Graduation Requirements for Students in Missouri Public Schools: Effective for Graduates of the Class of 2010
Author: Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
Date: 2007-01-00
Type: Guides - General
Subjects: United States History,High Schools,Core Curriculum,Health Education,State Aid,Graduation Requirements,Public Schools,Communication Skills,Mathematics Instruction,Science Instruction,Social Studies,Money Management,Educational Legislation,State Legislation,Academic Standards,State Standards,College Preparation,Course Descriptions,Constitutional Law,Credits,Civics,Dual Enrollment,High School Seniors

In 2004, Commissioner of Education D. Kent King appointed a statewide task force to study Missouri high schools and make recommendations on strengthening the ways they help students prepare for life after high school. The State Board of Education adopted the following recommendations in 2005 and 2006. The State Board of Education increased minimum graduation requirements to 24 units of credit for the graduating class of 2010. This includes 4 units of communication arts and 3 units each of math, science and social studies. A half-unit requirement in health education and a half unit in personal finance were also added. In 1993, the Missouri legislature passed the Outstanding Schools Act, calling for adoption of academic standards to clearly define what Missouri students should know and be able to do by the time they graduate from high school. In response, the State Board of Education adopted 73 academic standards, known as the Show-Me Standards, in January 1996. Developed by some of Missouri's best teachers and administrators with input from citizens throughout the state, the Show-Me Standards added a new dimension to the state's traditional graduation requirements. Where current graduation requirements state expectations in terms of passing grades and units of credit (a measure of time spent in class), the Show-Me Standards describe the knowledge and skills students will need to be successful after high school. In 1994, the Coordinating Board for Higher Education adopted new &quot;core curriculum&quot; standards for admission to Missouri's public colleges and universities. The same year, the State Board of Education revised its requirements for the College Preparatory Studies Certificate to match the Coordinating Board's requirements. This publication is designed to help answer questions for principals, counselors, teachers, students and parents about high school graduation requirements and the options that individual students may have for meeting the requirements. (All major documents related to graduation requirements and standards appear as appendices.) School districts should review this handbook and make sure all staff members are aware of current state requirements and policies. Students should be informed about all requirements in time to properly develop their high school personal plan of study. The handbook should also serve as a resource for educators as they blend the traditional graduation requirements with the performance-based expectations contained in the Show-Me Standards and Grade Level Expectations. The handbook will be a truly valuable tool if it helps Missouri educators make the graduation requirements and learning expectations clear to their students, parents, and others in their communities. Appendices include: (1) Specific Requirements and Interpretive Notes for Missouri High School Graduation Requirements; (2) Requirements for the College Preparatory Studies Certificate; (3) Missouri Coordinating Board for Higher Education High School Core Curriculum Requirement Course Descriptions (Approved 10-13-94, Revised 7-14-06); (4) Required Instruction on U.S. and Missouri Constitutions, American History, and Federal, State and Local Government (Section 170.011, RSMo); (5) Policy on Granting Credit for Off-Campus Programs Other Than Dual-Credit College Courses; (6) Dual Credit, Dual Enrollment, and Dual Counting for State Aid of High School Juniors and Seniors in College Courses; (7) A+ Schools Criteria; and (8) Adult High School Diploma Program.