The Texas Foundation High School Program
Texas students’ graduation requirements are now outlined in a single academic track, as opposed to the three distinct tracks previously mentioned. One distinctive feature of the High School Foundation Program is that it can be tailored by adding one or more of the following five “endorsements.” The RHSP and DAP require 26 credit hours, while the basic academic track only needs 22. But if a student chooses to pursue an endorsement—which the vast majority of students do—the extra coursework requirements raise the overall to 26 credit hours.
The following table lists the variations in particular subject-area requirements without taking endorsement guidelines into consideration.
Table 1: Side by Side Graduation Programs. Source: TEA.
| Subject Area | Foundation HSP | MSHP | RHSP | DAP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| English Language Arts | 4 credits | 4 credits | 4 credits | 4 credits |
| Mathematics | 3 credits | 3 credits | 4 credits | 4 credits |
| Science | 3 credits | 2 credits | 4 credits | 4 credits |
| Social Studies | 3 credits | 3 credits | 4 credits | 4 credits |
| Physical Education | 1 credit | 1 credit | 1 credit | 1 credit |
| Speech | Demonstrated Proficiency | 0.5 credits | 0.5 credits | 0.5 credits |
| Languages Other than English | 2 credits | 0 credits | 2 credits | 3 credits |
| Electives | 5 credits | 7.5 credits | 5.5 credits | 4.5 credits |
| Total | 22 credits | 22 credits | 26 credits | 26 credits |
The endorsements are what really make the Foundation High School program unique. These are essentially college majors in high school; students can earn a diploma with an endorsement in any one of five areas by completing “a coherent sequence or series of courses” in that area.
The five endorsements available to students are STEM, Business and Industry, Public Services, Arts and Humanities, and Multidisciplinary Studies. The Foundation High School Program requirements for each endorsement are laid out in the table below. Each high school must offer courses leading to at least one endorsement, but not every school will offer every endorsement. (See the breakdown of endorsements offered by HISD’s high schools, for example.) The precise “coherent sequence of courses” which can be used for an endorsement is determined on the district level.
Table 2: Curricular Requirements for Endorsements. Source: TEA.
| Endorsement | Course Options—A sequence/series of courses selected from the following: |
|---|---|
| STEM |
|
| Business & Industry |
|
| Public Services |
|
| Arts & Humanities |
|
| Multidisciplinary Studies |
|
Students with various interests can also be accommodated by the endorsement system, since multiple endorsements can be obtained. Students can earn any endorsement for which they meet the curriculum requirements as long as they fulfill the credit requirements of the Foundational program, which are four credits each of math and science plus two additional elective credits. Compared to previous systems, the Foundation requirements allow students to take comparatively fewer courses in some areas and make up the difference in other areas that they find more interesting or relevant.
For example, a student aspiring to become an engineer could choose to skip the first three years of social studies and concentrate on computer science courses. This does not, however, apply to all endorsement subjects equally, as each endorsement calls for four credit hours of science and math. Therefore, a student pursuing the Arts and Humanities endorsement, for example, could not decide to forego their fourth year of science or math.
The fact that a single course can fulfill the prerequisites for both an endorsement and the core requirements, or the prerequisites for two different endorsements, contributes to the possibility of earning multiple endorsements. Students can choose their courses of study with more flexibility thanks to this possibility of overlap.
The endorsement system appears a little strange at first because grade school is generally thought to be more focused on providing a general foundation, while higher education has historically been the domain of concrete specializations. But while there’s no denying that high school helps lay the groundwork, electives have always provided opportunities for more specialized study. Additionally, there are clear advantages to organizing courses into distinct groups for specialized endorsements.
More significantly, the endorsement system offers formal documentation of students’ commitment to their areas of interest while enabling them to pursue a more organized and in-depth investigation of those areas. An endorsement on a student’s diploma verifies that they have met the state’s requirements for proficiency in that subject and indicates that they have consciously worked to increase their understanding of it. Even out-of-state universities will acknowledge that an endorsement indicates intentional study pertinent to a student’s intended major. In-state colleges and universities will also understand the significance of endorsements. Additionally, students can further demonstrate their excellence to college admissions officials by obtaining multiple endorsements, a DAP endorsement, or a Performance Acknowledgment (see below).
Provisions for Academically Gifted Students
The way the Foundation High School Program treats students at the periphery of the bell curve is another area where it varies slightly from the previous setup. Although the nature of the provisions for both struggling and high achiever students has changed, they still exist.
Under the previous program, which is described above, academically outstanding students could obtain a Distinguished Achievement Diploma by meeting the necessary extracurricular requirements and proving their excellence in important areas beyond basic coursework. This has been replaced under the new program by the Performance Acknowledgments endorsement and the Distinguished Level of Achievement endorsement, which are supplements to the original five.
The DLA endorsement can be earned by any student who completes the requirements for one or more endorsements: it requires four credits of math and four credits of science (both prerequisites for any endorsement) plus the completion of curricular requirements for at least one of the primary five endorsements. This renders it more attainable to more students, though it correspondingly lowers the award’s value as a mark of achievement. However, the DLA endorsement does have one key benefit for in-state college admissions – under the new rules, a student must earn the DLA endorsement to be eligible for top 10% automatic admission.
The Performance Acknowledgements make up for the DLA’s more general nature by highlighting student achievement in specific areas. Performance Acknowledgements may recognize any of the following:
- 12 hours or more of dual enrollment courses with a minimum of a B
- attainment of an associate’s degree or a business certificate recognized both domestically and globally
- bilingualism (as determined by tests in other languages such as AP, IB, and TEKS English proficiency)
- a score of 3 or more on an AP exam
- a score of 4 or more on an IB exam
- a Commended Scholar qualifying score on the PSAT
- a score of 1250 or more on the SAT
- a score of 28 or more on the ACT
Students can earn multiple Performance Acknowledgements. This is an improvement over the previous arrangement, which limited student recognition to the generic “Distinguished Achievement” award to the equivalent of four Performance Acknowledgments. Students who complete the Foundation High School Program will still receive recognition for the one they completed, and those who complete all four will receive appropriate recognition for each one.
Provisions for Academically Challenged Students
The Minimum High School Program was available under the previous system for students who, for whatever reason, were unable to earn 26 credits. Only 22 credits were needed to complete the MHSP, with no language credits and fewer credits needed in subjects other than English.
There isn’t a specific program under House Bill 5 for students who struggle academically or who need to graduate faster. Still, the program comes with a track for them by default. The Foundation High School Program counts on a student completing two credits by taking at least one endorsement. Only 22 credits are needed if a student decides not to pursue an endorsement; the only notable distinction between these prerequisites and the MHSP is that all students must now complete two language credits.
Formerly, students had to opt in to the MHSP; now, in order to graduate without an endorsement, a student must opt out of the endorsement offerings. The old and new parent agreements even use much of the same language. The basic track sans endorsements fulfills the same function now as the MHSP did under the old guidelines.
Comparing the New Texas Graduation Requirements vs the Old—The Recommended, Distinguished, and Minimum High School Programs
The Foundation High School Program actually replaced a system that had three tracks, each with its own set of requirements. A large proportion of students adhered to the Recommended High School Program, which required 26 credit hours broken down as follows:
- four credits in English
- four credits in math
- four credits in science
- four credits in social studies
- two credits in a second language
- one credit in PE
- one credit in fine arts
- one half credit in speech
- five and one half credits in electives
In addition to taking the requisite classes, students were required to pass STAAR tests in several required subjects: Algebra I, Biology, US History, English I, and English II.
In terms of required coursework, the Distinguished Achievement Program—which was created for students who were academically gifted—differed from the Recommended High School Program only marginally. In addition to having requirements that extended beyond coursework, the DAP introduced a third language credit to the RHSP’s required language credits. Students needed to fulfill four of the following criteria, or “measures,” in order to be eligible for a Distinguished Achievement Diploma:
- an original study that is evaluated by experts and presented to a professional audience
- a PSAT score which qualifies for the “Commended Scholar” rank
- a grade of 3. 0 or higher in a dual enrollment class.
- a score of 3 or higher on an AP exam
- a score of 4 or higher on an IB exam
Since each exam result was considered separately, a student who took multiple AP or IB exams was likely to qualify. A student’s excellence was certified in concrete form with a Distinguished Achievement Diploma, and being on track to graduate from this program could help them in the college admissions process.
For students who had significant difficulties with academics or who wanted to finish high school early, there was the Minimum High School Program, which required 22 credits. In order to qualify for this program, a student had to meet one of the following criteria:
- they must be 16 or older
- Or else each of the four core subjects must have been taken for at least two credits.
- OR they must have failed ninth grade at least once
For a student to graduate under the Minimum High School Program, both the student and their guardians had to choose to participate in it. Since the MHSP is less effective at promoting college readiness and does not grant eligibility for the Texas Scholars Program, it was not recommended for students who could meet the requirements of the other two programs.
These modifications to Texas’ high school graduation standards aim to give each student a more customized educational experience. The previous graduation requirements provided three different pathways: one for students who excelled academically, one for the majority of students, and one for students who faced academic challenges or wanted to graduate early. The new Foundation High School Program provides one cohesive track with numerous customizable options.
Students who enroll in an endorsement program will receive the same number of credits as they would have under the previous DAP or RHSP program, and they will also be qualified for the supplemental endorsement known as the Distinguished Level of Achievement. High achievers can distinguish themselves further by earning one or more Performance Acknowledgments, while academically challenged students can opt to graduate with just 22 credits.
In summary, the Foundation High School Program fulfills the needs of diverse students in a manner that is comparable to the programs it is replacing and shares the same fundamental requirements. However, it surpasses the previous programs by giving students more options and increased freedom in choosing their courses.
This article was originally published on ThesisMag. com and written by Sarah Craig.
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FAQ
Can I graduate with 22 credits in Texas?
The Foundation High School Program, a new plan, calls for a total of 22 credits to graduate. These credits include four credits in English/language arts, three credits in mathematics, three credits in science, three credits in social studies, two credits in foreign languages, one credit in physical education, one credit in fine arts, and five
How many credits do you need to graduate US high school?
Introduction to the US High School Diploma 20. It takes five credits total, of which four are in English (Language and Literature). Individual and Societies – 3 credits.
How can I graduate early in Texas?
Early Readiness High School Graduation Option Students may earn a high school diploma and a distinguished level of achievement under the Foundation High School program if they show early readiness for college in each core subject area and a language other than English, as per the ERHSGO agreement.
How many credits do you need to be a junior in high school in Texas?
CLASSIFICATIONS# of Credits required by the students entering 2010-11 or laterFRESHMAN SOPHOMORE JUNIOR SENIOR GRADUATE0. 0 6. 0 12. 0 18. 0 26. 0.
Read More :
https://www.connectionsacademy.com/texas-virtual-school/academics/graduation-requirements/