Graduation Requirements

The Bristol Board of Education requires total credits as listed below to graduate.

Subject Area

Credit Requirement

Notes

English

4 Credits

  • English 1, 2, 3, 4
  • All students are required to meet a writing performance standard.

Mathematics

3 Credits

  • All students will be required to meet a performance standard in mathematics

Social Studies

3 Credits

  • Including 1 credit in Modern American History & .5 in Civics

Physical Education

2 Credits

  • .5 each year (unless student has been excused for medical reasons)

Science

2 Credits


Vocational/Fine Arts

1 Credit

  • Select from the following departments: BTECH, Engineering and Technology, Business and Finance, Family Consumer Science, Art, or Music

Health

.25 Credits

  • .25 Freshman year

Required Total Credits: 25.25

Additional credits to equal a Y.O.G. total must be selected.


Grade Placement

Credit Load

Grade 9 to 10: must earn 5.75 credits

Grade 10 to 11: must earn 11.25 credits

Grade 11 to 12: must earn at least 17.25 credits

Students will be required to take a minimum of six credits and .5 credit in Physical Education in each grade, plus ¼ credit in Health (9th grade).

In addition to credit and course requirements, students will be expected to meet two state-mandated performance standards: writing and mathematics.

Writing and Mathematics Performance Standards

  • Writing: Students shall, prior to the completion of their senior year, produce an essay that is focused, organized, elaborated, and edited for Standard English conventions.
  • Mathematics: Within the content of the course in which the student is enrolled, he/she will satisfactorily demonstrate college and career readiness in the following areas: concepts and procedures, problem solving, communicating and reasoning and modeling and data analysis.
  • Exemptions: Students will be exempt from the district performance standard if they have one of the following for each standard:

Graduation Performance Standard (Writing and Math)

The literacy graduation requirement will be met when students meet
ONE of the following standards:

  1. earn a passing score on the writing portion of the English III mid-term exam or final exam
  2. earn a score of 3 or higher on the AP Language and Composition test
  3. earn a score of 450 or higher on the PSAT, or 450 or higher on the SAT
  4. produce an essay that is deemed proficient by a high school writing committee*
  5. enroll in a writing portfolio class in grade 12 and produce an essay that is deemed

proficient by a high school writing committee

*To ensure that students are eligible for this opportunity, English teachers will assign 3 writing prompts over the course of the junior year. The first will be completed in November. A student who does earn a passing score on the writing portion of the mid-term exam may submit any of these 3 essays to the high school writing committee prior to the final exam.

The mathematics graduation requirement will be met when students:

  1. earn a passing score on the mid-term or final of a grade 11 mathematics course

OR

  1. earn a score of 450 or higher on the PSAT, or 450 or higher on the SAT

OR

c. earn a minimum score of 7 out of 20 points on the district alternative math assessment

  • Transfers: If a student transfers into the Bristol Public Schools after completing at least three years in a high school in another district, he/she may be exempted from Bristol's performance standards requirement for graduation.
  • Special Needs: Students with special needs may be exempt from district performance standards for graduation as described in Board of Education's graduation policy if so indicated in their Individual Education Plan.

Students in the 9th and 10th grade must take a core course of studies as listed below:

9th

10th

English 1

World History

Algebra 1 or Geometry

Physical Science

English 2

Modern American History

Geometry or Algebra 2

Biology

Opportunities to Extend Your Learning

Internships through the Career Center provide Grade 12 students with a semester-long trial period within a career field. To ensure that a student is ready for a semester-long internship, several short-term experiences in the field of interest are recommended. The student is not expected to handle responsibilities of a fully skilled or "in-training" employee.


REOMMENDED COURSE SEQUENCE

GRADE 9 Credits GRADE 10 Credits
English I 1 English II 1
World History 1 Modern American History 1
Algebra I or Geometry 1 Geometry or Algebra II 1
World Language* 1 World Language* 1
Physical Science 1 Biology 1
Elective *** 1 Elective *** 1
Physical Education .5 Physical Ed .5
Health .25





GRADE 11 Credits GRADE 12 Credits
English III 1 English IV 1
Social Studies Elective(s) 1 Social Studies Elective(s) 1
Algebra II/Math Elective 1 Math Elective 1
Science/Engineering Elective 1 Science/Engineering Elective 1
Language* 1 Elective*** 1
Elective *** 1 Physical Ed .5
Civics** .5 4th Year of a Language or Elective 1
Physical Ed .5

*World language courses are taken sequentially. Students electing to take a world language should continue in the language of the previous year. Two to three years of one world language are expected for admission to most colleges.

** Civics is required.

***Information Processing 1&2 are recommended for all students to improve their 21st century skills.

Website by SchoolMessenger Presence. © 2024 SchoolMessenger Corporation. All rights reserved.