Mississippi Administrative Code › Title 7 - Education K-12 › Part 24 - Mississippi Public School Accountability Standards 2023 › ACCREDITATION POLICIES OF THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION › Appendix 7-24-A-10

Current through June 25, 2024
GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS STANDARD 14
ALTERNATE DIPLOMA OPTION
NOTE: This option shall be offered by districts for
				  incoming ninth graders with significant cognitive disabilities in 2018-2019 and
				  thereafter.
Only students identified by their Individualized Education
				  Program Committee as having a significant cognitive disability, as defined by
				  the current edition of
Testing Students with Disabilities Regulations
and Miss. Admin Code 7-3: 78.1, State Board Policy Chapter 78, Rule
				  78.1, may be eligible to earn the Alternate Diploma. Each student graduating
				  from a secondary school in an accredited school district with the Alternate
				  Diploma will have earned the required units as specified in the following
				  table. Contents of each required and elective course must include the core
				  objectives identified in the State Board approved Alternate Academic
				  Achievement Standards. Course titles and identification numbers must appear in
				  the current edition of the Approved Courses for Secondary Schools of
				  Mississippi. (See Miss. Admin. Code 7- 3: 28.2 and 28.3, State Board Policy,
				  Chapter 28, Rules 28.2 and 28.3.) Students with significant cognitive
				  disabilities enrolled in grades 7 - 12 may be awarded a credit provided the
				  course content is a credit bearing course in the current edition of the
Approved Courses for the Secondary Schools of
				  Mississippi.
Any student with a significant cognitive disability who
				  completes the minimum graduation requirements as specified below and has
				  achieved a level of Passing or Proficient on the end-of-course alternate
				  assessments, is eligible to receive an Alternate Diploma. Students must
				  participate in the alternate assessments during the year the student is
				  enrolled in the corresponding courses (Alternate Biology, Alternate English II,
				  Alternate Algebra). The local school district may establish additional local
				  requirements approved by the local school board as authorized under Miss. Code
				  Ann. §
									37-16-7.
The Alternate Diploma meets the requirements for graduation
				  rate in the same manner as a Traditional Diploma. Students with this diploma
				  must contact the postsecondary institution to determine Ability to Benefit
				  (ATB) and eligibility for enrollment.
CURRICULUM AREA
CARNEGIE UNITS
REQUIRED
								SUBJECTS
GENERAL EDUCATION COURSE
								SUBSTITUTION
ENGLISH
41
Alternate English I
*
CCR English I
Alternate English II
*
CCR English II
Alternate English III
Alternate English IV
*
CCR English III
*
CCR English IV
*
Broadcast Journalism
*
Debate
*
Foundations of Journalism
*
Mississippi Writers
*
Oral Communications
*
Print Journalism
*
Survey of African American
								Writing
*
Technical and Workplace
								Writing
*
World Literature
MATHEMATICS
42
Alternate Math I
*
CCR Compacted Math 7
*
CCR Compacted Math Grade 8 with Algebra I
								(prior to entering HS)
*
Foundations of Algebra (Grade 9
								only)
Alternate Math II
*
CCR Compacted Math Grade 8 with Algebra I
								(prior to entering HS)
*
Foundations of Algebra (Grade 9
								only)
*
Advanced Technical
								Mathematics
Alternate Math III
*
Advanced Technical Mathematics (must be
								taken prior to CCR Algebra I)
*
CCR Geometry
*
CCR Algebra II (contingent on passing CCR
								Algebra I)
Alternate Algebra
*
CCR Algebra I
SCIENCE
2
Alternate Biology
*
Biology
Alternate Science II
Courses worth 1 Carnegie Unit
*
Physical Science
*
Earth and Space Science
*
Human Anatomy and Physiology
*
Foundations of Biology OR
Courses worth ½ Carnegie
								Unit
*
Environmental Science
*
Genetics
*
Geology
*
Zoology I
*
Zoology II
*
Astronomy
*
Botany
*
Foundations of Science
								Literacy
SOCIAL STUDIES
2
Alternate History
*
US History
Alternate Social Studies
Courses worth 1 Carnegie Unit
*
World History
Courses worth ½ Carnegie
								Unit
*
Economics
*
US Government
*
Mississippi Studies
*
Psychology
*
Sociology
*
World Geography
HEALTH
½3
Alternate Health
*
Contemporary Health
*
Healthcare & Clinical Services
								I
*
Theory and Application of Health
								Sciences
*
JROTC I and II
PHYSICAL EDUCATION
½4
Physical Education
*
Physical Education
CAREER READINESS
45
Career Readiness I-IV
*
Career Readiness was designed specifically
								for the Alternate Diploma
LIFE SKILLS DEVELOPMENT
45
Life Skills Development I-IV
*
Life Skills Development was designed
								specifically for the Alternate Diploma
THE ARTS
16
The Arts
ELECTIVES
2
*
Any Carnegie unit credit bearing courses or
								a combination of ½ Carnegie unit credit bearing courses
TOTAL UNITS REQUIRED
24
1Carnegie units earned for
				  Compensatory English courses cannot be included as any of the four (4) English
				  Carnegie units required for graduation; however, Carnegie units earned for
				  these courses may be included in the general elective graduation requirements.
				  Compensatory English may be taken only if a credit-bearing English course is
				  taken in the same school year.
2Carnegie units earned for
				  Compensatory Mathematics courses cannot be included as any of the four (4) Math
				  Carnegie units required for graduation; however, Carnegie units earned for
				  these courses may be included in the general elective graduation requirements.
				  Compensatory Mathematics may be taken only if a credit-bearing Math course is
				  taken in the same school year.
3Successful completion in JROTC I
				  and JROTC II shall be accepted as requirement met for Contemporary Health to
				  meet graduation requirement for one-half (½) Carnegie unit in Health.
				  Dual credit Personal and Community Health may be accepted in lieu of the
				  graduation requirement for one-half (½) Carnegie unit in Health. For
				  approved Career and Technical course substitutions see Appendix A-12.
4The graduation requirement for
				  one-half (½) unit in physical education may include participation in
				  interscholastic athletic activities, choral performance courses for show choir
				  (i.e., Choral, Music-Choral-Ensembles), instrumental performance courses (i.e.,
				  Band, Music Instrumental Ensembles, Strings), dance courses or JROTC that meet
				  the instructional requirements specified in the
Fitness through
				  Physical Education Framework
and that are sanctioned by the
				  Mississippi High School Activities Association. Only one (1) elective unit in
				  physical education including participation in interscholastic athletic
				  activities, choral performance courses for show choir (i.e., Choral,
				  Music-Choral-Ensembles), instrumental performance courses (i.e., Band, Music
				  Instrumental Ensembles, Strings), dance courses or JROTC that meet the
				  instructional requirements specified in the
Fitness through Physical
				  Education Framework
and that are sanctioned by the Mississippi High
				  School Activities Association may be applied each year to the minimum 24
				  required Carnegie units. If a local district has graduation requirements above
				  the state requirements, the district may award additional units as outlined in
				  the local school board policy.
5Evidence of proficiency in
				  technology is embedded in the course strands for both Career Readiness and Life
				  Skills Development so that students with significant cognitive disabilities may
				  be taught these skills within the natural environment assuring greater
				  application and generalization of the skills.
6The Arts refers to Dance, Media
				  Arts, Music, Theatre, and Visual Arts. The following dual credit classes: Music
				  Appreciation, Theatre Appreciation, or Art Appreciation may be accepted in lieu
				  of the art requirement for students. For approved Career and Technical course
				  substitutions see Appendix A-12.