Louisiana’s Standard Diploma and Diploma Endorsement Proposed Changes – Page 1
Current Requirements for
Standard High School Diploma
Proposed Changes to
Basic Curriculum
Core Courses – (See attachment for specific course requirements)
4 Units of English (English I, II, III, and IV or
Replace Business English with Technical
Business English)
Reading/Writing
3 Units of Math (Including Alg I or the equivalent)
4 Units of Math
3 Units of Science
3 Units of Social Studies
½ Unit Health
1½ Units PE
8 Electives________________
________________________
23 Total Units Required
24 Total Units Required
GEE 21/EOC Test Requirement
Pass English and math components plus pass
either Science or Social Studies component
Pass English and math components plus pass
either Science or Social Studies component
Proposed
“LA Core”
None
Area of Concentration
Career Options Law requires that student must
either complete an academic area of concentration
or complete 4 elective credits in a career and tech
area of concentration and 2 related elective credits.
The area of concentration shall be developed
locally by a district curriculum team and approved
by BESE.
Career Options Law requires that student must
either complete an academic area of concentration
or complete 4 elective credits in a career and tech
area of concentration and 2 related elective credits.
The area of concentration shall be developed
locally by a district curriculum design and approved
by BESE.
Requirements for
Academic
Endorsement**
4 Units of English (Eng I, II, III, and IV or
Technical Reading/Writing)
4 Units of Math
*4 Units of Science
*4 Units of Social Studies/Social Sciences
½ Unit Health
1 ½ Units PE
1 Fine Arts
2 Required Electives
3 Other Electives_________________
24 Total Units Required
Same as LA Core
________________________
24 Total Units Required
4 Units of English (Eng I, II, III, and IV)
4 Units of Math
4 Units of Science
4 Units of Social Studies
½ Unit Health
1 ½ Units PE
1 Fine Arts
2 Units of Foreign Language
3 Electives
________________________
24 Total Units Required
Pass English and math components plus
pass either Science or Social Studies
component
Pass all 4 components with a score of
Basic or above OR one of the following
combinations with the ELA score at Basic
or above:
 1 Approaching Basic, 1 Mastery or
Advanced, Basic or above in the
remaining two
 2 Approaching Basic, 2 Mastery or
above
Pass all 4 components with a score of
Basic or above OR one of the following
combinations with the ELA score at
Basic or above:
 1 Approaching Basic, 1 Mastery or
Advanced, Basic or above in the
remaining two
 2 Approaching Basic, 2 Mastery or
above
None
2.5 GPA and 20 or state average on ACT
(whichever is higher) or WorkKeys Silver
Level
2.5 GPA and 23 ACT
NOTE: GEE requirements may change pending
new End-of-Course Test policies.
GPA/ACT Requirement
None
Requirements for Career
&Technical Endorsement
Students must complete an academic
Student must complete four elective
Students must complete an academic
area of concentration or complete 4
credits in a career and tech area of
area of concentration.
career and tech elective credits in an area concentration and two related elective
of concentration and 2 related elective
credits. The area of concentration shall
credits. The area of concentration shall
be developed locally by a district
be developed locally by a district
curriculum design team and approved by
curriculum design team and approved by
BESE.
BESE.
*Students completing a career/technical area of concentration may substitute approved IBC courses from within their area of concentration for the 4th required science and/or social studies/social sciences courses. (See page 4 for
example.)
**More work needed to align Academic Endorsement with LSU Flagship University entrance requirements.
Louisiana’s Standard Diploma and Diploma Endorsement Proposed Changes – Page 2
Current Requirements for
Standard High School Diploma
Proposed
Basic Curriculum
Proposed
“LA Core”
Requirements for
Career and Technical
Endorsement
Requirements for
Academic Endorsement
Other Performance Indicators
None
None
None
 BESE-approved *Industry-based
certification in student’s area of
concentration; OR
 3 college hours in a C&T area
that articulate to a postsecondary
institution, either by actually
obtaining the credits and/or being
waived from having to take such
hours in student’s area of
concentration;
AND
 A minimum of 90 work hours of
work-based learning experience
related to area of concentration
or senior project related to
student’s area of concentration
with 20 hours of related workbased learning or mentoring.


 Louisiana Standard Diploma with
Career and Technical
Endorsement



Senior Project OR
1 Carnegie unit in an AP
course with a score of 3 or
higher on the AP exam OR
1 Carnegie unit in an IB
course with a score of 4 or
higher on the exam OR
3 college hours of nonremedial, articulated credit in
core area (Mathematics,
Social Studies, Science,
Foreign Language, or English
Language Arts)
What Does Graduate Get?

Louisiana Standard Diploma


Louisiana Standard Diploma
Completion of requirements for
Community College or Technical
College
 Louisiana Standard Diploma with
acknowledgment of completion of
Success Core
 Completion of pending
requirements for LA regional 4-year
universities
*Industry Based Certifications (IBCs) must be recommended by the Workforce Commission and approved by BESE.
Louisiana Standard Diploma
with Academic Endorsement
Louisiana’s Standard Diploma and Diploma Endorsement Proposed Changes – Page 3
Current Requirements for
Standard High School Diploma
Proposed
Basic Curriculum
Proposed
“LA Core”
Requirements for
Career and Technical
Endorsement
Requirements for
Academic
Endorsement**
Specific Courses
English – 4 units
3 English ( English I, II and III)
1 English IV or Business English
Math – 3 units
All students complete one of the following:
 Algebra I (1 unit) or
 Algebra I-Pt. 1 and Algebra I-Pt. 2or
 Integrated Math I (1 unit)
The remaining unit(s) shall come from the following:
Integrated Math II, Integrated Math III, Geometry,
Algebra II, Financial Math, Advanced Math I, Advanced
Math II, Pre-Calculus, Calculus, Probability and
Statistics, and Discrete Math.
Science – 3 units
1 unit of Biology
1 unit from the physical science cluster:
Physical Science, Integrated Science, Chemistry I,
Physics I, Physics of Technology I
1 unit from the following courses:
Aerospace Science, Biology II, Chemistry II, Earth
Science, Environmental Science, Physics II, Physics
of Technology II, Agriscience II, an additional course
from the physical science cluster, or a locally
initiated science elective.
Social Studies – 3 units
1 American History
0.5 Civics or AP American Gov’t and Politics
0.5 Free Enterprise
1 World History, Western Civilization, World Geography
OR AP European History
English – 4 units
3 English ( English I, II and III)
1English IV or Technical Reading/Writing
Math – 4 units
All students complete one of the following:
 Algebra I (1 unit) or
 Algebra I-Pt. 1 and Algebra I-Pt. 2
The remaining unit(s) shall come from
Geometry, Algebra II, Financial Math, Advanced Math I,
Advanced Math II, Pre-Calculus, Calculus, Probability
and Statistics, and Discrete Math. Also, a practical
statistics course will be developed that can be used for
the senior-level math course.
Science – 3 units
1 unit of Biology
1 unit from the physical science cluster:
Physical Science, Integrated Science, Chemistry I,
Physics I, Physics of Technology I
1 unit from the following courses:
Aerospace Science, Biology II, Chemistry II, Earth
Science, Environmental Science, Physics II, Physics
of Technology II, Agriscience II, an additional course
from the physical science cluster, or a locally
initiated science elective.
Social Studies – 3 units
1 American History
0.5 Civics or AP American Gov’t and Politics
0.5 Free Enterprise
1 World History, Western Civilization, World Geography
OR AP European History
English – 4 units
3 English ( English I, II and III)
1 English IV or Technical Reading/Writing
4 Units of Math
1 Unit of Algebra 1 or Algebra 1-Part 2
1 Unit Geometry
1 Unit Algebra II
One of the following: Financial Math, Advanced
Math I, Advanced Math II, Pre-Calculus, Calculus,
Probability and Statistics, and Discrete Math
*4 Units of Science
Biology
Chemistry
2 additional science units from the following:
Physical Science, Integrated Science, Physics I,
Physics of Technology I, Aerospace Science,
Biology II, Chemistry II, Earth Science,
Environmental Science, Physics II, Physics of
Technology II, Agriscience II, an additional course
from the physical science cluster, or a BESE
approved locally initiated science elective.
*4 Units of Social Studies/Social Sciences
1 American History
0.5 Civics or AP American Gov’t and Politics
0.5 Free Enterprise
1 World History, Western Civilization, World
Geography OR AP European History
1 unit from among the following: 1 World History,
Western Civilization, World Geography, AP
European History, American Government,
Economics, Law Studies, Psychology, or Sociology
Art – Fine Art Survey or 1 unit of visual arts,
performing arts, or applied arts
2 Required Electives
½ Unit Health
1½ Units PE
8 electives
½ Unit Health
1½ Units PE
8 electives
Same as LA Core
English – 4 units
English I, II, III and IV
4 Units of Math
1 Unit of Algebra 1 or Algebra 1-Part 2
1 Unit Geometry
1 Unit Algebra II
One of the following: Advanced Math I,
Advanced Math II, Pre-Calculus, Calculus,
Probability and Statistics, and Discrete Math
4 Units of Science
Biology
Chemistry
One advanced science: Biology II, Chemistry
II, Physics, or Physics II
One additional science
4 Units of Social Studies – same as current
requirements with one additional social
studies unit.
Art – Fine Art Survey or 2 units of visual or
performing arts
Foreign Language
2 units in the same language
½ Unit Health
1½ Units PE
2 foreign language courses OR
2 speech classes
½ Unit Health
1½ Units PE
Students must use remaining electives to
complete an academic or career/technical
area of concentration.
*Students completing a career/technical area of concentration may substitute approved IBC related courses from within their area of concentration for the 4th required science and/or social studies/social sciences courses. (See page 4 for
example.)
**More work needed to align Academic Endorsement with LSU Flagship University entrance requirements.