Graduation Requirements
And Accountability
Resources:
TEA, HB 5,
Vicki Hayhurst, Region 14 ESC
Presented by:
Karen E. Turner, Region 14 ESC, keturner@esc14.net, (325)675-8620
4/21/2014
New
Graduation
Plans
ELA
Four credits
English I
English II
English III
Advanced English Course
Mathematics
Three Credits
Algebra I
Geometry
Advanced Math Course
Science
Three Credits
Biology
IPC or Advanced Science Course
Advanced Science Course
Social Studies
Three Credits
U.S. History
U.S. Government (one-half credit)
Economics (one-half credit)
World Geography or World History or
Combined World History/World Geography(course not developed yet)
Physical Education
One credit
Languages Other
Than English
Two credits in the same Language
Computer programming language
(other exceptions)
Fine Arts
One Credit
Electives
Five Credits


Any two levels in the same language
Two credits in computer programming
languages selected from Computer Science I,
II, and III (allowable through the 2015-2016
school year)
If a student, in completing the first credit of
LOTE, demonstrates that the student is unlikely
to be able to complete the second credit, the
student may substitute another appropriate
course as follows:
1) Special Topics in Language and Culture
2) World History Studies or World Geography
Studies for a student who is not required to
complete both by the local district
3) Computer programming languages
4) A different language course

A student who, due to a disability, is unable
to complete two LOTE credits in the same
language must be allowed to substitute two
credits in English language arts, mathematics,
science, or social studies or two credits in
CTE or technology applications to satisfy the
LOTE credit requirements.
A specific speech course will not be a requirement
under the Foundation HS Program.
New Requirement:
To receive a high school diploma, a student must
demonstrate proficiency, as determined by the district
in which the student is enrolled, in:
1)
Delivering clear verbal messages
2)
Choosing effective nonverbal behaviors
3)
Listening for desired results
4)
Applying valid critical-thinking and problemsolving processes
5)
Identifying, analyzing, developing, and evaluating
communication skills needed for professional and
social success in interpersonal situations, group
interactions, and personal and professional
presentations.


Documentation of a student’s demonstrated
proficiency must be included on the
Academic Achievement Record (AAR).
School districts have the authority to use
Professional Communications to meet the
speech requirement. This is a local district
decision.
A student may earn an endorsement by
successfully completing:
1) Curriculum requirements for the
endorsement
2) Four credits in math
3) Four credits in science
4) Two additional elective credits
Each school district must make available to
high school students courses that allow a
student to complete the curriculum
requirements for at least one endorsement.
A school district that offers only one
endorsement curriculum must offer the
multidisciplinary studies endorsement
curriculum.


A school district defines advanced courses
and determines a coherent sequence of
courses for an endorsement area, provided
that prerequisites are followed.
A course completed as part of the set of four
courses needed to satisfy an endorsement
requirement may also satisfy a requirement
under the Foundation HS Program, including
an elective requirement.
A student may earn a distinguished level of
achievement by successfully completing:
 A total of four credits in math, which must
include Algebra II
 A total of four credits in science
 The remaining curriculum requirements
 The curriculum requirements for at least one
endorsement
A student must earn distinguished level of
achievement to be eligible for top 10%
automatic admission.
A student may earn a performance
acknowledgment:
A.
For outstanding performance




B.
In a dual credit course
In a bilingualism and biliteracy
On an AP test or IB exam
On the PSAT, the ACT-Plan, the SAT, or the ACT
For earning a nationally or internationally
recognized business or industry certification or
license
A student may earn a performance
acknowledgment on the student’s diploma and
transcript for outstanding performance in a dual
credit course by successfully completing:
1) At least 12 hours of college academic courses,
including those taken for dual credit as part of
the Texas core curriculum, and advanced
technical credit courses, including locally
articulated courses, with a grade of the
equivalent of 3.0 or higher on a scale of 4.0 or
2) An associate degree while in high school
A student may earn a performance
acknowledgment in bilingualism and biliteracy by
demonstrating proficiency in accordance with local
school district grading policy in two or more
languages by:
1) Completing all English language arts
requirements and maintaining a minimum grade
point average (GPA) of the equivalent of 80 on a
scale of 100; and
2)
Satisfying one of the following:
 Completion of a minimum of three credits in the same
language in a LOTE with a minimum GPA of the equivalent
of 80 on a scale of 100; or
 Demonstrated proficiency in the Texas Essential Knowledge
and Skills for Level IV or higher in a LOTE with a minimum
GPA of the equivalent of 80 on a scale of 100; or
 Completion of at least three credits in foundation subject
area courses in a LOTE with a minimum GPA of 80 on a
scale of 100; or
 Demonstrated proficiency in one or more LOTEs through
one of the following methods:
In addition to meeting the requirements to
earn a performance acknowledgment in
bilingualism and biliteracy, an English language
learner must also have:
A. Participated in and met the exit criteria for a
bilingual or English as a second language
(ESL) program; and
B. Scored at the Advanced High level on the
Texas English Language Proficiency
Assessment System (TELPAS)
A student may earn a performance
acknowledgment on the student’s diploma and
transcript for outstanding performance on a
College Board advance placement test or
International Baccalaureate examination by
earning:
1) A score of 3 or above on a College Board
advanced placement exam
2) A score of 4 or above on an International
Baccalaureate exam
A student may earn a performance acknowledgment on
the student’s diploma and transcript for outstanding
performance on the PSAT, the ACT-Plan, the SAT, or
the ACT by:
1) Earning a score on the Preliminary SAT/National
Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT)
that qualifies the student for recognition as a
commended scholar or higher by the College Board
and National Merit Scholarship Corporation, as part
of the National Hispanic Recognition Program
(NHRP) of the College Board or as part of the
National Achievement Scholarship Program of the
National Merit Scholarship Corporation.
2)
2)
2)
Achieving the college readiness benchmark
score on at least two of the four subject
tests on the ACT-PLAN exam
Earning a combined critical reading and
math score of at least 1250 on the SAT; or
Earning a composite score on the ACT exam
of 28 (excluding the writing subscore)
A student may earn a performance
acknowledgment on the student’s diploma and
transcript for earning a nationally or
internationally recognized business or industry
certification or license with:
1) Performance on an examination or series of
exams sufficient to obtain a nationally or
internationally recognized business or
industry certification or
2) Performance on an examination sufficient to
obtain a government-required credential to
practice a profession
Nationally or internationally recognized business
or industry certification shall be defined as an
industry validated credential that complies with
knowledge and skills standards promulgated by a
nationally or internationally recognized business,
industry, professional, or government entity
representing a particular profession or occupation
that is issued by or endorsed by:
 A national or international business, industry, or
professional organization
 A state agency or other government entity or
 A state-based industry association
Certifications or licensures for performance
acknowledgments shall:
 Be age appropriate for high school students
 Represent a student’s substantial course of study
and/or end-of-program knowledge and skills
 Include an industry recognized exam or series of
exams, an industry validated skill test, or
demonstrated proficiency through documented,
supervised field experience and
 Represent substantial knowledge and multiple
skills needed for successful entry into a highskill occupation
Testing
Continues to test
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
Mathematics at grades 3-8
Reading at grades 3-8
Writing at grades 4 and 7
Science at grades 5 and 8
Social studies at grade 8
Required to pass for high school
graduation
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
English I (reading and writing combined)
English II (reading and writing combined)
Algebra I
Biology
U.S. History
Requires districts to provide accelerated
instruction to students who fail any of the five
required STAAR EOC assessments.
1)
Allows satisfactory performance on other
assessments (e.g., AP, IB, SAT, ACT) in
equivalent courses to substitute for performance
on STAAR EOC assessments.
2)


3)
A 3 on the AP exam
A 4 on the IB exam
Meeting Texas Success Initiative (TSI) on college
readiness benchmarks prescribed by THECB for
college preparatory classes under Sec. 28.014.
School District Evaluation of Performance in Community
and Student Engagement (HB5)
1)
Each district must annually evaluate district and
campus performance in community and student
engagement and assign a performance rating of
Exemplary, Recognized, Acceptable, or Unacceptable
2)
Required measures to be evaluated
a) Fine arts
b) Wellness and PE
c) Community and parental involvement (such as
opportunities for parents to assist students in preparing
for assessments, tutoring programs, community service
projects for students)
d) 21st Century Workforce Development
e) Second Language Acquisition
f) Dropout Prevention Strategies
g) Educational programs for G/T students
h) Record of the district and campus in complying with
statutory reporting and policy requirements
3)
4)
Each school district will use criteria
developed by a local committee and will
report ratings to TEA and make ratings
publicly available by August 8 of each year
The school district will report in their June
PEIMS submission on all 7 measures and
check yes or no if they are complying with
statutory reporting and policy requirements.
Distinction Designations (HB5)
1)
2)
TEA issue district and campus distinction designations
with district/campus performance ratings by August 8
of each year (in connection with performance ratings)
District and campus distinction designations shall be
awarded for outstanding performance in attainment of
postsecondary readiness and must include, as newly
added factors, the percentage of students who:
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
Earned a nationally or internationally recognized business
or industry certification or license
Completed a coherent scope and sequence of CTE courses
Completed a dual credit course or an articulated
postsecondary course
Achieved applicable college readiness benchmarks or the
equivalent on PSAT, SAT, ACT or ACT-Plan
Received a score on AP or IB assessments sufficient to be
awarded college credit
College Preparatory Courses (HB5)
1)
Each school district is required to partner with at least one IHE
to provide courses in college preparatory math and ELA
2)
The courses must be designed:
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
f)
g)
For students at 12th grade who do not meet college readiness standards
on an EOC or whose coursework or college-entrance exams indicate
that they are not ready to perform entry-level college coursework; and
To prepare students for success in entry-level college courses
College preparatory courses must be offered on the high school campus
or through DL or an online course
Faculty of the high school and IHE must meet regularly to ensure that
each course is aligned with college readiness expectations
Each school district must provide notice to each student of the benefits
of college preparatory courses
A student who successfully completes a college preparatory course may
use the credit earned toward satisfying the advanced ELA or advanced
Math requirement (as applicable)
A college preparatory course may be offered for dual credit
Accountability
55
HS – N/A
MS – 5%
Elem – 5%
5%

Campuses that earn a Met Standard rating are eligible for 7
campus distinction designations
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Top 25% Student Progress (Index 2)
Academic Achievement in Reading/ELA
Academic Achievement in Math
Academic Achievement in Science
Academic Achievement in Social Studies
Postsecondary Readiness for campuses and
districts
Top 25% Closing Performance Gaps
AEA campuses are NOT eligible for distinction designations.

A student may graduate under the foundation
high school program without earning an
endorsement if, after the student’s sophomore
year, the student’s parent files with a school
counselor written permission, on a form adopted
by TEA, allowing the student to graduate under
the foundation program without an endorsement
(after the student and the student’s parent have
been advised by a school counselor of the
benefits of graduating with one or more
endorsements).
Endorsements
1) SBOE rule must provide students with multiple
options for earning each endorsement-including
coherent sequences of courses, to the greatest
extent possible
2) Students must be allowed to enroll in more than
one endorsement curriculum prior to their
junior year
3) On entering 9th grade each student must
indicate in writing an endorsement that the
student intends to earn (which may be changed
by the student at any time)
4) Each school district must offer at least one
endorsement (if only one is offered, it must be
Multidisciplinary Studies)
District and Campus Ratings to Be Made Publicly
Available by August 8 of Each Year
1) Each district shall be assigned a performance
rating of A, B, C, D or F (with D or F reflecting
unacceptable performance)
a)
2)
3)
A district may not receive an A if it has any campuses
rated Unacceptable
Each campus shall be assigned a performance
rating of Exemplary, Recognized, Acceptable or
Unacceptable
Any district or campus with an unacceptable
rating for a school year will be notified by June
15 if it is going to be assigned an unacceptable
rating for the subsequent year
Accountability F A Q
http://ritter.tea.state.tx.us/perfreport/account/2013/faq.html
Training Packet
http://ritter.tea.state.tx.us/perfreport/account/2012/howto.html
Accountability Ratings Page
http://ritter.tea.state.tx.us/perfreport/account/2013/index.html
Notice of Performance Requirements
http://ritter.tea.state.tx.us/perfreport/3297_faq.html
Accountability Manual
http://ritter.tea.state.tx.us/perfreport/account/2013/index.html
STAAR Progress Measure Documents
http://www.tea.state.tx.us/student.assessment/staar/
Accountability Reports & Information
http://ritter.tea.state.tx.us/perfreport/account/2013/index.html
Accountability Monitoring Intervention
http://www.tea.state.tx.us/index2.aspx?id=2147495563&menu_id=2147483703
Vicki Hayhurst Region 14 ESC
https://sites.google.com/a/esc14.net/r14-cte-program-planning/
Karen E. Turner
keturner@esc14.net
325-675-8620