Promotion and Graduation Requirements

PROMOTION REQUIREMENTS

High school students shall be promoted by attaining credits that are earned through successful completion of specific required courses as illustrated in the following (Note: The appropriate English credit is required for promotion each year.):

Apex, Athens Drive, Broughton, Cary, East Wake, Fuquay Varina, Garner, Green Hope, Holly Springs, Knightdale, Leesville Road, Middle Creek, Millbrook, Panther Creek, Sanderson, Wake Forest-Rolesville, Wakefield High Schools – beginning with the Class of 2007 (Students enterin^g ninth ^grade for the first time in 2003-2004)

Enloe, Longview, Phillips, Wake Early College of Health and Sciences, and < xml="true" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" prefix="st1" namespace="">Southeast Raleigh High Schools – Class of 2005 (Students entering ninth grade for the first time in 2001-2002) and beyond

 Students should check with their counselors for information on additional promotion requirements.

Graduation Requirements

Wake County Public School System’s non-magnet high schools utilize to a 4 by 4 Block Schedule. This allows students to earn eight credits each year of high school. With thoughtful planning, students may access more courses in the arts, computer studies, journalism, or healthful living. They may deepen their understanding of science, mathematics, or social studies by adding additional courses in these disciplines; enrich their English studies; or complete longer sequences in second languages. Also, they may use elective studies in career - technical education to complete requirements for more than one Course of Study.

• Graduation from Apex, Athens Drive, Broughton, Cary, East Wake, Fuquay Varina, Holly Springs, Garner, Knightdale, Green Hope, Leesville Road, Middle Creek, Millbrook, Panther Creek, Sanderson, Wake Forest-Rolesville, and Wakefield High Schools requires completion of a minimum of:
• 26 credits for the class of 2007 (students entering ninth grade for the first time in 2003-2004) and beyond.
• For the Occupational Course of Study, 22 credits are required at all high schools.
• The North Carolina State Board of Education approved new additional high school exit standards requiring students entering the ninth grade for the first time in 2006-2007 and beyond to pass five EOC assessments (Algebra I, Biology, English I, Civics & Economics, and U.S. History) and to successfully complete a graduation project. The exit standards will only apply to students following the Career Preparation, College/Technical Preparation, or College/University Preparation courses of study. Students following the Occupational Course of Study are required to meet rigorous exit standards as outlined in State Board of Education policy HSP-N-004 (16 NCAC 6D.0503).

Students must satisfy all course, credit, and testing requirements for at least one Course of Study in order to earn a diploma. Students must meet the graduation course and testing requirements that were effective the year they entered ninth grade for the first time; however, the total number of credits required for graduation may increase after the ninth-grade year. For students entering ninth grade in 2007-08 and before, all credits must be earned in grades nine through twelve. Ninth grade students entering in 2008-09 may have earned high school credits in math and second languages at middle school. All other credits must be earned in grades nine through twelve.

Algebra I is a graduation requirement for all students. The only exceptions to the Algebra I requirement are for students who are enrolled in the Occupational Course of Study or have an Individual Education Program (IEP) that identifies them as Learning Disabled (LD) in math and states that the disability will prevent them from mastering Algebra I. Once a student is exempt, the exemption holds until the student exits public school. Documentation of the exemption will be written in a present level of performance statement on the IEP. Wake County Public School students must meet established competency criteria. All students must demonstrate proficiency of computer skills through state testing. This assessment shall begin at the eighth grade. A student with disabilities shall demonstrate proficiency by the use of a portfolio if this method is required by the student's IEP. In addition, students who have not demonstrated proficiency in reading and/or mathematics on the 8th grade End-of-Grade test(s) must pass the High School Competency Test(s) or an equivalent exam. Students entering ninth grade in 2006-07 and beyond will demonstrate proficiency through passing EOC scores in English I and Algebra I.

Students who complete all graduation requirements receive a diploma at graduation. Students who satisfy all graduation requirements but fail the Competency Test (those who entered grade 9 before the 2006-07 school year) will receive a certificate of achievement and will be allowed to participate in graduation exercises. Special needs students (excluding Academically Gifted students and pregnant students) who do not satisfy all graduation requirements will receive a graduation certificate and be allowed to participate in graduation exercises if the students complete twenty credits by general subject area and completes all IEP requirements.