Terms:
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Credit: The value given to a course. 1.0 or .5
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Required Course: A course you MUST take and complete to graduate from high school. Remember to sign up for both sections of a year-long course.
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Elective: A course you select that interests you or can prepare for future learning and career aspirations.
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Pre-requisite: A course you take before another; example: Creative Art before Drawing & Painting or Spanish I before Spanish II
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Advanced Placement (AP): Through Advanced Placement classes, students have the opportunity to study courses that are equivalent to first-year college courses. Following instruction in AP classes, the students can take examinations for a nominal fee. These examinations demonstrate that they have obtained the knowledge and skills of comparable college courses. Consult with the institution you plan to attend for their AP acceptance policy. It will vary from institution to institution.
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Dual Credit: Opportunity to receive college credit at participating South Dakota Schools for a reduced cost. Must meet academic requirements to be eligible
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Graduation Requirements:
English- 4.5 credits
Math- 3 credits
Science Lab- 3 credits
Social Studies- 3 credits
Career & Technical Education - 1.5 credits
Fine Arts- 1 credit
Personal Finance - .5 credit
Physical Education- .5 credit
Health or Health Integrations - .5 credit (can be taken in anytime between grades 6-12).
Electives - 6 credits
Total Minimum- 23 credits
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Additional endorsements can be earned. These show emphasis a student has put forth in a particular area. A student may earn one or more endorsements. ​
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Advanced Endorsement - indicates a student has pursued coursework consistent with entrance requirements for postsecondary education at a university. (Requires Algebra I, II and Geometry)
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Advanced Career Endorsement - signals to employers that a student has career experience in a concentrated area, based on academic or workplace experience and a related credential. (Require 2 CTE courses from same career cluster and NCRC of silver or higher).
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Advanced Honors Endorsement - This may qualify students for the South Dakota Opportunities Scholarship up to $7,500 over 4 years if attending a South Dakota school for higher education. (Require final grades 'C' or higher and additional credits of Math, Science and 2 CTE or foreign language).
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South Dakota Opportunities Scholarship - indicates that a student has met the coursework required along with final grades, GPA and ACT score requirements. (Require final grades 'C' or higher, GPA 3.0 or higher and ACT composite score of 24 or higher and additional credits of Math, Science and 2 CTE or foreign language)
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Regent Scholars - indicates that a student has met the coursework required for entrance into South Dakota's Board of Regents institutions. (Require final grades 'C' or higher and GPA 3.0 or higher and additional credits of Math, Science and 2 CTE or foreign language)
See course registration guide for specific requirements to earn each endorsement.
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Students are advised to check the requirements of each college of interest. ​
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