Mohawk Trail Regional High School
Program of Studies
2012-2013
Course catalogue for grades 10-12
Pages:Graduation Requirements 4
English 7 / Science 13
Social Studies 17 / Physical Education 22
Related Arts 22
Math 9 / World Languages 19
On the following pages you will find the courses proposed for the 2012-2013 school year at Mohawk Trail Regional High School for students in grades 10-12. (A separate catalogue is being developed for students entering ninth grade.)
1. The school administration and the School Committee reserve the right not to offer any course which is considered under-enrolled. For most courses, the school generally requires a minimum of 12 students.
2. Grade levels and prerequisites may be waived in certain exceptional cases. If a course is listed as a prerequisite, a final grade of C or better in that course is usually required.
3. A student typically may not repeat a course for credit if they have already been awarded credit for the same course, regardless of performance level. Exceptions include courses such as Physical Education, Band, Chorus, Journalism, and Academic Support Center.
4. This year marks a shift in how courses are listed. Previously the term P.L. (Performance Level) was used to indicate the degree of difficulty of the course offering. P.L. 3 courses were college-preparatory and geared to the needs of students who seek a standard college-oriented preparation in their high school years. P.L. 4 courses were considered honors courses and demand higher levels of self-motivation, initiative, independence, skills, and knowledge. Beginning this year, courses that were previously designated P.L. 4 are listed as Honors and we are no longer using the designation of P.L. 3, 4, or 5. A course taken at the Honors level carries greater weight in the calculation of the GPA (grade point average) than a course taken at the standard college preparatory level. An Advanced Placement (AP) course, which used to be referred to as P.L. 5, is considered by the College Board to be a college-level course, and is weighted more heavily in the calculation of GPA than an Honors course. All students taking AP courses are required to take the AP (Advanced Placement) exam associated with the course. Some courses may be offered with both Honors and standard college preparatory levels in the same class; students should consult with the teacher to learn more about the differing expectations within that course.
5. Parents and students are encouraged to consult with guidance counselors, teachers, and the administration in the preparation of a student’s course of study. Decisions at earlier grades can and do have an impact on college and career options. Please refer to the information in the opening pages of this catalogue to inform your course of study.
SPECIAL PROGRAMS
1. Uniquely Designed (UD) courses or Independent Study Projects are options available to all students. They are designed to meet the wide range of student interests, abilities, and career paths. There is a formal process for submitting a proposal for an Independent Study (Uniquely Designed) Course. Applications are available in Student Services and require that a student develop a study plan, find and gain the support of a faculty advisor, and get the approval of a parent and guidance counselor before submitting the proposal to the Principal for review. Completed applications for Independent Study Projects must be submitted to the Principal before the first day of classes begins. The Principal determines whether the proposal is accepted and how much credit can be assigned. Uniquely Designed Courses and Independent Study Projects cannot be used to meet Core Subject graduation requirements and are graded “pass/fail”. Students must make a public presentation of their work to the Independent Study Panel at the end of the semester in order to be eligible to receive credit.
2. Academic Support Center (ASC): The Academic Support Center is a class that is designed to help students who have written academic plans be successful in school while building independence, self-awareness, and self-advocacy skills. In this course, students learn and continue to prioritize tasks, budget time, and organize materials. On a daily basis, the ASC staff works with students to strengthen weak areas through (a) direct instruction, (b) working on goals that are articulated in the student’s education plans, and (c) assisting students to understand concepts and complete assignments by prompting students to stay focused, help set up and organize writing assignments, give advice on projects, and/or assist students with reading difficulties. In other words, providing support to students however needed. The ASC staff has a tremendous store of knowledge and great willingness to help. Students are scheduled for an 85-minute block daily or every other day. This class is limited to students with education plans and requires the signature of the program administrator.
3. Internship Programs: Mohawk is currently in the process of developing internship sites within the school and the community. The purpose of the program is to provide seniors with the opportunity to explore and experience specific careers prior to moving on to work and/or post-secondary education and training. To be placed in an internship, a student must display a strong work ethic, an ability to work independently, and reliability. Internship credits are elective and are not meant to fulfill core academic requirements. Our internship program is growing gradually; in 2010-2011 one student was placed in an internship, and during the 2011-2012 school year four students have participated in internships. Internships are based on the availability of appropriate placement sites. Internship placements must be fully established prior to the start of a semester. Interested students should consult with their guidance counselor at least one month prior to the semester in which they intend to engage in the internship to discuss the process and their interest. For fall internships, students need to meet with their guidance counselor in the spring. Additional information is available in Student Services.
NCAA Eligibility Center
The NCAA, or National Collegiate Athletic Association, was established in 1906 and serves as the athletics governing body for more than 1,300 colleges, universities, conferences, and organizations. The NCAA is committed to the student-athlete and to governing competition in a fair, safe, inclusive, and sportsmanlike manner. The NCAA Eligibility Center certifies the academic and amateur credentials of all college-bound student-athletes who wish to compete in NCAA Division I or II athletics. Colleges in Divisions I and II may offer athletic scholarships, while Division III colleges and universities may not. To assist with this process, the Eligibility Center staff fosters a cooperative environment of education and partnership with high schools, high school coaches, and college-bound student-athletes. Ultimately, the individual student-athlete is responsible for achieving and protecting his or her eligibility status.
The following courses have been approved by the NCAA Eligibility Center as core academic courses. Please consult with your guidance counselor if you have any questions.
English
Advanced HumanitiesEnglish 9
English 10
AP English Literature
AP Language and Composition
Language Clinic
World Literature
Honors World Literature
Social Studies
American Government and LawPsychology
Sociology
U.S. History
World History
AP U.S. History
Global Explorations
Advanced Humanities /
Mathematics
AlgebraAlgebra II
Geometry
AP Calculus
Statistics
Pre-Calculus
Pre-College Math
Calculus
Science
Pre-AP ScienceBiology
AP Biology
Chemistry
AP Chemistry
AP Environmental Science
Human Anatomy and Physiology
Physics
World Language
French I, II, III, IV, V, VISpanish I, II, III, IV, V, VI
Graduation Requirements 2013
English 4 courses
Math 4 courses
Science 3 courses
World Language 2 courses (in the same language)
Social Studies 4 courses
Physical Education 3 courses
Electives 6-7 courses
A total of 156 credits in core academic courses and electives combined is required for graduation. Core academic requirements are met when students pass the minimum number of required courses. Students accumulate elective credit for any courses taken beyond core academic requirements.
Class status is determined by credit accumulation:
· A minimum of 35 credits must be earned to be a 10th grader.
· A minimum of 70 credits must be earned to be a 11th grader.
· A minimum of 113 credits must be earned to be a 12th grader.
Credits are assigned as follows:
· 3 credits for a course that meets every other day for a semester.
· 6 credits for a course that meets daily for a semester.
· 12 credits for a course that meets daily all year (for two semesters).
MCAS (Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System)
The Massachusetts Education Reform Law of 1993, state law, G.L. c. 69, § 1D, requires that all students who are seeking to earn a high school diploma must meet the Competency Determination (CD) standard, in addition to meeting all local graduation requirements.
Students starting with the graduating class of 2010 must satisfy one of the following two conditions in both English language arts and mathematics to earn a competency determination.
(a) meet or exceed the Proficient threshold scaled score of 240 on the English Language Arts and Mathematics grade 10 MCAS tests, or
(b) meet or exceed the Needs Improvement threshold scaled score of 220 on the English Language Arts and Mathematics grade 10 MCAS tests and fulfill the requirements of an Educational Proficiency Plan.
Students must also earn a scaled score of at least 220 on one of the high school MCAS Science and Technology/Engineering (STE) tests: Biology, Chemistry, Introductory Physics, or Technology/Engineering.
Students should take the following information into consideration when planning their academic program at Mohawk.
Standards for Admission to Massachusetts Four Year Colleges and Universities
Minimum Admission Requirements: The following college preparatory course must be taken and passed:
English 4 years
Mathematics 3 years (Algebra I & II and Geometry or Trigonometry, or comparable course work) (This will be shifting to 4 years required by fall 2016.)
Sciences 3 years (including 2 courses with laboratory work)
Social Science 2 years (including 1 course of US History)
Foreign Language 2 years in a single language
Electives 2 years (from the above subjects or from the arts and humanities or computer sciences)
NOTE: Students for whom English is a second language, students with a diagnosed learning disability, and students coming from a vocational/technical school may be allowed some course substitutions.
A minimum 3.0 GPA must be achieved based on all college preparatory courses completed at the time for application. Weighting is given for honors and AP courses.
For those candidates who do not meet the minimum GPA, a sliding scale consisting of the GPA and SAT I or ACT scores can be used. Some students who do not meet minimum requirement may be accepted under a special admissions program. However, no applicant with a recalculated high school GPA below 2.0 may be admitted to a four-year State College or University. Additional, attainment of minimum admission requirements does not guarantee acceptance. Students should consult with their counselors for more detailed information.
Note: The state Board of Higher Education recently approved a new standard requiring students to take four years of high school math beginning with the class that enters college in the fall of 2016.
The new standard requires four-year public college applicants to take Algebra I and II, geometry, trigonometry, or "comparable coursework, including math during the final year of high school.”
The MassCore Program
The Massachusetts High School Program of Studies (MassCore) is intended to help high school graduates arrive at college or the workplace well prepared and to reduce the number of students taking remedial courses in college. The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education recommends that high school students complete the MassCore program of studies, which is a comprehensive set of subject area courses and units as well as other learning opportunities, before graduating from high school.
The MassCore program includes four years of English; four years of mathematics; three years of lab-based science; three years of history; two years of the same foreign language; one year of an arts program; and five additional "core" courses such as business education, health, and technology. MassCore also includes additional learning opportunities including AP classes, dual enrollment, a senior project, online courses for high school or college credit, and service or work-based learning.
MassCore
Massachusetts High School Program of StudiesEnglish/Language Arts / 4 Units*
Mathematics / 4 Units
Including the completion of Algebra II or completion of the Integrated Math equivalent. All students are recommended to take a math course during their senior year.
Science / 3 Units of lab-based science
Coursework taken in technology/engineering may count for MassCore science credit. Note: The Board of Higher Education admissions standards for public colleges and universities require three (two lab-based) physical and natural science units and do not currently recognize technology/engineering as a science course.
History/Social Science / 3 Units
Including US History and World History.
Foreign Language** / 2 Units
Of the same language.
Physical Education /
As required by law
State law (M.G.L. c. 71,s. 3) states: “Physical education shall be taught as a required subject in all grades for all students.”Health can be integrated into Physical Education, science, or taught as a stand-alone course.
The Arts**
/1 Unit
Additional Core Courses / 5 UnitsBusiness Education, Career and Technical Education (CTE), Health, Technology (e.g., computer science, desktop publishing, multi-media and web design), or any of the subjects above. Note: Most students majoring in CTE will take more than 5 units in a CTE program of study.
22 Units - Is a minimum that students should take in high school
Additional Learning Opportunities / Complete as many of the following as possible:Advanced Placement (AP); Capstone or Senior Project; Dual Enrollment courses taken for both high school and college credit; Online courses; Service Learning; and Work-based Learning.
*A unit represents a full academic year of study or its equivalent in a subject that covers all the standards contained in a specific Curriculum Framework.
** Students enrolled in a state-approved Career and Technical Education program of studies have the option of opting out of Foreign Language and Art and still fulfill MassCore.
MassCore is the recommended program of study that Massachusetts high school students need in order to be better prepared for college and a career. Developed by a statewide advisory group from the K-12, higher education and business sectors, MassCore maintains flexibility for students and high schools while allowing districts to set additional graduation requirements. Courses included in MassCore should be rigorous, engaging, and based on appropriate Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks high school level standards.
ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS