State Performance Plan 2005-2012 - Part B - Arkansas Department Of Education (Page 6 of 277) in pdf

State Performance Plan 2005-2012 - Part B - Arkansas Department Of Education Page 6

Arkansas Department of Education Special Education Unit

Part B State Performance Plan

High School Graduation Base Rate

Consistent with guidance from the United States Department of Education, staff in the Office of Elementary

and Secondary Education and in accordance with 34 C.F.R. § 200.19(b)(1)(i)-(iv), Arkansas has been

working on the following steps in order to comply with NCLB regulations in connection with high school

graduation rate. Ninth grade students who are in attendance on October 1

constitute the base rate for

computing the graduation rate.

Overview of Issue/Description of System or Process

Beginning with the 2008-09 graduating class, a minimum of twenty-two (22) units shall be earned by a

student in order to graduate from an Arkansas public high school. Specifically for the graduating class of

2008-2009, the minimum required units are as follows:

CORE - Sixteen (16) units

English - four (4) units

Oral Communications - one half (½) unit

Social Studies - three (3) units [one (1) unit of World History, one (1) unit of U. S. History,

one half (½) unit of Civics or Government]

Mathematics - four (4) units [one (1) unit of Algebra or its equivalent and one (1) unit of

Geometry or its equivalent. All math units must build on the base of algebra and geometry

knowledge and skills]

Comparable concurrent credit college courses may be substituted where applicable.

Science - three (3) units [at least one (1) unit of Biology or its equivalent and one (1) unit of a

Physical Science]

Physical Education - one half (½) unit

Health and Safety - one half (½) unit

Fine Arts - one half (½) unit

CAREER FOCUS - Six (6) units

All units in the career focus requirement will be established through guidance and counseling at the

local school district based on the student’s contemplated work aspirations. Career Focus courses will

conform to local district policy and reflect state frameworks through course sequencing and career

course concentrations where appropriate.

Specifically, for the graduating classes of 2009-2010, 2010-2011, 2011-2012, 2012-2013, the required

twenty-two (22) units, at a minimum, shall be taken from the "Smart Core" curriculum or from the "Core"

curriculum. Only one (1) of the required units may be in a physical education course. All students will

participate in the Smart Core curriculum unless the parent or guardian waives the student's right to

participate. In such case of a waiver, the student will be required to participate in Core. The required twenty-

two (22) units, at a minimum, are to be taken from the Smart Core or Core as follows:

SMART CORE - Sixteen (16) units

English - four (4) units - 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th

Mathematics - four (4) units [All students must take a mathematics course in grade 11 or grade

12 and complete Algebra II.] Comparable concurrent credit college courses may be

substituted where applicable.

Algebra I or Algebra A & B (Grades 7-8 or 8-9)

Geometry or Investigating Geometry or Geometry A & B (Grades 8-9 or 9-10)

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State Performance Plan 2005-2012 - Part B - Arkansas Department Of Education Page 6

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