Tangipahoa Parish School System
Academic Information
2010-2011
An Overview of Graduation Requirements,
Academic Endorsements,
and Honors and AP® Courses
Diploma Tracks
Three paths to take for incoming
freshmen 2008-2009 and beyond…
• Louisiana Core 4 Curriculum
• All students are enrolled in the Core 4
Curriculum at least two years.
• Louisiana Basic Core Curriculum
• Students may move to the Basic Core after
two years in high school.
• Career Diploma
Where can each diploma path
take you?
• The Louisiana Core 4 Diploma is required
by most 4-year colleges and universities.
• Louisiana Basic 4 Diploma qualifies
students for 2-year colleges, technical
schools, and some 4-year colleges.
• The Career Diploma is designed to
prepare students to enter the workforce
upon high school graduation.
Louisiana Core 4 Course Requirements*
4 units of English
4 units of Math
4 units of Science
4 units of Social Studies
2 units of Foreign Language or Speech
1 unit of Arts
1½ units of PE (or ROTC)
½ unit of Health
3 Electives
______________________________
Total 24 credits
*For a list of the required courses for this diploma track,
click on the link for Louisiana Core 4 Course Requirements.
Basic Core Requirements*
4 units of English
4 units of Math
3 units of Science
3 units of Social Studies
1½ units of PE (or ROTC)
½ unit of Health
8 Electives
______________________________
Total 24 credits
*For a list of the required courses for this diploma track,
click on the link for Basic Core Requirements.
Career Diploma Requirements*
4 units of English
4 units of Math
3 units of Science
3 units of Social Studies
1½ units of PE (or ROTC)
½ unit of Health
8 Electives
______________________________
Total 23 credits
*For a list of the required courses for this diploma track,
click on the link for Career Diploma Requirements.
LA Core 4 Curriculum
• All 9th grade students will be enrolled
• After 2 years, students can opt out with
parental permission
• Curriculum requires students to complete
4 units of English, math, science, and
social studies
• Will be required for entry into a 4-year
college
What Must a Student Do to
Earn Any Standard Diploma?
• Meet attendance requirements
• Complete the LA Core 4 Curriculum
or “Opt Out” course requirements
• Pass required End-of-Course Tests:
English II or III; Algebra I or
Geometry; Biology or American
History (Excellent, Good, Fair)
Diploma Endorsements
What is a Diploma
Endorsement?
A diploma endorsement indicates a student
has completed requirements beyond
those for a standard diploma.
• Purposes
– To enhance students’ junior/senior
years
– To provide a focus for education or
work after high school
• Types of endorsements
– Academic
– Career/Technical
Career/Technical
Endorsement
Courses:
Louisiana Core 4 Curriculum
Area of
Concentration: 4 primary elective credits and 2 related
elective credits including
1 computer course.
GEE:
Score Basic or above on all four components
of the GEE.
GPA/ACT:
Currently 2.5/20
Performance
Indicators:
Approved IBC OR 3 articulated CT college
hours plus 90 hours work-based learning OR
Senior Project related to area of
concentration with 20 hours of work-based
learning
Academic Endorsement
Courses:
LA Core 4+ Curriculum
Area of
Concentration:
Complete the LA Core 4+ Curriculum
GEE :
Basic or above in all 4 components OR one of
the following combinations with ELA at Basic or
above:
A. 1 Approaching Basic, 1 Mastery or
Advanced, and Basic or above in the
remaining two OR
B. 2 Approaching Basic and 2 Mastery or
above.
GPA/ACT:
Currently 2.5/ 23
Performance
Indicators:
Senior Project OR Carnegie Unit in AP course
with exam score of 3 or higher OR 1 Carnegie
Unit in an IB course with a score of 4 or higher
OR 3 college hours of non-remedial, articulated
credit in science, math, English, social studies, or
foreign language
Honors and AP® Courses
What are Honors Courses?
Honors courses are developed locally by
high school teachers to help meet the
needs of accelerated students. Honors
classes offer the same curriculum that
non-honors classes offer but are more
challenging. Honors courses are
faster-paced and cover topics more indepth.
Who is eligible to take an
honors course?
Students may be considered for honors if
they meet three of four of the following
criteria:
– Minimum overall Grade Point Average (GPA)
of 2.8
– Minimum subject area average of 3.0.
– Teacher recommendation based on a subjectarea checklist.
– Score Mastery or Advanced on LEAP or EOC
test in subject area.
Advanced Placement® (AP)
Courses
Through AP® courses, students can take
college-level courses without leaving their
high school campuses. However, college
credit can only be earned if the student
takes the official AP® exam in the subject
and scores a 3 or better (on a scale of 1 to
5).
AP® courses are available to all Tangipahoa
high school students through Louisiana
Virtual School, an on-line instructional
program.
What are advantages of
taking Honors
and AP® Courses?
You can gain an edge in the college
admission process.
College admission officers look for students who
take rigorous courses. It shows them that you
like to challenge yourself.
You may be able to earn college
credit for AP courses.
If you take AP® courses, you may be able to
get college credit depending on how you score
on a comprehensive examination in the
subject. Most colleges will give credit for
scores of 3 or higher on AP exams (AP range
is 1-5) and scores of 5 or higher on IB exams
(IB range is 1-7).
You can develop study habits that will
prepare you for college.
College courses are more rigorous than standard
high school classes. By taking the more
challenging honors classes in high school, you
will be better prepared to succeed in college.
For answers to questions,
contact your school
counselor.