Bethel School District

Bethel School District

516 176th Street E. Spanaway, WA 98387



TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction............................................................................................................................................... 4 Family Access ............................................................................................................................................ 4 High School Graduation Requirements.................................................................................................. 4 Fast Start - 7th and 8th Grade................................................................................................................. 5 Waiver of Course and Program Requirements...................................................................................... 6 Program Information ............................................................................................................................... 6 Planning for High School Years .............................................................................................................. 7 Admission Requirements for Colleges .................................................................................................... 8 Earn College Credit .................................................................................................................................. 9 Running Start ............................................................................................................................................ 9 College in the High School ..................................................................................................................... 10 Pass/Fail ................................................................................................................................................... 10 Career Centers ........................................................................................................................................ 10 College/Career Testing ........................................................................................................................... 11 Academic Guidance ................................................................................................................................ 12 Course Information Listing ................................................................................................................... 12

Communication Arts ............................................................................................................................................ 13 Social Studies....................................................................................................................................................... 19 Science................................................................................................................................................................. 24 Mathematics ........................................................................................................................................................ 30 Health/Fitness...................................................................................................................................................... 35 Visual & Performing Arts.................................................................................................................................... 39 Career & Technical Education............................................................................................................................ 47 World Languages................................................................................................................................................. 66 Student Assistants ................................................................................................................................................ 70 Appendix I: Online Resources for Colleges & Careers...................................................................... 76 Appendix II: Eligibility for Athletics/Activities at College ................................................................ 77 Appendix III: Online Resources for Graduation Requirements & State Assessments................... 79

Introduction

Graduation requirements, authorized courses, and course descriptions for the 2008-2009 school year, together with information to help students make wise choices for their high school education and future are contained in this catalog. Since not all available courses are able to be offered at each school for every year, each school provides additional supplementary information with this catalog. We hope this guide will answer your questions as you decide the high school courses for registration. Teams from all schools have worked hard to provide the most important and up-to-date information for your use. We apologize in advance for any errors that remain in this document, after all our efforts. Please contact the counseling office of the appropriate high school if there are questions that do not seem to be answered here. The phone numbers of the counseling offices are as follows:

Bethel High School Challenger Secondary School Graham-Kapowsin High School Spanaway Lake High School

253-683-7049 253-683-6884 253-683-6176 253-683-5659

Family Access

Parents can review student progress from the Bethel Family Access web portal. With Family Access, parents and guardians will have access to a variety of student information, such as attendance, schedules, grades, and student/family demographics. To learn more about this communication tool, you may go to the district website and select "PARENTS" and then "FAMILY ACCESS."

High School Graduation Requirements

Requirements for graduation will be as follows:

For the Graduating Classes of 2009 and beyond: ? Successful completion of a minimum of 22.5 credits. (28 BHS) ? Successful completion of courses required by state statute, those required by State Board of Education Rules and Regulations and those required by the Board of Directors of the Bethel School District. ? Successful completion of a culminating project. Students shall be expected to complete a culminating project as part of high school graduation requirements. The culminating project will provide evidence of a student's education and preparation for the future. ? Successful establishment of a high school + educational plan (13th year). ? Reading, writing, & math state assessment requirements. Students must meet standard on the reading, writing, and math Washington Assessment of Student Learning (WASL), CAA-Option*, or designated special education alternative. Students may also meet the math requirement by continuing to take the WASL (or special education alternative) and earning 2 math credits in their junior and senior year. o *Certificate of Academic Achievement Options (CAA-Option). After not meeting standard on WASL at least once, students may meet standard through a Collection of Evidence or through designated SAT/ACT or AP scores. Seniors with a 3.2 or higher who have not met standard may meet standard through the WASL Grade-Cohort option. More information on these options can be found at .

? State graduation requirement information can also be found at:

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Graduation Requirement Chart Class of 2008 & beyond CSS,GKHS, SLHS

Communication Arts

Mathematics Algebra 1 or Applied 1 (1.0) Geometry or Applied 2 (1.0) Or above

4 3 (3rd credit for math elective)

Social Studies

3

Science 1 credit must be a lab science

2

Career Education

0.5

Culminating Project

0.5

Fine Arts

1.0

Occupational Education

1.0

Health and Fitness

2.5

Electives

5

Total

22.5

Class of 2008 & beyond BHS 4

3

3.5

2

0.5 0.5 1.0 1.0 2.5 10 28

a. Two high school level math courses are required in grades 9 and 10 except for students who took these courses high school-credited in Jr. high school. The third credit in mathematics may be completed from any mathematics course or other courses that are cross-credited to mathematics upon successful completion of the 10th grade math portion of the WASL.

b. Any student who transfers from another state having already studied that state's history will not be required to complete Washington State History in addition to seniors who enter from outside the state of Washington. A student may complete Washington State History in 7th or 8th grade to meet the requirement but will not receive the 0.5 high school credit. All students will complete a total of 3.0 credits of social studies except those students who are not exempted as stated above. Alternative learning experiences to meet the 0.5 credit requirement of Washington State History are provided for students who need to meet this requirement.

Fast Start - 7th and 8th Grade

The intent of this legislation passed in April 1990 was to provide an opportunity for talented or advanced students who take high school courses in 7th or 8th grade to receive high school credit. Students who take courses where high school credit is given, may have their parents request these Fast Start credits be added to their transcript. See your school counselor for information. In addition to high school credit, the student's grade will be computed into their high school grade point average. Once a grade is posted to the transcript it cannot be removed unless the student retakes the course.

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Waiver/Alternatives for Course and Program Requirements

Health & Fitness Alternative & Waiver Students may request to receive proficiency credit for Health and Fitness requirements for physical activity monitored by a certified trainer or coach, or you may request that part or this entire requirement be waived for medical or religious reasons. See your counselor for forms. (This does not reduce the number of credits required for graduation.)

Other Course Waivers A student or parent(s) may submit to the principal a request to waive non-statutory or local course requirements. The principal may waive requirements when it is in the best interest of the student. When a course requirement is waived, it will be recorded on the student's permanent record.

Credit for Courses Taken Outside the High School Setting Under certain conditions, credit towards high school graduation may be granted by the high school principal for courses from other approved schools or institutions. Prior approval must be obtained from the principal or the principal's designee.

Program Information

General High school students may meet requirements for graduation through the regular program of studies, through meeting requirements of the special education program or other alternative programs of study. Information on these options is available from the counseling center. Upon graduation from high school each student should have completed a post-high school career plan.

Career Technical Education There are a wide variety of vocational programs in the Bethel School District. These programs provide training for students, which lead either to entry-level job skills or to admission to post-high school educational programs. The Bethel School District vocational transfer programs are district wide and open to students enrolled in the district who, by meeting the prerequisites of the courses, are eligible to enroll. Careful planning may allow a student to prepare for post-high school education, as well as to complete a vocational program. The career center in each building has resources for students to use in planning their education and future (see Appendix).

College Entry College admission may require courses beyond those required for graduation from the Bethel School District. See your counselor and check individual college catalogs for specific requirements for colleges in which you are interested. Also, tests for college entrance are administered at various times during the sophomore, junior, and senior years. See the Appendix in this document for information about the college testing schedule.

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Planning for High School Years

There are a number of decisions that students should consider as they plan their high school course selection. Students should visit the career center in their school and consistently attend any pertinent career seminars, information nights, or any other planning activities offered by the high school. It is important that students realize that each course selected should be chosen while considering post-high school options.

Ninth Grade Complete a tentative plan for courses in grades 9 - 12. Consider various post-high school choices. Visit with adults in various occupations and with school counselors. Update portfolio and 13th year plan. Reference NCAA Approval

Tenth Grade Continue to consider various post-high school options using the options previously described. Additionally, experiment with various course possibilities. Review four-year planning sheets. Change plan as necessary to ensure meeting high school graduation requirements, including the minimum basic skills standards. If a student is post-secondary education bound, it is highly recommended that he/she take the PSAT/PLAN. Investigate the various vocational training programs available within the Bethel School District. Ensure enrollment in any prerequisite classes required for entry into a program. Confer with the school's career specialist about the variety of career options. Each high school's career center contains occupational research materials. Review all admission requirements for any colleges and universities under consideration. Include these courses in any planning. Meet with counselors regarding any questions relative to vocational or college preparatory course selections. Update portfolio and 13th year plan.

Eleventh Grade Review four-year planning sheets. Change planning sheets as necessary relative to any courses that are not successfully completed during the 10th grade. Continue considering post-high school choices. The career specialists and counselors are both good resources for this inquiry. If a student is post-secondary education bound, it is highly recommended that he/she take the PSAT. Correspond with vocational-technical schools, community colleges, or four-year colleges about possible post-high school training programs. They will respond to requests for information. Consider on-site visitations. Take either the SAT or ACT in the spring if thinking of applying to a college that requires these scores. Take the ASVAB if you are interested in pursuing a military career and/or career exploration. Meet with college and military personnel as they visit schools. Begin the nomination process if planning to apply to a military academy. Update portfolio and 13th year plan.

Twelfth Grade Review graduation requirements to ensure proper enrollment in courses for June graduation. Take the SAT or the ACT if applying to a college requiring these scores. Take the ASVAB if you are interested in pursuing a military career and/or career exploration. Apply to colleges under consideration. Notify the vocational-technical school of choice to place name on a waiting list for the chosen program. Follow guidelines regarding financial aid and scholarship application. Survey possible job choices, if choosing to work following high school. Finalize decisions regarding post-high school choice. Ensure that all deadlines are met. Update portfolio and 13th year plan.

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