Introduction
For purposes of this handbook, "Regular Coursework" is defined as all courses/programs listed in the Jordan School District Secondary Course Catalog.
Graduation Requirements
To graduate from a Jordan School District high school, a student must:
- Earn the minimum number of credits designated by the Utah State Board of Education and the Jordan District Board of Education.
- Meet attendance requirements as designated by the Jordan School District.
- Pass a U.S. Civics Test.
- Complete all graduation requirements prior to commencement exercises in order to participate.
Note: Meeting graduation requirements entitles a student to receive a diploma, but does not necessarily entitle a student to attend commencement. A student may be denied the privilege of attending commencement based upon disciplinary action by the school administration.
Course and Credit Requirements
Credit is awarded on the basis of a student's participation, mastery of subject matter, and/or attainment of skills. Credit is granted for courses taken in grades 9-12. Credit earned during the summer prior to ninth grade may be applied toward graduation. Jordan School District requires the “minimum core curriculum” as specified by the Utah State Board of Education Rule R277-700-6 along with the additional course credits listed below for high school graduation.
Based on the Utah State Board of Education (USBE) requirements for high school graduation, Jordan School District requires each student to complete the following courses and credits for high school graduation:
| English/Language Arts………………………....4.0 Credits
- 1.0 Language Arts 9 - 1.0 Language Arts 10 - 1.0 Language Arts 11 - 1.0 Language Arts 12 |
Social Studies.…………………………………..3.5 Credits
- 1.0 World Geography - 1.0 World History - 1.0 U.S. History - 0.5 US Government and Citizenship |
| Mathematics**…………………………………....3.0 Credits
- 2.0 Foundation/Core credits - 1.0 Additional Foundation/Core or Advanced Applied, or Foundation (AAF) credit |
Science…………………………………………...3.0 Credits
- 2.0 Credits from two different Foundation/Core areas: Earth, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, or Computer Science - 1.0 Additional Foundation/Core or Advanced Applied, or Foundation (AAF) credit |
| Health and Physical Education……….….….2.0 Credits
- 0.5 Health - 0.5 Participation Skills & Techniques* - 0.5 Fitness for Life - 0.5 Individual Lifetime Activity* * Two seasons of a UHSAA Athletic Participation/Team Sports (1.0 credit maximum) can be used in place of Participation Skills & Techniques or Individualized Lifetime Activities |
Fine Arts ..…………………………………….....1.5 Credits
Career & Technical Ed………………………....1.0 Credits Digital Studies………..…………………………0.5 Credits General Financial Literacy…………………....0.5 Credits Elective Courses*……………………………....8.0 Credits |
| TOTAL CREDITS: | 27.0 Credits* |
*Valley High School only requires five elective credits. As a result, only 24 total credits are required for a Valley High School diploma.
**Four years of math may be required in order for a college degree seeking student to meet the graduation requirements according to the Mathematics Competency Board Rule (R277-700-9). Failure to meet this requirement will not prevent a student from earning a Jordan District Diploma, but will affect their transcript.
Jordan School District secondary schools will accept credit and grades awarded to students from schools or providers accredited by the Northwest Accreditation Commission, a division of Advance Education Inc., or the Utah State Board of Education. Credit from these approved sources will be posted on Jordan District transcripts without alteration. [State Board Rule R277-705-3-2a]
In addition to fulfilling high school graduation requirements, students should be advised to check admission requirements for colleges as well as scholarship and NCAA requirements.
Other Guidelines Pertaining to Credits Earned in Local High Schools
Credit for Grading Period/Schedule Changes
In order to meet accreditation guidelines and standard instructional time requirements, students seeking high school credit for a course should be enrolled in that class no later than ten school days after the beginning of a grading period. In addition, students seeking high school credit for a course should be transferred or withdrawn from a class no sooner than ten school days before the end of the grading period.
On the rare occasion that a class change is necessitated after the first ten days of a grading period, the change should only occur within a content area or content level with administrative approval. When such changes occur, the student’s current grade percentage from the class he or she is leaving should be transferred to the new class and averaged for a final grade for that grading period.
In the event of extenuating circumstances, if a student is enrolled in a class and withdraws from the course after the first ten days of the grading period, but before the last ten days of the grading period, a No Credit (NC) should be posted on the high school transcript in order to document participation without completion. An “NC” signifies that the student was not in class long enough to be able to complete the necessary coursework to earn credit for that grading period. This is differentiated from a No Grade (NG) which signifies that the student did not meet the requirements to have a grade posted, such as in the case of excessive absences or tardies.
Students that transfer from a school ten school days or less before the end of the grading period will receive their final grades from the previous school attended. If students enroll before the last ten days of the grading period, they will have the course grade percentages they brought with them from the previous school averaged with the course grades they earned in the current school.
Any transfer of a student from one school to another during a grading period should be approached with great caution by all school personnel and should be supported by a compelling reason to justify the transfer. Student transfers/withdrawals during a grading period create complications in matching coursework and garnering credit. Students wishing to transfer/withdraw should be strongly encouraged to meet with a counselor so that they may receive a full disclosure of the risks and credit loss that may be incurred as a result of the untimely transfer. Please note that military children have claim to special credit considerations. For more information please see JSD Credit Guidelines Section 1. D. 5. Military Children.
Students Completing Graduation Requirements the Summer Following Their Senior Year
All course work earned toward completion of a regular high school diploma must be completed and submitted to the school registrar by October 1st following the student's graduating year. A student who is not able to meet this deadline is eligible for an adult high school diploma at Southpointe High School.
Partial-Day Schedules
Normally, it is expected that a student attending a Jordan School District high school will attend a full schedule of courses. The Partial-Day Schedule guideline applies to rare occasions when a student combines studies at a District high school with studies at another accredited institution or online learning program and still qualifies for a diploma from the local school. For Annual Daily Membership/Weighted Pupil Unit (ADM/WPU) purposes, the “Partial-Day Schedule” applies to a student who attends school less than a full day, but at least half of the regular school day. In such instances, school administrators and counselors should apply the following guidelines:
- A student must first apply in order to obtain approval for a partial-day schedule. The application for partial-day enrollment (Student Release from School Request) must be completed and signed by the student, parent, counselor, and administrator. In cases when outside credit will be earned, the application must include the name of the institution(s) from which the credit will be earned, as well as a list of courses that will be taken. Credits earned from out-of-district sources must come from accredited educational entities.
- The student must provide a compelling rationale for seeking a partial-day schedule.
- Release time for religious instruction counts as out-of-school time. A student must not be on the school campus during times he/she has been released from the school.
- Parents assume responsibility for the student’s progress toward completion of courses taken outside of the school, as well as reporting grades and credit to the school.
- If the student elects to discontinue the partial-day schedule and re-enroll in courses at the school, he/she may only do so at the beginning of the next quarter or semester.
Residency Requirement
An eligible student will receive a diploma from the high school at which he/she has been enrolled during an entire semester of the year in which he/she completes the graduation requirements. A Jordan School District student is not allowed to transfer to any high school within the District the second semester of his/her senior year unless the transfer is initiated by the school administration or the parents move to another school area. A student transferring from out-of-district or out-of-state during the second semester of his/her senior year is encouraged to complete graduation requirements at the school from which he/she seeks to transfer. A final determination will be made by the school administration upon review of the student’s transcripts and verification that the student has met all graduation requirements as established by the Utah State Board of Education and the Jordan School District. Note: When working with military children see also JSD Credit Guidelines Military Children, I-D-5.
Military Children
As per Utah Code 53A-1-10-1001, military children have claim to special Student Education Plan for College and Career Readiness considerations when working towards a high school diploma.
Considerations may be made in the following areas: transfer of credit, alternative means to acquire coursework, testing requirements, cooperation and coordination with previous/ present educational agencies. Those servicing military students should refer to the code directly for further direction.
Dual Enrollment
Definition: A person having control of a minor in a regularly-established private school or a homeschool may also enroll the minor in a public school for dual enrollment purposes. [Utah Code 53A-11-102.5]
Private School Dual Enrollment/Homeschool (Allowed)
Students who are in regularly-established private school or homeschool can also be enrolled in a public school as a part-time student. If they wish to enroll in a public school for half time or more than half time, their homeschool status is nullified and the public school becomes the primary LEA. If Release Time is needed less than half a day, a Student Release From School Request Form may be used to excuse part of a school day. If they are in homeschool more than half time, they can dual enroll for less than half time in public school. Using the half day to determine whether they are in homeschool or public school is a guideline, not a rule. (Jordan District Planning and Student Services Procedures Manual.)
Charter School Dual Enrollment (Not Allowed)
A student can only be enrolled in one public school at a time. Charter schools are public schools, and as such, students who are enrolled in a charter school cannot also be enrolled in a public school. Online charter schools are public schools. Students may not be enrolled in an online charter school and also in a Jordan District school. (Jordan District Planning and Student Services Procedures Manual). The Utah State Board of Education Charter School Directory can be accessed at https://www.schools.utah.gov/schoolsdirectory. (Exception: If a charter school participates in the Statewide Online Education Program for Grades 9-12, dual enrollment is allowed. See Credit Guidelines I-D-6f.)
- A charter or online school student is eligible to participate in co-curricular activities (up to three) not offered by the student’s charter school at their boundary (qualifying) school provided they meet the requirements outlined in the Jordan District’s Planning & Student Services Manual.
- A charter or online school student is eligible to participate in an extracurricular activity not offered by the student’s charter school at their boundary (qualifying) school provided they meet the requirements outlined in the Jordan District’s Planning & Student Services Manual.
Public School Dual Enrollment (Not Allowed)
A student can only be enrolled in one public school at a time. Students enrolled at Valley High School seeking a 24-credit diploma will not be allowed to dual enroll in a regular high school that requires a 27-credit diploma. Dual enrollment at a regular high school and the alternative high school is not allowed because of the differences in credit requirements. (Jordan District Planning and Student Services Procedures Manual.)
Online Charter School or Online Public School Dual Enrollment (Not Allowed)
Online charter schools or online public schools outside of Jordan School District get their funding from the Weighted Pupil Unit (WPU). As a result, students who enroll in online courses through an online charter school or online public school outside of Jordan School District cannot also be enrolled in a Jordan District school. Exception: If an online charter school participates in the Statewide Online Education Program for Grades 9-12, dual enrollment is allowed. (See Jordan District Planning and Student Services Procedures Manual.)
Statewide Online Education Program Dual Enrollment (Allowed)
According to Utah Code 53A-15-12-1204 and Utah State Board of Education R277-726-4, students are eligible to earn up to six high school credits through the Statewide Online Education Program if they are enrolled in Grades 9-12 at a public district school or charter school in Utah. Students attending a private or homeschool and having a custodial parent or legal guardian which is a resident of Utah are also eligible for the program. The list of approved Statewide Online Education Program providers can be accessed at https://www.schools.utah.gov/edonline. A student enrolled in the program may earn no more credits in a year than the number of credits a student may earn by taking a full course load during the regular school day in the student’s primary school of enrollment unless they acquire LEA approval and there is a clearly-defined and well-articulated plan for early graduation that is recorded in their individual Plan for College and Career Readiness.
Guideline for Distribution of Required and Non-Required Classes for Home and Private-Schooled Students
- Utah Code 53A-11-102.5 provides the legal basis for home and private-schooled students to enroll in public school classes or “dual enrollment.”
- Dual-enrollment rules are further articulated in Utah State Board Rule, R277-438 Dual Enrollment. Rule R277-438-5 (2), Miscellaneous Issues, which states: “A student who attends an activity or a portion of the school day shall be subject to administrative scheduling and teacher discretion of the traditional school.”
- The District administration has determined that dual-enrolled students may access required and elective classes in Jordan District schools on an equal basis with public school students in accordance with the distribution of classes of a regular enrolled student.
- The District administration has determined that students who enroll in Jordan Connect online courses or who are dual enrolled in the Statewide Online Education Program courses can access required and elective classes in Jordan District schools on an equal basis in accordance with the distribution of classes of a regular enrolled student.
- Dual Enrollment and Co-Curricular Students may take less than .50 classes of the scheduled academic day. Students enrolled in more than .55 must be enrolled at the school and be on approved Educational Release. (Refer to Jordan School District Student Services website for definitions: http://planning.jordandistrict.org/dual-enroll-co-curricular-extracurricular-participation/).
Concurrent Enrollment
Students enrolled in concurrent enrollment courses will receive a semester grade upon the completion of each concurrent enrollment course. The grade will be posted on the high school transcript at the conclusion of each respective semester in which a student is enrolled; with no interim grade posted during the quarter break. This posting guideline aligns with the college system from which the credit is earned and maintains the integrity of contractual agreements between secondary and higher education institutions (High School Level Meeting, 10/7/08)
Proctoring Services
There will be a $35.00 fee assessed to students requesting proctoring services from Jordan School District employees for credit being completed from an accredited, out-of-district source. Exceptions to this fee would apply to those students who are completing courses in a lab with lab assistant as part of their regular class schedule. The $35.00 fee is paid to the school secretary/cashier and is dispersed as follows: $25.00 to the testing proctor and $10.00 to the school. This fee applies to transfer, make-up, or enrichment/acceleration credit.
Proctoring for accredited credit from an out-of-district source is an optional convenience provided by some schools. Proctor availability may vary from school to school. If an employee chooses to proctor for credit being completed from an out-of-district source, services should be provided outside of contract time.
Test for Credit
Students should exercise caution when using any test-for credit type of program for acceleration, enrichment or make-up credit. Some college and scholarship programs do not recognize test-for-credit courses in their qualification criteria (e.g. NCAA and Regents’ Scholarship).
National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Clearinghouse Guidelines
The NCAA home page is available at http://www.ncaa.org/student-athletes/future. The “Student-Athlete Registration” link takes students and counselors to the NCAA Eligibility Center which contains links for both students and administrators.
The NCAA Guide for the College-Bound Student is available at http://www.ncaapublications.com/productdownloads/CBSA17.pdf
To learn more about NCAA core course requirements for eligibility visit: http://www.ncaa.org/student-athletes/future/core-courses. This page contains a link that will allow anyone to view a list of available courses offered at a student's primary LEA. Students are advised to verify that core courses listed are up-to-date with courses offered at the school.
Counselors and students should also note that the NCAA does not recognize packet and some online courses offered for original credit. As a result, the NCAA may deny Division 1 access opportunities to students who have used such programs for either original or make-up credit.
NCAA guidelines indicate that credit-by-exam courses may not be used to satisfy core-course requirements. Therefore, counselors need to make sure students understand that credit earned through state or district demonstrated competency assessments do not count toward NCAA Clearinghouse core requirements for eligibility.
Ultimately, the responsibility of tracking if a student is taking the appropriate NCAA approved courses falls upon the student and parents/guardian. They are accountable for ensuring their schedule satisfies the core requirements for NCAA eligibility as well as online courses taken outside the school and that they have been approved through the NCAA Clearinghouse.