Graduation Requirements
Among Pennsylvania's 500 public school districts, graduation requirements widely vary. The Exeter Township School Board has determined that a pupil must earn 28 credits to graduate including: a required class every year in math 3 credits, English 4 credits, social studies 4 credits, science 3 credits, plus one math or science credit, Physical Education (wellness and fitness/Driver Education/Health) 2 credits, Arts/Humanities 2 credits and electives. A total of 30 hours of community service (for a non-profit organization) must be served in order to graduate.
By law, all Pennsylvania secondary school students must complete a project as a part of their eligibility to graduate from high school. The type of project, its rigor and its expectations are set by the individual school district. At Exeter Township Senior High School the project is pass/fail and begins in the ninth grade. Effective with the graduating class of 2017, the Pennsylvania Board of Education eliminated the state mandate that students complete a culminating project in order to graduate.
By Pennsylvania School Board regulations, for the graduating class of 2017, students must demonstrate successful completion of secondary level course work in Algebra I, Biology, English Composition, and Literature for which the Keystone Exams serve as the final course exams. In 2011, Pennsylvania high school students field tested the Algebra 1, Biology and English Lit exams. The statewide results were: Algebra 1 38% on grade level, Biology 35% on grade level and English Lit - 49% on grade level. Individual student, school or district reports were not made public, although they were reported to district officials by the Pennsylvania Department of Education. Students identified as having special needs and qualifying for an Individual Educational Program (IEP) may graduate by meeting the requirements of their IEP.
Read more about this topic: Exeter Township Senior High School