HIGH SCHOOL COURSE DESCRIPTION GUIDE

Please note that any and all of this information is subject to revision.

ART

Michigan Merit Curriculum requires each student to earn 1.0 credit in Visual, Performing, and Applied Arts.

All listed art courses earn Visual, Performing, and Applied Arts (VPAA) credit towards graduation requirements.

ART 1- 4 PROGRAM

OTHER ART COURSES

BUSINESS

Business Management, Business Marketing, and Computer Information Systems courses often earn credit toward the Visual, Performing, and Applied Arts and/or the 4th Math graduation requirement.  (See designation in description – 4th math and/or VPAA.)

Please note that Marketing 1, Marketing 2, and Sports Business Management courses are “related courses” for Cooperative Education.

COURSES

AP COURSES

COMMUNICATIONS

All communications courses earn credit towards the Visual, Performing, and Applied Arts graduation requirement.

COURSES

ENGINEERING, MANUFACTURING, AND INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGY

Engineering, Manufacturing, and Industrial Technology courses often earn credit towards the Visual, Performing, and Applied Arts and/or the 4th math graduation requirement.  (See designation in description – 4th math and/or VPAA.)

COURSES

ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS

The Michigan Merit Curriculum requires each student to earn 4.0 English Language Arts credits.  English Language Arts courses earn credit towards the ELA and/or Visual, Performing, and Applied Arts graduation requirements.

PRE-AP AND HONOR COURSES

JUNIOR & SENIOR COURSES

AP COURSES

MISC. COURSES

LIFE MANAGEMENT

Life Management courses earn credit towards the Visual, Performing, and Applied Arts graduation requirement.

These courses are only offered at NHS.

COURSES

MATHEMATICS

The Michigan Merit Curriculum requires each student to earn 4.0 credits in math inluding credit in  Algebra 1, Geometry, Algebra 2, and a 4th math or math experience (students are required to have a math course or math experience in their final year of high school enrollment).  All mathematics courses fulfill this graduation requirement.

College courses, independent studies, or cooperative employment experiences that include math-related elements intended to fulfill a math-related course must be approved in advance by counselor and/or administrator.

MATH COURSES SATIFYING MMC REQUIREMENTS

STANDARD COURSES

AP COURSES

MUSIC

Music courses earn credit towards the Visual, Performing, and Applied Arts graduation requirement.

CHOIR / CHORUS COURSES

ORCHESTRA COURSES

BAND / ENSEMBLE COURSES

PHYSICAL EDUCATION

Michigan Merit Curriculum requires each student to earn 0.5 credit in physical education and 0.5 credit in health.

PHYSICAL EDUCATION WAIVERS

COURSES

SCIENCE

The Michigan Merit Curriculum requires each student to take 3.0 credits in science, including:

  • Biology (1.0 credit)
  • Chemistry (0.5 credit)
  • Physics (0.5 credit)
  • Environmental Science (1.0 credit)

STANDARD COURSES

SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH PROGRAM (CHS ONLY)

AP COURSES

SOCIAL STUDIES

The Michigan Merit Curriculum requires each student to take 3.0 credits in social studies, including:

  • World History (1.0 credit)
  • United States History (1.0 credit)
  • Economics (0.5 credit)
  • Civics (0.5 credit)

STANDARD COURSES

HONARS AND AP COURSES

WORLD LANGUAGE

The Michigan Merit Curriculum requires each student to earn 2.0 credits in World Language.

1.0 credit of World Language can be substituted with an additional credit of VPAA or the successful completion of an approved CTE program.

FRENCH COURSES

SPANISH COURSES

AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE COURSES

SPANISH IMMERSION

Students will increase their proficiency with interpersonal listening and speaking, interpretive reading, and writing, and presentational writing with a focus on accurate grammatical structures and paragraph length(s) for writing and discourse according to the National Standards for Foreign Language learning.

Students will be exploring various disciplines and cultures to promote language study for living and working in a Spanish-speaking country or using the target language here in the States in their chosen careers. Immersion classes are leveled for steadily increasing proficiency or language use and need to be taken in sequence for full 1.0 credit for optimum language learning. Skipping years or semesters in the sequence is highly discouraged.

The Spanish Immersion program is only offered at NHS.

PREREQUISITES AND ENDORSEMENT ON TRANSCRIPT

COURSES

CHINESE IMMERSION

The following courses are currently being offered at NHS through WMU. These courses are subject to change as WMU’s program changes.

The Chinese Immersion program is only offered at NHS.

ABOUT DUAL ENROLLMENT AND ENDORSEMENT ON TRANSCRIPT

COURSES

SPECIAL EDUCATION

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

COURSES

SPECIAL OPPORTUNITIES

COURSES

GONE BOARDING

PROJECT NEXT (NHS ONLY)

FHPS HEALTH CAREERS ACADEMY

FHPS AP CAPSTONE DIPLOMA STEM PROGRAM

KENT CAREER TECHNICAL CENTER (KCTC) - V340

COURSE SCHEDULING

SCHEDULING PROCESS
REQUESTING A SCHEDULE CHANGE

SCHEDULING PROCESS

Counselors meet with all students individually or in small groups to help them with course selections. Students will consult with their present language arts, social studies, math, and science teachers to ensure appropriate course selections in those areas. Students should also discuss course selections with their families.

The initial course requests submitted by students are very important because they determine which courses and the number of sections of each course will be offered. If courses are not scheduled because of low demand, students who requested them will be scheduled into their alternate choices or will be asked to make another selection.

REQUESTING A SCHEDULE CHANGE

Once the scheduling process is completed, students may request schedule changes for legitimate educational reasons during the schedule change window.   Students requesting a change are to complete the appropriate form through the Counseling Office.  Counselors will process changes and upon committee approval, the change will occur.  (For more information, please see the scheduling process on the “Scheduling Choice Board”.)

  • All schedule change requests must be submitted prior to the start of the school year.
  • Classes dropped as a result of the request will be dropped with no record on the student’s transcript.
  • Courses dropped after the first day of school in the fall will be dropped with a grade of E on the student’s transcript.

TESTING OUT

PA 451, passed in 1993, allows students to test out of courses. PA 123 and PA 124, passed in 2006, add to existing law by providing students the option to demonstrate that they meet or exceed the Michigan Merit Curriculum (MMC) content expectations associated with the subject areas. In the MMC, the instruction needed to test out does not necessarily have to be delivered in a traditional “course sequence”.

CRITERIA FOR TESTING OUT

  • All interested students must have the opportunity to test out.
  • The law allows students to test out of any and all of the credit areas required for graduation.
  • All content expectations need to be reasonably covered in whatever assessment or assessments are used for testing out.
  • A student is granted credit if the student earns 77% or better on one or more assessments developed or selected by the district that measure a student’s understanding of the subject area content expectations for guidelines that apply to the credit.
  • This could include a series of smaller tests, used by the teacher over the course of the class, which taken together, cover all the content expectations.
  • An assessment consisting of the end-of-marking-period exams used by the teacher.
  • If a final exam is used to measure proficiency, a student must attain a grade of not less than 77%.

Forest Hills will establish reasonable times for testing-out to occur. Please check with your respective school for specific dates.

NATIONAL COLLEGIATE ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION (NCAA)

DIVISION I

DIVISION II

GRADUATION & CREDITS

GRADUATING EARLY
PARTICIPATING IN COMMENCEMENT
EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT PLANS (EDP)
EARNING HIGH SCHOOL CREDITS

GRADUATING EARLY

Students who wish to complete high school in less than four years MUST apply to the principal for approval no later than the first academic day of the student’s final year so that a program is designed for early high school completion that is in the student’s best interest. An official diploma may not be issued or graduation ceremonies held until May.

PARTICIPATING IN COMMENCEMENT

Only students achieving the required 22.5 credits (including MMC credits) will be permitted to participate in commencement exercises.

EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT PLANS (EDP)

The Michigan Merit Curriculum (MMC) legislation states, “each pupil in grade 7 is provided with the opportunity to develop an educational development plan, and that each pupil has developed an educational development plan before he or she begins high school. An educational development plan  shall be developed by the pupil under the supervision of the pupil’s school counselor, or another  designee qualified to act in a counseling role under section 1233 or 1233a selected by the high school  principal and shall be based on a career pathways program or similar career exploration program.”  (MCL 380.1278a)  The EDP is a secondary/post-secondary planning tool that directs the educational plan and career planning activities schedule. In their EDP, students identify a career pathway and write employment,  education, and training goals. They also identify a course of study (the credits that will be taken)  intended to provide the skills and competencies needed to be successful in the next steps after high school. EDP’s are “living” documents that are updated as students’ age and their interests and abilities become more obvious and focused. It is recommended that the EDP be updated at least annually in conjunction with other planning activities designed to support student achievement. (MDE MMC  Guidelines v.12.07)

Forest Hills students begin planning for their EDP in seventh grade during classroom guidance.  Students are introduced to a web-based career and post-secondary exploration program called  Naviance. Students are issued an individual login so they may access the program from home as well as at school. Students complete state requirements for the EDP during eighth grade, including development of a four-year plan for courses they intend to take during high school. Counselors work with students each year to update the EDP to ensure course selections align with their educational pathway, employment, education, and training goals. During high school, students and parents will also utilize SchooLinks, a web-based program that helps track EDP information, high school grades, test scores, extra-curricular activities, applications to college, and other post-secondary training programs.

GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS

Twenty-two and one-half (22.5) credits, with specific departmental requirements, are needed to receive a diploma from Forest Hills Public Schools.

Aligned with the Michigan Merit Curriculum approved by the Michigan Legislature in 2014 (updated 2023), and designed so that students will have taken the appropriate courses in preparation for the Michigan Merit Exam.

ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS
MATHEMATICS
SCIENCE
SOCIAL STUDIES
PHYSICAL EDUCATION AND HEALTH
VISUAL, PERFORMING, AND APPLIED ARTS
WORLD LANGUAGE
PERSONAL FINANCE
ONLINE LEARNING EXPERIENCE
ELECTIVES

ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS REQUIREMENTS

(4 credits)

  • 1 credit in 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th grade
  • Proficiency in State Content Standards (ELA)

MATHEMATICS REQUIREMENTS

(4 credits)

  • 1 credit of Algebra 1
  • 1 credit of Geometry
  • 1 credit of Algebra 2 (Algebra 2 may be taken over a 2-year period for 2 credits or 1.5 years for 1.5 credits)

Algebra 2 can be substituted with a Career Technical Education (CTE) program or curriculum, such as electronics, machining, construction, welding, engineering, computer science, or renewable energy, and in that program or curriculum successfully completing the same content as the Algebra 2 benchmarks assessed on the Department-prescribed state high school assessment as determined by the Department.

  • 1 additional math or math-related credit or a course in financial literacy
  • Proficiency in State Content Standards (Math)

***1 math or math-related course must be taken in the student’s final year of high school.

SCIENCE REQUIREMENTS

(3 credits)

  • 1 credit of biology
  • 1 full credit of physical science (semester of chemistry(215) and semester of physics)
  • 1 credit of environmental science or Advanced Geology
    • Third credit may be fulfilled by completing an approved CTE program
  • Proficiency in State Content Standards (Science)

SOCIAL STUDIES REQUIREMENTS

(3 credits)

  • 1 credit of World History & Geography
  • 1 credit of United States History & Geography
  • ½ credit of Civics
  • ½ credit of Economics
  • Proficiency in State Content Standards (Social Studies)

PHYSICAL EDUCATION AND HEALTH REQUIREMENTS

(1 credit)

  • Proficiency in State Content Standards (PE & Health)

VISUAL, PERFORMING, AND APPLIED ARTS REQUIREMENTS

 (1 credit)

  • Proficiency in State Content Standards (VPAA)

WORLD LANGUAGE REQUIREMENTS

 (2 credits)

  • Credits are earned in grades K-12 (course content must be age-appropriate – not H.S. equivalent)

OR

  • An equivalent learning experience in grades K-12
  • Students may substitute 1 credit in CTE or Visual Performing, Applied Arts

PERSONAL FINANCE REQUIREMENTS

(0.5 credit)

Beginning with Class of 2028

  • Proficiency in State Content Standards (personal finance)
    • Effective with the Graduating Class of 2028
    • This 0.5 credit can replace 0.5 credit of 4th year of math (not Algebra, Geometry, or Algebra 2), OR 0.5 credit of World Language, OR 0.5 credit of VPAA.

ONLINE LEARNING EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS

An online course, learning experience, or experience is incorporated into one or more required courses.

ELECTIVE REQUIREMENTS

Students must earn enough elective credits to get to a total of at least 22.5 credits to graduate.Students must earn enough elective credits to get to a total of at least 22.5 credits to graduate.

Michigan Seal of Biliteracy

The Michigan Seal of Biliteracy has been created to recognize high school graduates who exhibit language proficiency in English and at least one additional world language. The Seal may be awarded to any student receiving a high school diploma, a high school certificate of completion, or a high school equivalency certificate and who has demonstrated Intermediate High proficiency on acceptable world language assessments and met the English Language Arts requirements for graduation or demonstrated proficiency on a validated test of proficiency for English Learners. The Seal has been created to encourage students to study world languages and embrace their native and heritage languages. The Seal will provide employers with a way to identify individuals with strong language and biliteracy skills. The Seal may serve as an additional tool for colleges and universities to recognize applicants’ language abilities for admission and placement.

CRITERIA REQUIREMENTS

  • Meet graduation requirements.
  • Demonstrate Intermediate High proficiency on world language assessments through one of the approved commercial assessments, which include AP and Avant STAMP.

Applications for less common languages for which a commercial assessment is not available will be reviewed by the FHPS Seal of Biliteracy Committee to determine the most accurate and appropriate method to measure proficiency.

NOTICE OF NONDISCRIMINATION POLICY

It is the policy of the Forest Hills School District that no person shall, on the basis of race, religion, age, color, national origin, sex, or handicap, be excluded from participation in, be the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity of the district, including employment.

Any questions, concerning title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972, including athletic issues, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex, or inquires related to Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of handicap should be directed to Tom Hosford, Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources.