Graduation Requirements & Diplomas

Equal Opportunity

Brownsburg Community School Corporation does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of age, race, religion, national origin, gender, or disability in admission or access to, or treatment or employment in its educational programs or activities. Inquires may be referred to: Title IX Coordinator, BCSC, 310 Stadium Drive, Brownsburg, IN 46112.

BCSC Mission Statement

Brownsburg Community School Corporation will provide, within a secure environment, an engaging, relevant educational program with academic opportunities for all students to pursue their maximum intellectual potential. Social and physical opportunities will also be provided to students to encourage them to become well-rounded individuals. Reaching maximum achievement will prepare students to live productively and responsibly in a technical, global society.

For the Core 40 with Academic Honors designation, students must:

• Complete all requirements for Core 40.
• Earn 2 additional Core 40 math credits.
• Earn 6-8 Core 40 world language credits. (6 credits in one language or 4 credits each in two languages).
• Earn 2 Core 40 fine arts credits.
• Earn a grade of a “C” or better in courses that will count toward the Designation.
• Have a grade point average of a “B” or better.
• Complete one of the following:
      A. Earn 4 credits in 2 or more AP courses and take corresponding AP exams.
      B. Earn 6 verifiable, transcripted college credits in dual credit courses from priority course list.
      C. Earn two of the following:
             1. A minimum of 3 verifiable, transcripted college credits from the priority course list,
             2. 2 credits in AP courses and corresponding AP exams,
             3. 2 credits in IB standard level courses and corresponding IB exams. (BHS does not offer IB)
       D. Earn a composite score of 1250 or higher on the SAT and a minimum of 560 in math and 590 on the evidence-based reading and writing section.
       E. Earn an ACT composite score of 26 or higher and complete written section.
       F. Earn 4 credits in IB courses and take corresponding IB exams. (BHS does not offer IB)

For the Core 40 with Technical Honors designation, students must:

• Complete all requirements for Core 40.
• Earn 6 credits in the college and career preparation courses in a state-approved College & Career Pathway and one of the following:
       1. Pathway designated industry-based certification or credential, or
       2. Pathway dual credits from the lists of priority courses resulting in 6 transcripted college credits.
• Earn a grade of “C” or better in courses that will count toward the Designation.
• Have a grade point average of a “B” or better.
• Complete one of the following,
       A. Any one of the options (A - F) of the Core 40 with Academic Honors
           (found above)
       B. Earn the following scores or higher on Work Keys.
              a. Work-Place Documents - Level 6
              b. Applied Mathematics - Level 6
              c. Graphic Literacy - Level 5
       C. Earn the following minimum score(s) on Accuplacer:
              a. Writing 80
              b. Reading 90
              c. Math 75
       D. Earn the following minimum score(s) on Compass.
              a. Algebra 66
              b. Writing 70
              c. Reading 80

All students are required to satisfy the following Graduation Pathway Requirements by completing one of the associated pathway options presented under each of the three requirements.

Students pursuing the Core 40, Academic Honors (AHD), or Technical Honors (THD) designations must take a mathematics course or a quantitative reasoning course each year they are enrolled in high school.

A quantitative reasoning course is a high school course that "advances a student's ability to apply mathematics in real world situations and contexts" and that "deepens a student's understanding of high school mathematics standards."

The chart below provides a list of courses that have been determined to meet the criteria for quantitative reasoning courses. Any mathematics course would also fulfill this requirement. A quantitative reasoning course does not fulfill a mathematics course required for graduation or academic honors.

The Advanced Placement Program is sponsored by the College Board, a non-profit membership organization. The Advanced Placement Program (AP) gives students an opportunity to experience college-level courses and exams while they are still in high school. The AP tests are scored on a scale of one to five. Through this program, students may earn college credit, accelerated placement, or both for college. Because Advanced Placement courses are equivalent to a college level course, students who take AP courses should expect to spend a considerable amount of time outside the classroom devoted to this rigorous coursework.  As a rule, expect to spend one hour of work per day outside the class per period.

Indiana PL 91 requires all Indiana public colleges and universities (including all two and four-year institutions and accompanying satellites) to award college credits for Indiana secondary school students that earn a score of 3 or higher on College Board’s Advanced Placement (AP) examination. Indiana public colleges and universities may require a score higher than 3 to award credits for a course that is a requirement for a student’s major. If a university chooses to do so, it must still award a student elective credit that counts toward his/her overall degree requirements to graduate from college. Families may visit http://www.transferin.net/ap.aspx for the most current transfer information.

Advanced Placement courses are grade weighted.  To receive the grade weight, students must receive a grade of C- or higher and take the AP examination in May. Cumulative class ranks and GPA’s will be retroactively recalculated for students who do not complete the scheduled AP exams.

Brownsburg High School is committed to preparing students for AP through Pre-AP classes.  Students must complete Pre-AP prerequisite courses prior to enrollment in AP.  Transfer students and those wishing to enroll in AP without Pre-AP prerequisites must demonstrate readiness through assessment or other means.  In such instances, placement in AP is not guaranteed.  The student’s best assurance for placement in AP is through success in Pre-AP classes.

Students taking Advanced Placement courses will be responsible for paying for AP exams unless exam fees are covered by the State of Indiana; approximately $105 per test. Students receiving free or reduced meal benefits qualify for fee reductions for AP examinations.  For a complete course description and other information regarding AP courses go to:

http://apcentral.collegeboard.com/apc/public/courses/descriptions/index.html

BHS AP Course Offerings…. Prerequisite policies apply for all AP courses, please plan accordingly.  Please contact the student’s guidance counselor with specific questions concerning AP courses and content.

Dual credit courses allow students to earn credit toward a high school Designation as well as a college degree.  Though these courses may seem expensive for a high school class, they offer significant savings to many families when compared to tuition at post-secondary institutions.  In addition to their financial advantages, dual credit courses prepare students for the rigor of college work, and help many students qualify for an Academic Honors Designation.  BHS offers courses from Vincennes University (VU), Ball State University (BSU), Purdue University (PU), and Ivy Tech (IT).

• Some courses have certain criteria that must be met, such as minimum test scores on the PSAT, SAT, or ACT test.  Some courses require that university-specific tests must be passed to qualify for dual credit.  Students must meet entry requirements and take the course for college credit to receive any grade weighting.
   
• Some courses may transfer as college hours, but do not transfer as the identical course at another university.  This is known as “undistributed credit.” However, in most cases, a class will transfer into the accepting university. See http://www.transferin.net for additional information.
   
• Textbooks for dual credit courses are dictated by the universities and are added to book rental. 
   
• Students registering for Dual Credit courses may need to pay for credit hours through the sponsoring institute of higher learning. 

Students will be recognized at the end of their four years at Brownsburg High School under a Latin honors system. The Distinguished Graduate recognition program was determined by a committee of parent volunteers, teachers, and administrators, and approved by the BCSC Board of School Trustees. Latin honors will be determined at the conclusion of the seventh semester.

Students will be recognized in the following manner:

       1. Summa Cum Laude (greatest honors) for achieving a cumulative GPA of 4.20 or higher.
       2. Magna Cum Laude (great honors) for achieving a cumulative GPA of 4.00 to 4.1999.
       3. Cum Laude (with honors) for achieving a cumulative GPA of 3.80 to 3.999.

All students (grades 9-12) earning a 3.66 cumulative GPA at the conclusion of the first semester of each academic year will earn an academic letter/bar.

Due to the wide variations in college entrance requirements, students are urged to check with the admission office of the chosen college and visit the individual college websites when planning their high school programs.  College catalogs are available online at most college websites.  Most colleges require at least 28 of the credits earned for high school graduation to be devoted to academic courses.  Be aware that college entrance requirements do change. The 11th grade and 12^th grade years are when students should take the SAT and ACT college readiness tests.  Additionally, juniors can earn scholarship monies through the National Merit program by taking the PSAT Examination.  For more information about the SAT and ACT programs, please visit http://www.collegeboard.com/ and http://www.act.org/aap/index.html.                                         

To prepare for college, students should do the following:

• Take recommended college preparatory courses.  The preferred curriculum for the best preparation for college is the Academic Honors Designation. Indiana Core 40 is the minimum standard to be followed.
• Maintain the best possible grade point average (GPA).
• Take the PSAT 9 test in the fall of the freshman year and take the PSAT test in the fall of the sophomore year. 
• All juniors will retake the PSAT in the fall. Juniors will then take the SAT in the spring. Have SAT scores sent to Brownsburg High School (CEEB school code is 150335) as well as to colleges being considered.  Students could also choose to complete an ACT exam in the spring.
• Apply to colleges early during the fall of the senior year. Some colleges and some highly competitive programs require early application.
• Complete the FAFSA form after October 1 and submit by April 15, to be considered for state and federal financial aid. Visit www.fafsa.ed.gov for more information on the FAFSA.

NAVIANCE - Naviance Family Connection is a web-based program that promotes college and workplace readiness for high school students. All Brownsburg High School students and their parents have access to Naviance Family Connection. Incoming ninth grade students will receive their registration information during freshman orientation. Family Connection applications include:

• College Planner – Students can research colleges, enrichment programs, and scholarships. They can access school forms and can request transcripts and school profiles to be sent electronically to more than 1,000 colleges.
• Career Planner – Students can learn more about themselves, research careers, and understand the academic preparation required to ensure workplace readiness.
• Test Preparation—Students can utilize the Naviance test preparation software in anticipation of taking the SAT and/or ACT exams.

GRADE 9 AND 10 COLLEGE AND CAREER PLANNING AT BROWNSBURG HIGH SCHOOL

It may be difficult for 9th and 10th grade students to choose a specific Career Major Pathway; however, the kinds of course choices and the success at the 9th and 10th grade level begins to form the career pathway choice for the eleventh grade. For this reason, the high school curriculum becomes a 9th and 10th grade formative/evaluative program, and the 11th and 12th grade become a career-focused preparatory program. All 9th and 10th grade students will schedule English, mathematics, social studies, science, physical education (9), PCC: speech (10) and health (10). Electives chosen during these foundation years should parallel the career cluster and designation level desired.  College readiness testing for this formative stage includes the PSAT test which is taken in the fall of the sophomore year.

GRADE 11 AND 12 COLLEGE AND CAREER PLANNING AT BROWNSBURG HIGH SCHOOL

The decision for the proper program concentration requires team planning for the 11th &12th grade years. This should involve the student, parent, and high school personnel. Post high school educational experiences in today’s technical world will be mandatory for all students regardless of program selection. Individual preparation, ability, interest, and motivation will determine success during one’s entire lifetime. It must be the goal of the educational team (student-parent-school) to correctly place each student in the courses and sequence level of their chosen Career Pathway.

Harris Academy provides a performance-based, non-traditional education environment to entice and enable individuals in grades 10-12 to complete their high school education.  The non-traditional program is designed with maximum flexibility to meet the diverse needs of enrolled students.  Each applicant must be committed to earning a high school Designation.  Consent to enroll in the alternative high school is given by the High School Principal based on prescribed criteria.  Harris Academy offers courses that are teacher directed and courses through Edmentum, an online, self-paced curriculum, correlating with the content standards identified by the State of Indiana.

Teacher led courses in English, Math, Science, and Social Studies are available on a quarterly basis, and are dependent on student enrollment. 

Career and Technical Education (CTE) Programs prepare students for careers and/or further study at a post-secondary institution. BHS offers CTE courses at Harris Academy in the following disciplines:

Local employers provide curriculum direction and employment, including potential work-based learning experiences.  Some programs offer state approved industry certifications that can be used to meet technical honors diploma requirements.  

The Special Education Department at Brownsburg High School strives to promote consistency, communication and individualized levels of support for all students with disabilities. A TEAM concept is offered where students with disabilities maintain the same Teacher of Record, Counselor and grade level Principal throughout their time here, maximizing our collaboration and accountability. Brownsburg High School utilizes various differentiated instructional strategies to assist students in all educational settings. Special Education teachers are available to deliver specially designed instruction, make accommodations to classroom materials, and/or provide in-class support as needed on an individualized basis.

Eligibility for special education services is determined by an evaluation team. Students may be determined eligible for special education programs in one of several categories as identified by Article 7.  Once eligibility is determined, a Teacher of Record (TOR) is assigned and an Individualized Education Program (IEP) is developed by a team of people, the Case Conference Committee, which includes the parent and student.

The IEP specifies annual goals and short-term objectives for the student, along with the special education services and/or classes needed to work toward those goals. The IEP is reviewed annually to incorporate current data on the student’s progress and to develop an updated IEP, if appropriate, for the following year. Supports are provided across the continuum, including consult only, Co-teach classes (general education teacher and special education teacher), Inclusion classes (general education teacher and special education para-professional), self-contained (special education teacher and para-professional), Functional skills and Life skills. Our Transition coordinator educates students/families on opportunities for our students outside the school setting.  When appropriate, students begin expanding their vocational skills through working at our school-based food/clothing pantry and/or community businesses that partner with Brownsburg schools to provide students with an internship experience.  A resource room is also made available to students where staff can assist in providing accommodations.  Courses taught or supported by the Special Education Department align directly with a student’s IEP.

The Course of Study for the Certificate of Completion (found below) is a framework for aligning curriculum to grade level standards while meeting the individual goals and transition needs stated in the student’s Individual Education Plan (IEP).

Alternate Diploma Assumptions:
1)  High Expectations for all students are a shared responsibility.
2)  General Education courses are accessed whenever appropriate to fulfill the Certificate of Completion course of study.
3)  Students’ IEP goals are aligned with grade level standards/content connectors that drive curriculum and instruction.
4)  Communication skills, reading skills, and problem-solving skills are integrated into all courses.
5)  Courses can be repeated with new goals if appropriate; more than four years may be needed for completion.
6)  All courses are driven by the Transition IEP and individual goals of each student.