SPS and Graduation Requirements
Well, color me surprised because I just did a spot-check of graduation requirements at some of our SPS high schools.
SPS requires 20 credits to graduate. I'm not printing everything required but here are some basics:
LA - 3 credits
Social Studies - 3 credits
Science - 2 credits
PE - 2 credits
What I jogged me to look this up was a comment I read that The Center School is a "prep" high school and has higher graduation requirements than SPS. So I checked. Indeed they do.
They require 22 credits.
LA - 4
SS - 4
Science - 3
World Language - 2 (required unlike SPS where it is an elective choice)
PE - 1.5
Plus Center requires a junior research paper and a portfolio (along with the passing of HSPE, community service, high school and beyond plan and senior culminating project that are required by SPS).
What is also interesting about Center School (and I assume this is because they are in a building without a gym) is that their students can put nearly any sports experience down as PE (with an adult saying they did) on kind of an honor system bulletin board. It's not their fault that they don't have a gym but this is a nice benefit for any student who does any kind of dance or sport or outdoor activity (like boating, horseback riding, etc.) I know a lot of students who hate PE classes and would love this ability to insert something else.
So I checked a few other high schools and, once again, found school websites to be lacking. Couldn't find the graduation requirements at RBHS.
On the other hand, I found that Hale bests Center by requiring 23.5 credits to graduate.
Chief Sealth does something interesting that, again, I'm sure a lot of parents might wish other schools would do. They lump music into CTE thus allowing more electives in other areas. Most high schools put music in as an elective.
Again, you have to be a detective in this district to know anything. SPS doesn't even say on its own webpage about graduation that some schools might vary from what is printed.
Parents if you are visiting high schools, be sure to ask, "Are your grad requirements different from SPS'?"
SPS requires 20 credits to graduate. I'm not printing everything required but here are some basics:
LA - 3 credits
Social Studies - 3 credits
Science - 2 credits
PE - 2 credits
What I jogged me to look this up was a comment I read that The Center School is a "prep" high school and has higher graduation requirements than SPS. So I checked. Indeed they do.
They require 22 credits.
LA - 4
SS - 4
Science - 3
World Language - 2 (required unlike SPS where it is an elective choice)
PE - 1.5
Plus Center requires a junior research paper and a portfolio (along with the passing of HSPE, community service, high school and beyond plan and senior culminating project that are required by SPS).
What is also interesting about Center School (and I assume this is because they are in a building without a gym) is that their students can put nearly any sports experience down as PE (with an adult saying they did) on kind of an honor system bulletin board. It's not their fault that they don't have a gym but this is a nice benefit for any student who does any kind of dance or sport or outdoor activity (like boating, horseback riding, etc.) I know a lot of students who hate PE classes and would love this ability to insert something else.
So I checked a few other high schools and, once again, found school websites to be lacking. Couldn't find the graduation requirements at RBHS.
On the other hand, I found that Hale bests Center by requiring 23.5 credits to graduate.
Chief Sealth does something interesting that, again, I'm sure a lot of parents might wish other schools would do. They lump music into CTE thus allowing more electives in other areas. Most high schools put music in as an elective.
Again, you have to be a detective in this district to know anything. SPS doesn't even say on its own webpage about graduation that some schools might vary from what is printed.
Parents if you are visiting high schools, be sure to ask, "Are your grad requirements different from SPS'?"
Comments
It seems to me that IHS is on the flexible side for district requirements (in part to balance the rigidity of the IB requirements), we haven't had to test the PE req yet, but had favorable results with the 9th grade science requirement (unlike at RHS).
Also, Hale has a pretty good graduation rate and is diverse socio-economically and racially. There are lots of fundraisers to help kids pay for stuff their families can't afford to buy them.
HP
Another wrinkle is that an IB diploma counts as meeting high school graduation requirements, regardless of anything else, including PE. I'm not sure if that's SPS alone or statewide. Also, Ingraham at least has a waiver where if the student took four years of language, they can waive PE because of the full academic workload.
WV: onLosto in all these different rules.
I feel like SPS looks at music and art as coverage for the teacher planning time requirement in the contract, and PE as a state requirement, not as necessary and valuable parts of a students education.
Tami
-Garfield Mom
But if all these variations exist, then the district should make that clear (as should each school).
Tami
Finally, colleges have different requirements also, so trying to fulfill so many requirements from the school may make it impossible to fulfill college entrance requirements leaving a lot of kids taking online classes.
-RHS parent
PE Waiver Forms must be turned in by the following dates if the waiver is requested for category 3 (school sports). A student must start and finish the entire sports season in order to be eligible for a waiver. Managing a sport team does not qualify for a waiver. You may only waive one PE requirement per year and only two of the three requirements may be waived by participation in sports.
Winter Sports Deadline is Friday, March 8, 2013
Spring Sports Deadline is Friday June 7, 2013
Senior Deadline for PE Waivers, Community Service Hours and Online Course Transcripts is Thursday, May 23, 2013.
All PE waivers must be approved by Ms. Colleen Davis
Completed forms should be returned to Ms. Davis’s mailbox in the Main Office
Forms are available at the end of each season in the Counseling Office.
HP
I see that they 16.2% of the students are Special Ed programs and 5% of the student population have 504 plans - both higher than the district percentages.
So I don't understand how they are tell parents they can't servie students with disabilities becuase the numbers say otherwise. Is is that they just don't have enough spots for every student with a disability? If so, isn't that a problem district-wide?
Mirmic1 - can you provide some clarification to your claim that The Center School is also well-known for keeping students with disabilities OUT - saying that "we can't serve your kid here..."
I see that 16.2% of the students are in Special Ed programs and 5% of the student population have 504 plans - both higher than the district percentages.
So I don't understand how they tell parents they can't serve students with disabilities because the numbers say otherwise. Is it that they just don't have enough spots for every student with a disability? If so, isn't that a problem district-wide?
No it isn't really a problem district-wide. Other schools are now required to accept students - even if their programs are full because of guaranteed assignment.
sped parent
What sped parent said....
Guess you have to be there when they look you in the face and say "we don't want your kid."
I would be careful with implying that eight is small when you aren't also providing the overall total number of students. For example eight students out of a Garfield size high school would indeed be very small eight students out of 200 250 would be a significant portion.
-IMHO
mirmac and sped parent, are you saying that Center is picking and choosing amongst the kids with disabilities who enter the lottery to be enrolled there? For instance, turning down the ones who need more help and accepting ones with more limited disabilities?
8/278 is only 3%. The Center School report says that 16% of the students there are eligible for Sped services. That would be about 44 kids.
What is behind those numbers is this; there is a vast difference between having 44 high-incidence (resource room) students versus 8 low-incidence (like autism-spectrum disorder) students. Remember that 1 in 88 children is diagnosed with autism-spectrum disorder, many of which can succeed in the regular classroom with appropriate supports.
Look at Ballard, they like lots of high-incidence SpEd students because they can take their funding, throw them in any classroom and not support them. Those families who want their children to actually receive services for their funding, end up going to Nathan Hale where they are in fact served.
So, no, the numbers don't tell the story. I believe the sped parents who tell me what CS admin tell them.
Garfield provided her with support classes without her formally in special education. That was not an option at Ballard.
If she hadn't gone to Garfield, both Nathan Hale & Ingraham were her next choices.
Neither Ballard or the Center School seemed interested in allowing her to take advanced classes in the areas where she was ready, as Garfield did, while giving her support to get up to grade level in the areas that were a struggle.
Another concern I had with Center school was that I could not get a clear answer regarding school lunch & transportation. It seemed designed fr students who could afford to buy lunch at Larrys Market across the street and who could commute from the neighborhood.
Re: grad requirements. I was under impression all high schools allowed PE credit if you were on a school team.
I also remember when orchestra/ jazz band full filled the CTE requirement, not sure if that isstill the case.
There is one curriculum, general college prep. If that curriculum doesn't work for you, with accommodation, it's not the place for you. Sad, but true. That said, my limited observations are that students make an extra effort to include and support the students with disabilities who are there.
(The flip side of this is that there are only 2 AP courses, only 4 years of only one language, etc. It's designed for the middle.)
The entire admin staff consists of the principal and a part time guidance counselor. I agree that it can be hard to get information, but it's not being withheld on purpose I assure you.
Being a small school with no cafeteria, they get those lunches that are delivered, not the kind that are cooked there. Most of the students bring lunches. Center families are neither as poor or as wealthy as the average SPS student.
Orca cards are distributed to those that need them, just like at other HS.
Yes, a few students cheat on the PE hours, but most of them learn to integrate physical activity into their out-of-school lives, which I think is a great thing for maintaining a lifelong exercise habit.
perspective
Instead they are often "tracked" into dumbed down courses.
Honestly, how a student earns their 1.5 credits of PE is the least of my worries.
http://roosevelths.seattleschools.org/modules/groups/homepagefiles/cms/1708880/File/Course%20Registration/Course%20descriptions%202013-2014.pdf?sessionid=582c56bdc758482b78d8624709683c00
Public School Parent
sped parent
Doesn't the Center School rent space? Has anybody from the special ed community ever approached the district to see if they could have the school increase their footprint and add more resource rooms so they can enroll more special needs students?
That is the problem in our district; it seems incumbent upon parents of special education parents to "ask" for inclusion. Why doesn't every school consider it their mandate?
Not sure if you're aware of a space shortage, but I am loathe to give administrators more excuses to say "sorry, no we can't include you here"
Why do special ed parents always have to scrape and beg to ensure that there is even a seat for them at a school? Mirmac, it's more than "requesting inclusion". There are many types of special education - and all high schools should have all of them, including boutique schools. Or at least be able to accommodate all students with the special ed they have. AND IN ALL GRADES.
(I'm not sure whose fault this is. Program placement is such a secret - that we don't know how those decisions are made.)
sped parent
Yes, I have participated in conversations dealing with overcrowded schools and renting space was a solution that was suggested to help make room for students.
I understand you are frustrated and its easy to lash out at parents who just want to help or at school adminstrators that just can't help.