New Graduation Requirements and Course Policies
The Missouri Valley School Board has approved the following changes/modifications to the MVHS graduation requirements and course policies. All of the changes will go into effect starting with the class of 2012. The information included below has been taken directly from the Course Guide and Registration Manual which can be accessed using the link at the bottom of the page. The following numbered items are highlights of some of the changes. Please be sure to read through all of the information carefully as these changes have a significant impact on graduation and academic transcripts.
1) Graduation credit requirements have changed from 46 to 44
2) Course load requirements have changed
3) The schedule change policy has been updated to include specific guidelines for students who wish to drop a course after the designed drop period.
4) College credit course grades will now count in the student's high school GPA and towards athletic eligibility.
5) The drop/add procedure for college credit courses has changed
GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS
Each student must earn a total of 44 credits of which at least 34 credits must be classified as academic. The academic curriculum is defined as courses other than those in physical education, vocal music, instrumental music, driver’s education, and work release. The student must also successfully complete designated course requirements in the following subject areas:
Language Arts
4 years (8 semesters)
Science
3 years (6 semesters) - One year of physical science and one year of biological science is required.
Social Studies
3 years (6 semesters) - One year of World History, one year of American History, one semester of American Government, and one semester of Behavioral Sciences is required.
Math
3 years (6 semesters)
Business
1 semester of Business Issues
Physical Education
1 semester each year the student is enrolled
Students earning high school credit while in middle school will still be required to meet the designated course requirements above. For example, a student who was awarded high school credit for a math course taken in middle school will still be required to take three additional years in high school. All required courses must be successfully completed. When a student fails a course, the best procedure to follow is to visit with the counselor in order to make any necessary schedule changes. Any failed required course must be retaken at the first possible opportunity. If a course is successfully completed, it may not be retaken for credit.
COURSE LOAD REQUIREMENTS
Freshmen, sophomores, and juniors are expected to be enrolled in seven credits per semester. The only exception would be for students who are attending courses in another district. Seniors must be enrolled in a minimum of four credits per semester.
SCHEDULE CHANGE POLICY
If a student wishes to change his or her course schedule, it must be done within four school days after the start of the semester. Students can only change their schedule on or after their schedule change day. Seniors may change their schedules on the 1st day of the semester, juniors on the 2nd, sophomores on the 3rd, and freshmen on the 4th. Schedule changes will be allowed when the request is the result of failure or an unrealistic choice, provided that teachers involved have approved them and there is an opening in the selected class. Changes as a result of a whim, low grades, etc., will not be allowed. This also includes simply rearranging classes for a preferred order. It is therefore necessary that students consult with parents, teachers, and the counselor to make sure that their course selections are realistic and align with their goals.
No schedule changes can be made after the student’s designated schedule change day. If a student wishes to drop a course after this time, he or she must submit a formal written request to the high school principal stating their reason for dropping the course. This request must also be signed by the student’s parent/guardian prior to submission. If the request is approved by the administration, the student will be dropped from the course and receive an “F” on their permanent high school transcript. The student will also be required to enroll in an online course for credit recovery. If the request is not approved, then the student must remain in the course for the rest of the semester.
SENIOR YEAR PLUS PROGRAM
Missouri Valley High School offers students the opportunity to earn college credit in high school as part of the Senior Year Plus Program. The program includes Postsecondary Enrollment Options, Concurrent Enrollment, College Early Start, and Advanced Placement (AP).
In order to qualify to participate in any of these programs, the student must demonstrate proficiency in math, reading and science. A student will automatically be eligible for the Senior Year Plus program if he or she is proficient in the Reading Comprehension, Math Concepts & Problem Solving, and Science portions of the Iowa Tests of Educational Development (ITEDS). Proficiency is a national percentile rank score of 41 or higher.
If a student is not proficient in reading, math, and/or science on the ITED exam, then they must demonstrate proficiency in that content area by a combination of any two of the three criterion listed below.
1. The student received a grade of “C” or better in one of the following high school related courses: English 10 (Reading), Algebra I (Math), Biology (Science). These courses correlate to the Iowa Tests of Educational Development performance level descriptors.
2. The student is proficient on the English, Math, or Science portions of the ACT exam as measured by the college readiness benchmark scores established by ACT: Math – 18, Reading- 21, and Science-24
3. The student is proficient on the COMPASS exam. Proficiency is a score above the developmental level as determined by the partner community college: Iowa Western Community College (Reading-71, Math- 53 in Algebra). The student would need to prove proficiency in Science by meeting another criterion as the COMPASS does not offer a Science exam.
College Early Start/Concurrent Enrollment
College Early Start and Concurrent Enrollment courses are offered in partnership with Iowa Western Community College (IWCC) and provide students the opportunity to earn college credit while they are still in high school. College Early Start courses refer to those that meet on IWCC’s Council Bluffs campus. Concurrent Enrollment courses refer to those that meet on a high school campus (i.e. MVHS, Logan-Magnolia High School, and/or West Harrison High School).
High school students may not enroll full time in college credit through any one postsecondary institution. Full time enrollment is defined as 24 credit hours in an academic year. Therefore, the district covers the cost of tuition, fees, and books for up to 23 credit hours per year for any combination of college credit courses taken through IWCC. If the student wishes to earn additional college credit at IWCC, they can enroll and pay for the courses independently. Each student must register with IWCC through the counseling office and pay a one-time $25 application fee to the college.
Credit for these courses will be granted at both the high school and community college. Therefore, courses taken through this program will appear on both the student’s MVHS transcript and the student’s IWCC transcript. Students should contact the college or university they plan to attend after high school for information on transferability. Any request to transfer college credit must be made through the IWCC Registration Office.
Concurrent Enrollment courses are available to all eligible high school students. The courses offered through this program will count in the student’s high school GPA. If a student wishes to change their concurrent enrollment schedule, they must follow the MVHS schedule change policy outlined in this manual.
College Early Start courses are available to eligible seniors. The student is responsible for providing his or her own transportation to the IWCC campus and must be enrolled in at least one course at MVHS per semester. Courses taken through this program will count towards the student’s cumulative high school GPA. These courses will also be considered in determining a student’s athletic eligibility. Students will be awarded one high school credit for each course.
If a student wants to change their College Early Start schedule, they must notify the counselor by the 5th day after college classes begin. If a student is dropping a course, they may need to add another course at MVHS or IWCC in order to maintain 4 credits each semester. Students who request to drop a course after the 5th day of class will receive an “F” for the course on their MVHS transcript. The student will receive a “W” on their IWCC transcript. If a late drop causes the student to fall below 4 credits for the semester, then the student will no longer be eligible to participate in athletics, earn an academic letter, or be recognized as an honors student at graduation.
