Brushton-Moira
School Counseling Program
Updated March 2012
What will you learn today…
 How many credits needed to graduate
 What is a cohort, diploma, transcript vs. report card
 How many Regents exams need to be passed to
graduate
 What are the different diploma types
 What courses do I need to complete to graduate
 Who needs to take Regents courses/exams
Unit of Credit
 The way that we count the amount of course work that
a student has completed
 A full year course (1 period every day for 40 weeks)
equals 1 credit
 A half year course (every other day for 40 weeks OR
everyday for a half year) equals .5 credit
 Each student must have 22 credits in order to graduate
high school (these must be in particular areas)
Cohort
 An educational cohort is a group of students who work
through a curriculum together to achieve their high school
diploma. A cohort forms when the students begin the
curriculum.
 New York State High School Graduation Requirements
differ depending on the year (cohort) a student first enters
9th grade.
 Once you enter grade 9 your cohort NEVER changes
Report Cards and Transcripts
 Report cards provide grades, attendance, and teachers’
comments for each course
 A transcripts is a record of all courses and Regents
exams taken, and credits and diploma type earned in
high school
 College applications require a transcript and use them
as one of the main admissions criteria
Diploma
 A diploma is the certificate issued to a student upon
graduating high school. It certifies that the student
has completed all graduation requirements
 Regents Diploma
 Regents Diploma w/ Advanced Designation
Other Terms
 Rank
 GPA
 College Requirements
-letters of recommendation
-standardized exams
-activities and extracurricular
-4 year vs. 2 year college admission standards
Regents Courses and Exams
 Regents High School examinations, sometimes
shortened to the Regents, are mandatory in New York
State through the New York State Education
Department, designed and administered under the
authority of the Board of Regents of the University of
the State of New York. Regents exams are prepared by
a conference of selected New York teachers of each
test's specific discipline. The conferences meet and
design the tests three years before the tests' issuance
which includes time for field testing and evaluating
testing questions.
Elective Courses
 A course not required by New York State for
graduation
 Chosen by students interests or future career goals
 Many electives are not taken until 11th or 12th grade due
to the high number of required courses for graduation
LOTE
 Language other than English
 Students at MINIMUM are required to complete the
course in 8th grade (Spanish 8 or French 8) and pass a
local comprehensive exam at the end of the year to
earn a high school credit
Requirements
 BMC students must meet both:
Course Credit requirements
and
Regents Exam
Requirements
Regents Diploma
 Students working for a REGENTS diploma must complete
the following course credits:
4 English*
4 Social Studies**
3 Math*
3 Science*
.5 Health
1 Art/Music
2 Physical Education
1 LOTE (local comp exam after I)
3.5 Electives
Regents Diploma with Advanced
Designation
 Students working for a REGENTS diploma with
ADVANCED DESIGNATION must complete the following
course credits:
4 English*
4 Social Studies **
3 Math***
3 Science**
.5 Health
1 Art/Music
2 Physical Education
3 LOTE (local comp exam after I and III)
3.5 Electives
Differences in Diplomas
In addition to the requirements of a REGENTS
diploma you must also complete the following for the
REGENTS DIPLOMA WITH ADVANCED
DESIGNATION:
 3 Math courses and corresponding 3 Regents exams
(Algebra, Geometry, and Trigonometry)
 3 credits of LOTE (2 local comprehensive exams
passed at the end of the 1st year and the 3rd year)
 2 Science Regents courses and corresponding Regents
exams
Art/Music Requirement
 Each student must have at least one credit of Art or
Music in order to graduate. Any of the following
courses solely or in combination may be taken to meet
the one credit requirement.
Art/Music Requirement
 Music Theory







1 credit
Concert Band
.5 credit
Jazz Band
.25 credit
Chorus
.5 credit
Studio in Art
1 credit
Creative Crafts
1 credit
Drawing for Design and Production*.5 credit
Technical Drawing, Material Processing or Energy*
.5 credit
th
9
Grade Schedule (typical)
REQUIRED:
 English 9
 Global History and Geography 9
 Integrated Algebra OR Pre-Algebra
 Earth Science
 LOTE (recommended)
 Physical Education
 Art or Music
1 credit
1 credit
1 credit
1 credit
1 credit
.5 credit
1 credit
th
9
Grade
 Meeting with your school counselor
 Discuss all courses you will take as a 9th grader
 You will choose what you want to take for your
art/music requirement
 You may be able to choose an elective course
 Discuss your long range plan-what do I want to do
after high school
Transition to 9th Grade
 Different teachers/different expectations
 Homework make-up policy
 ALL CLASSES ARE CREDIT BEARING
 Attendance Policy
Points to Ponder
 What diploma do I want to pursue?
 What course should I take to fulfill the Art/Music
requirement
 If I have a choice to take an elective what do I want to
take? What is my second choice? Third choice?
PLEASE BE PREPARED TO ANSWER THESE
QUESTIONS WHEN YOUR 9TH GRADE SCHEDULE
IS MADE!