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HomeMy WebLinkAboutRes 15-16 WA Approving and Adopting an Amendment to Graduation Policies 6.04 and 6.04AWESTLAKE ACADEMY RESOLUTION 15-16 A RESOLUTION OF THE WESTLAKE ACADEMY BOARD OF TRUSTEES APPROVING AND ADOPTING AN AMENDMENT TO GRADUATION POLICIES 6.04 AND 6.04A. WHEREAS, the Board of Trustees has approved policies that apply to our graduating seniors; and, WHEREAS, the state legislature also passed HB5 in the 83rd legislative session mandating the adoption of new graduation plans; and, WHEREAS, Westlake Academy has researched, discussed and created a rigorous graduation plan that meets not only the state mandate, but also the Westlake Academy's mission, vision and values, to prepare college bound students to meet the demands of a ever-changing global society; and, WHEREAS, the Board of Trustees finds that the passage of this Resolution is in the best interest of the citizens of Westlake as well as the students, their parents, and faculty of Westlake Academy. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF WESTLAKE ACADEMY: SECTION 1: That, all matters stated in the recitals hereinabove are found to be true and correct and are incorporated herein by reference as if copied in their entirety. SECTION 2: That, the Board of Trustees Westlake Academy, hereby approves the new graduation policies for Westlake Academy attached to this resolution as Exhibits "A" and "B". SECTION 3: If any portion of this resolution shall, for any reason, be declared invalid by any court of competent jurisdiction, such invalidity shall not affect the remaining provisions hereof and the Council hereby determines that it would have adopted this Resolution without the invalid provision. Resolution 15-16 Page 1 of 9 SECTION 4: That this resolution shall become effective from and after its date of passage. PASSED AND APPROVED ON THIS 5th DAY OF OCTOBER, 20 ATTEST: APPROVED AS TO FORM: Janet S /3ubert or L. anton Lowry, School Attorney X 1 Laur: Wheat, President Thomas E. Brymer, S perintendent Resolution 15-16 Page 2 of 9 WESTLAKE ACADEMY RESOLUTION 15-16 The following members of the Westlake Academy Board of Trustees voted to approve Resolution No. 15-16, Amending the Graduation Policies on October 5, 2015: Present: Alesa Belvedere Wayne Stoltenberg Carol Langdon Rick Rennhack Absent: Michael Barrett Signature Exhibit A TOWN OF WESTLAKE WESTLAKE ACADEMY BOARD OF TRUSTEES POLICY Policy No. 6.04: Date Board Adopted: Date Board Amended: Effective Date: August 15, 2011 October 5, 2015 October 5, 2015; contingent upon approval by TEA Policy Category: Student Achievement Policy Name: Graduation Policy Policy Goal: Establishing graduation requirements and defining the commencement participation requirements, the calculation of cumulative grade point average and Valedictorian, Salutatorian and Honor Graduate criteria. Policy Description: Graduation requirements - As reflective of the Academy's rigorous and enriching IB curriculum and a desire to foster college readiness, students who graduate from Westlake Academy will complete a program of study which includes high academic standards and additional credit hours making them eligible for the Texas Distinguished Achievement Diploma. Only students who have completed all the requirements of Westlake Academy will receive a diploma. Those requirements are as follows: • Completion of a minimum of 28 credit hours as required by the Texas Distinguished Achievement Diploma. • Not assigned to a Disciplinary Alternative Education Placement (DEAP) setting during his/her senior year at Westlake Academy or any other educational facility. Students who receive a Westlake Academy high school diploma will have completed a minimum of 28 hours of course work, which reflects those higher levels of academic achievement. The course requirements are: English 4.0 Speech 0.5 Foreign Language 3.0 Social Studies 4.0 Resolution 15-16 Page 3 of 9 Government 0.5 Economics 0.5 Science 4.0 Mathematics 4.0 Fine Arts 2.0 Elective 1.0 Physical Education / Health 1.0 Technology 1.0 Middle Years Program Personal Project* 0.5 Theory of Knowledge 1.0 Creative, Action, & Service (CAS) 1.0 & Extended Essay TOTAL 28.0 * Students enrolling after 10th grade are exempt from this requirement. Eligibility for Commencement — Westlake Academy seniors who have satisfied all Westlake Academy requirements for graduation are eligible for participation in the graduation ceremonies; however, disciplinary infractions may jeopardize a students' participation in the commencement ceremony at the discretion of the Secondary Principal. For students who do not meet the requirements, an exception may be made in the event that a senior lacks one (1) credit towards the graduation requirements. The student must have a plan approved by the Secondary Principal to complete the credit prior to the beginning of the next school year. No other exceptions to participation in the graduation ceremony will be granted. Calculation of Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA): • Courses taken at the secondary level at Westlake Academy and other fully accredited schools and that are not modified in content will be included when calculating CGPA. • CGPA will be calculated by the College Counselor and rounded up to the nearest hundredth. • CGPA will be determined using semester grades for all courses from the 9th grade up to the time of reporting. Reporting dates will vary with college / scholarship due dates. Quality Points for Diploma Program Courses - Westlake Academy will award ten points to the final grade for all IB Diploma Program courses. Raw grades in the course must be a passing grade of 70% or better to receive quality points. Raw semester grades are shown on a student's report card and Academic Achievement Record (AAR)/Transcript. Quality points will be included in CGPA calculation and this weighted CGPA will appear on the student's transcript. No quality points are awarded for non -Diploma courses. Resolution 15-16 Page 4 of 9 Academic Recognition - Westlake Academy will encourage and recognize academic achievement through the establishment of a class Valedictorian, Salutatorian and Honor Graduates. Valedictorian and Salutatorian — Graduating seniors with the top two CGPAs will be recognized. In the event of a tie for Valedictorian, the students will share the honor and no Salutatorian will be designated. Additionally, valedictorian and salutatorian eligibility requires attendance at Westlake Academy for six consecutive semesters preceding graduation. Further, the Superintendent or his/her designee may deem a student ineligible who is in violation of Westlake Academy's code of conduct and requirements, Town code, or State codes. Honor Graduates - A graduating seniors whose weighted CGPA is 90% or above will be determined to be an Honor Graduate and will be duly recognized at commencement. The Secondary Principal and his/her designee are granted the authority to include students whose CGPA is 90% or above at the end of the final semester. Rank in Class - Rank in class is determined by CGPA and will used for the purposes of: • Obtaining automatic admission to Texas public universities based upon the uniform admission policy and in accordance with the Texas Education Code. This information will be reported directly to institutions by Westlake Academy staff. • Determining Valedictorian and Salutatorian. Outside of the above circumstances, Westlake Academy is a non -ranking high school. Operational guidelines consistent with the above policy directives will be detailed and published in the Program of Studies and or the College Application Handbook on an annual basis. In the event a student does not complete all Westlake Academy graduation requirements by the end of the student's twelfth (12th) grade year due to unexpected circumstances, the student may seek Board approval for and the Board may approve an alternate graduation plan consistent with the State's high school graduation requirements, if it is determined to be in the best interest of the student. * This policy is applicable beginning with students in the class of 2014 through the class of 2017. And will expire after School Year 2017 or the class of 2017. Dates Amended: 11/03/09 08/15/11 06/04/12 Resolution 15-16 Page 5 of 9 Exhibit B TOWN OF WESTLAKE WESTLAKE ACADEMY BOARD OF TRUSTEES POLICY Policy No. 6.04A: Date Board Adopted: Date Board Amended: Effective Date: May 12, 2014 October 5, 2015 October 5, 2015; contingent upon approval by TEA Policy Category: Student Achievement Policy Name: Graduation Policy Policy Goal: Establishing graduation requirements and defining the commencement participation requirements, and Valedictorian, Salutatorian and Honor Graduate criteria. Policy Description: Graduation requirements - As reflective of the Academy's rigorous and enriching IB curriculum and a desire to foster college readiness, students who graduate from Westlake Academy will complete a program of study which includes high academic standards and additional credit hours making them eligible for the Distinguished Level of Achievement award. This policy applies to students entering ninth grade during the 2014-2015 school year, or later, and may apply to students currently in grades nine through twelve, upon request. Only students who have completed all graduation requirements identified in this policy will receive a Westlake Academy diploma. Those requirements are as follows: • Completion of a minimum of 26 credit hours as required completing the curriculum requirements to graduate under the Foundation High School Program with a multi -disciplinary endorsement and a distinguished level of achievement. • Satisfactory performance on required state end of course assessments. • Completion of requirements to sit for and receive an IB Diploma. To receive a Westlake Academy high school diploma students shall complete all course work as identified by the State Board of Education, which includes a minimum of 26 hours of coursework, reflecting the state's higher level of academic achievement. The course requirements are: Resolution 15-16 Page 6 of 9 Fa o °- 0 .c c ) co = c o ca = o Course Description (End of Course Exam) Credits English I (EOC) 1.0 English II (EOC) 1.0 Algebra I (EOC) 1.0 Geometry 1.0 Algebra II 1.0 Biology(EOC) 1.0 Chemistry or Physics 1.0 Human Geography 1.0 U.S. Government 0.5 Economics 0.5 World History 1.0 Physical Education 1.0 Fine Arts 1.0 Language B 2.0 Electives 6.0 w d E .= a- a) i —°a o m — IB English I 1.0 IB English II 1.0 IB History of the Americas (U.S. History EOC) 1.0 Advanced Math (Pre -Calculus) 1.0 Advanced Science (IB Science) 1.0 IB Science 1.0 IB History of the Americas 1.0 IB Math 1.0 Theory of Knowledge 1.5 IB Group 6 2.0 Extended Essay 0.5 Personal Project *** 1.0 Speech 0.5 * To receive the Multi -disciplinary Endorsement, students must meet one of the following criteria: four credits in the core subject areas, or pass four AP or IB courses. ** To receive the Distinguished Level of Achievement designations, students must have four math credits, and four science credits, includinq� Algebra II. *** Students enrolling in Westlake Academy after 10t grade are exempt from this requirement. Resolution 15-16 Page 7 of 9 Eligibility for Commencement — Westlake Academy seniors who have satisfied all Westlake Academy requirements for graduation are eligible to participate in the graduation ceremonies; however, disciplinary infractions may jeopardize a student's opportunity to participate in the commencement ceremony consistent with the student code of conduct and any determination made by the Executive Principal. For students who have not successfully completed all coursework, an exception may be made in the event that a senior lacks one (1) credit towards the graduation requirements. The student must have a plan approved by the Executive Principal to complete the credit prior to the beginning of the next school year. No other exceptions to participation in the graduation ceremony will be granted unless required by law. Academic Recognition - Westlake Academy will encourage and recognize academic achievement through the establishment of a class Valedictorian, Salutatorian and Honor Graduates. Valedictorian and Salutatorian — Graduating seniors with the top two Cumulative Grade Point Averages (CGPA) will be recognized. In the event of a tie for Valedictorian, the students will share the honor and no Salutatorian will be designated. Additionally, valedictorian and salutatorian eligibility requires attendance at Westlake Academy for six consecutive semesters preceding graduation. Further, the Superintendent or his/her designee may deem a student ineligible who is in violation of Westlake Academy's student code of conduct, other school requirements, Town code, or State codes. Honor Graduates - A graduating senior whose weighted CGPA, is 90% or above will be determined to be an Honor Graduate and will be duly recognized at commencement (please see Board Policy on Grading and Assessment for the calculation of the CGPA). The Executive Principal and his/her designee are granted the authority to include students whose CGPA is 90% or above at the end of the final semester. Rank in Class - Rank in class is determined by CGPA and will used for the purposes of: • Obtaining automatic admission to Texas public universities based upon the uniform admission policy and in accordance with the Texas Education Code. This information will be reported directly to institutions by Westlake Academy staff. • Determining Valedictorian and Salutatorian. Outside of the above circumstances, Westlake Academy is a non -ranking high school. Operational guidelines consistent with the above policy directives will be detailed and published in the Program of Studies and/or the College Application Handbook on an annual basis. Resolution 15-16 Page 8 of 9 In the event a student does not complete all Westlake Academy graduation requirements by the end of the student's twelfth (12th) grade year due to unexpected circumstances, the student may seek Board approval for and the Board may approve an alternate graduation plan consistent with the State's foundation high school program requirements, if it is determined to be in the best interest of the student. * This policy is applicable beginning with students in the class of 2018 ** Revisions enacted due to provisions pass by House Bill 5 approved during the 83rd Legislative Session Dates Amended: 10/05/15 Resolution 15-16 Page 9 of 9