MISD Graduation

Requirements
Distinguished Level of Achievement Plan
 What is a Graduation Plan?
● A graduation plan is a document that tells students what's required of them for
graduation. This plan can tell students which classes they need to take, credit
requirements, testing requirements, and more. 

● Mansfield ISD several has different graduation plans. These are the two most common
ones...

● Foundation Plan: 
○ This is the most basic level graduation plan. 

● Distinguished Level of Achievement Plan: 

○ The DLA is the Foundation Plan plus a few extras bells and whistles. This is the plan
YOU will start on because it's is the plan that most colleges are looking for. If it turns
out that the DLA doesn't fit your needs well, your high school counselor will help you
switch to the Foundation Plan later on in High School. 

● Let's look at the requirements for the DLA. 

•
DLA Requirements
26 Total Credits          
• This may seem like a lot of credits, but you can earn up to 8 credits
per year of high school for a total of 32 credits. Some of you might
even be earning high school credits right now as 8th graders, which
means you can end up with more than 32 by the time you graduate. 

• 5 End of Course Exams (EOCs): You'll take 5 EOCs, which are standardized
tests (like STAAR)
• Algebra 1 (8th or 9th grade)
• Biology (9th grade) 
• English 1 (9th grade)
• English 2 (10th grade)
• U.S. History (11th grade)

• Endorsement
• You’ll earn an Endorsement by taking 4 or 5 credits worth of related
classes (usually electives).
• Example: Art 1, Art 2, Art 3 Painting, Art 4 Painting
• We’ll discuss this more in depth later.
 What is a credit?
● A credit is proof that you’ve taken a class and passed it. How many credits you earn per
course depends on how that class is scheduled.

● When you pass your 1st period class in the fall semester, you’ll earn ½ credit for that
class. When you pass the second semester of that class in the spring, you’ll earn another
½ credit.

● If you pass all of your classes in the fall semester, you’ll earn ½ credit for each of those
class periods and have a total of 4 credits at the end of the fall semester.

● If you also pass all of your classes in the spring semester, you’ll earn another 4 credits in
the spring, which means you’ll have earned 8 credits by the end of the year.

● If you fail a class, you do not receive credit for it.

 Look at the list below. Can you identify
which of the classes listed have an EOC?

Algebra 1 Government
English 1 Algebra 2
Biology Spanish 1
World History Art 1
English 2 English 4
Physics Geometry
US History Astronomy
 These classes have an EOC:

Algebra 1 Government
English 1 Algebra 2
Biology Spanish 1
World History Art 1
English 2 English 4
Physics Geometry
US History Astronomy
 Core Classes: there are
certain core classes you
have to take. Let’s look at
those requirements.
English (4 credits)

English 1 (EOC)
English 2 (EOC)
English 3
English 4
 Science (4 credits)
Biology (EOC)
Chemistry
Physics
An advanced science course

**Some middle school campuses offer Biology in 8th grade. If you’re taking that
class in 8th grade, you’ll take Chemistry in 9th grade, Physics in 10th, and an
advanced science course in 11th grade.
 Social Studies (3 credits)
World Geography
OR (AND) World History
US History (EOC)
Government (semester long, 12th grade)
Economics (semester long, 12th grade)

**You’re required to have 3 social studies credits to graduate, BUT we’re going to
schedule 4 credits. You’ll take both World Geography (9th) and World History
(10th). We do this because many colleges require 4 social studies credits, so this
keeps doors open for you.
Math (4 credits)

Algebra 1 (EOC)
Geometry
Algebra 2
An advanced math class
 Math (scheduling details)
If you’re currently in Algebra 1, this is how If you’re currently in 8th grade math, this
we’ll schedule your math classes: is how we’ll schedule your math classes:

● 8th grade: Advanced Algebra 1 ● 9th grade: Algebra 1

● 9th grade: Advanced Geometry ● 10th grade: Geometry
● 10th grade: Advanced Algebra 2 ● 11th grade: Algebra 2
● 11th grade: Advanced Pre-Calculus* ● 12th grade: An advanced math course
● 12th grade: AP Calculus AB*

*These are the courses the district

recommends if you’re currently in
Advanced Algebra 1, so we’ll schedule
them for now. As you get to 11th grade and
12th grade, you can make adjustments to
these if you’d like.
LOTE: Languages other than English
(2 credits)
Spanish (Ben Barber or Home Campus)
French (Home Campus)
German (Ben Barber)
***American Sign Language (Ben Barber)
Japanese (Ben Barber)
Chinese/Mandarin (Ben Barber)
***Computer Science (Ben Barber)

**You must take 2 credits of the SAME language to meet graduation requirements.
***Some colleges do not accept these courses as LOTE credits because they are not spoken. You’ll need to
research the colleges you’re interested in to see if that applies to you.
 Physical (1 credit)
PE
Athletics (any sport, tryouts required)
JROTC
Athletic Training (application, can’t also be a student athlete)
Drill Team (tryouts)
Cheerleading (tryouts)
Marching Band (one semester, double blocked)
 Fine Arts (1 credit)
Art
Choir (tryouts)
Concert Band (one semester, double blocked)
Theater Arts
Dance
Floral Design (Ben Barber, one semester, double blocked)
 Additional Electives

Professional Communications (.5 credit)

Health (.5 credit)
Endorsement classes (4 – 5 credits)
Additional Electives you’d like to take
 Endorsements
You’ll learn more about these later.

Arts and Humanities

Public Service
Business and Industry
STEM
Multidisciplinary
Final Thoughts...

● There are several requirements you

need to meet in order to graduate.
● Many of you will have earned more
than 26 credits by the time you
graduate.
● We’ll be taking these requirements
into consideration as we plan your
classes for high school.