High School Vocabulary
Credits
A unit of measure for completion of academic requirements for graduation.
Required Classes
Courses designated by the West Virginia Board of Education as the minimum requirements for
high school graduation. These include four credits in English, social studies, and mathematics;
three or four credits in science and one credit in physical education, health, and fine arts.
Electives
Courses where students can study areas of interest in addition to courses required for graduation.
Career & Technical Classes Specialized elective classes that focus on skills that can lead to a job or additional specialized
training.
Concentration
Four elective courses in the same career area.
Completer
A student who had successfully passed four or more specified courses in a Career & Technical
Field.
Transcript
A record of a student’s grades, attendance, health, and work based experience that is provided to
a student, employers or post secondary schools
Work Based Experience All students are required to participate in work-based experience prior to graduation. There are
many activities that can serve as work-based experience. This may include job shadowing and computer simulations that
detail work-based experience. The school will do its part to provide the work-based experience, but many activities can
be student initiated. Any work-based experience must be connected to the student’s career choice. The following is a list
of some activities that can be arranged for students: field trips, guest speakers, job shadowing, mentorships, internships,
school-based enterprises, and school-site experiences such as service learning through clubs, classes, and organizations.
Graduation
The ceremony conducted by the Marshall County Board of Education for students who have
completed the courses required by the West Virginia Department of Education and Marshall
County Schools.
Freshman
A student enrolled at John Marshall High School who has completed less than five credits by
August 1 of the previous school year.
Sophomore
A student enrolled at John Marshall High School who has completed at least five credits but less
than eleven credits by August 1 of the previous school year.
Junior
A student enrolled at John Marshall High School who has completed at least eleven credits but
less than eighteen credits by August 1 of the previous school year.
Senior
A student enrolled at John Marshall High School who has completed at least eighteen credits and
Algebra I by August 1 of the previous school year.
Honors Classes
Classes where a student is enrolled in a challenging advanced academic course. Successful
completion may qualify the student to enroll in AP and Dual Credit classes in the future.
EDGE Credit
College credit that can be obtained by taking vocational, technical, computers and business
classes at little or no cost.
Advanced Placement
Classes where a student is enrolled in a specialized, and challenging advanced academic course
where the student may also pay to take a test supervised by the College Board at the end of the
year that may qualify them for not only high school but also college credit.
Dual Credit
Classes where a student is enrolled in a specialized, and challenging advanced academic course
where the student may receive not only high school but also college credit.