Graduation Planning

To graduate, a student must complete the courses required by the state in addition to those required by the district. Tyler Independent School District requires completion of one credit in addition to the number mandated by the state to graduate.

District required electives include health, senior seminar, speech, and world geography.

How Many Credits Do I Need to Graduate?

4 English

4 Math

(including Algebra II)

4 Science

4 Social Studies

2 Foreign Language

1 Fine Art

1 PE/Athletics

5 Elective

1 Senior Seminar

0.5 Health

0.5 Speech

=

27 Total Credits

Required to Graduate

Your Choices

1)

State Graduation Plans

Students in Tyler ISD are required to plan their high school studies to meet the expectations of the Foundations with Endorsement Plan.

The program provides the comprehensive background of coursework required by institutions of higher education and major employers in the business world.

However, students are strongly encouraged to contact colleges or universities of their choice regarding specific entrance requirements.

2)

Early Graduation

A student who completes graduation requirements in fewer than four years shall be ranked in the class with which he or she graduates.

To be eligible to graduate early, a student must complete all course work and exit-level testing required of the ninth grade class in which he or she begins high school. This means the student must earn a diploma under the Foundations Plan with at least one (1) Endorsement.

3 Things You Must Know

College Readiness

Many colleges and universities require the Foundations with Endorsements graduation plan for admission.

In addition, students ranked in the top 10 percent of their graduating class from an accredited Texas public high school are eligible for automatic admission to most Texas public universities if they have completed the Distinguished Level of Achievement Program (DLA).

Recognition

The Distinguished Achievement Program seal will be affixed to the Academic Achievement Record (AAR), or transcript.

Test Results

Research suggests that students who take additional English, math, social studies, and science courses make higher scores on the SAT® or ACT® college entrance exams.

student walking on turf at graduation

Class Rank and Standing

Class rank includes most core area courses and courses in Languages Other Than English, as outlined in the High School Grading Handbook [Policy EIC (LOCAL)].

If a student transfers into Tyler ISD with letter grades, these grades will be converted and recorded on the academic achievement record.

For further information, please see Tyler ISD local policy code.

Class Rank

Rank in class is determined by a cumulative weighted numerical average of semester grades for the designated core area courses and courses in Languages Other Than English mentioned in the previous paragraph.

This cumulative weighted average is for local ranking purposes only and is weighted as follows:

  • On-level Courses - - Numerical average

  • Advanced Courses – Numerical average plus 5 points

  • Pre-AP Courses - - Numerical average plus 5 points

  • AP Courses - - Numerical average plus 10 points

  • Dual Credit Courses - - Numerical average plus 10 points

Courses with a modified curriculum do not count toward class rank.

Advanced, Pre-AP, AP, and Dual Credit weighted points are not reflected on a student’s report card or transcript. The weighted points are used for local ranking purposes only.

Valedictorian and Salutatorian

The graduate with the highest cumulative weighted GPA shall be designated as the Valedictorian.

The graduate with the second highest cumulative weighted GPA shall be designated as the Salutatorian.

To be eligible for Valedictorian or Salutatorian honors, a student must have been initially and continuously enrolled in the assigned school for the four regular semesters (fall and spring) preceding graduation and must have completed the Distinguished Achievement Program for Graduation.

Other Options for Acquiring Credit

In addition to the campus course offerings during the regular school year, students in Tyler ISD have the options of summer school, credit-by-examination, and correspondence courses for acquiring credit toward graduation requirements.

(Note: only two credits may be acquired through correspondence courses) For additional information, please refer to the Tyler ISD Secondary Grading Handbook