electives in a specific area of interest.
These electives may be taken through an academy or through a specified Career Pathway.
There are FIVE endorsements:
Arts and Humanities
Business and Industry
Multidisciplinary Studies
Public Services
STEM

17. You may select more than one endorsement.
Each student must specify in writing the endorsement he/she intends to earn upon entering Grade 9.
You may select more than one endorsement.
An endorsement can be changed as long as there is still time to complete a new endorsement.

18. Northwest ISD Academies by Campus
STEM Academy- at Northwest High School
Creative Media Productions Academy- at Northwest High School
Business & Entrepreneurship Academy- Eaton High School
Aviation & Aeronautics Academy- Eaton High School
Biomedical Science Academy- Bryon Nelson High School
Culinary Arts & Hospitality Academy- Byron Nelson HS
Collegiate Academy- Steele High School
Cosmetology – Steele High School

19. What is a Pathway?
There are several offering under the endorsement umbrellas other than attending an academy. They are called pathways.
Business Administration * Software Design and Development
Marketing Dynamics * Digital Media
Microsoft Master * Agriculture Design & Fabrication
Investment Banking and Finance * Agricultural Sciences
Health Sciences * Floral Designs
Counseling and Mental Health * Veterinary Medicines
Emergency Medical Technician * Architectural Design
Early Childhood Development * Engineering Dynamics
Education and Coaching * Interior Design
Informational Technology

20. Which is the best option for you?
We will spend the next two or so weeks discovering the academies and several weeks after learning about the pathways.