Section 511IAC6-7-6.1. Required and elective credits

  1. (a) Beginning with students who enter high school in the 2000-2001 school year, a minimum of forty (40) credits is necessary for high school graduation. Twenty-four (24) of the credits shall be earned in the areas of study specified in subsection (b), and sixteen (16) of the credits shall be earned from courses in these and other areas of study listed in subsection (b) and 511 IAC 6.1-5.1.

  (b) The twenty-four (24) required credits consist of the following:

	(1) Language arts	8 credits
	(2) Social studies	4 credits
	(3) Mathematics	4 credits
	(4) Science	4 credits
	(5) Additional credits in the areas above or in technology competency	2 credits
	(6) Health and education	1 credit
	(7) Basic physical education, adapted as necessary	1 credit

  (c) Courses that may be counted toward the required credits prescribed in subsection (b) are subject to the following provisions:

(1) A minimum of six (6) credits of the language arts requirement shall be from the English language arts area of study and is to provide a balance of the following:

(A) Writing.

(B) Reading.

(C) Listening.

(D) Speaking.

(E) Grammar.

(F) Literature.

(G) Media studies.

Two (2) credits may be from business technology, family and consumer sciences, technology education, or vocational-technical courses having predominately language arts content. For students who successfully complete a Level III foreign language course, two (2) credits of the language arts requirement may be waived.

(2) The social studies requirement shall include the following:

(A) Two (2) credits in United States history.

(B) One (1) credit in United States government.

(C) One (1) credit in another social studies course or in global economics or consumer economics.

(3) For students who enter high school after June 30, 2004, mathematics credits must include two (2) credits in Algebra I or Integrated Mathematics I unless a student has completed Algebra I or Integrated Mathematics I prior to entering high school. A minimum of two (2) credits of the mathematics requirement shall be from the mathematics area of study. Two (2) credits may be from business technology, family and consumer sciences, technology education, or vocational-technical courses having predominately mathematics content.

(4) Subject to subdivisions (5) through (7), the health and education credit shall be from a course in the health and physical education area of study that has comprehensive health education content.

(5) The health education credit may be waived for a student if the student's program includes three (3) credits from the following family and consumer sciences courses:

(A) Child development and parenting.

(B) Human development and family wellness.

(C) Interpersonal relationships.

(D) Nutrition and wellness.

(E) Orientation to life and careers or adult roles and responsibilities.

(6) One (1) credit substitution of either a science, family and consumer sciences, or health and physical education credit may be used to fulfill the health education requirement for students qualifying under the religious objection provision of IC 20-30-5-9 (hygiene instruction).

(7) The four (4) credits of science shall include content from more than one (1) of the major science discipline categories, which are the following:

(A) Life science.

(B) Physical science.

(C) Earth and space science.

Two (2) credits may be from business technology, family and consumer sciences, technology education, or vocational-technical courses having predominately science content.

(8) The technology competency requirement may be fulfilled by completing courses from the following:

(A) Computer applications.

(B) Computer applications, advanced.

(C) Computer keyboarding/document formatting.

(D) Computer programming.

(E) Business technology lab I.

(F) Business technology lab II.

(G) Computerized accounting services.

(H) Computer operations or programming, or both.

(I) Introduction to computer applications.

(J) Computer graphics.

(K) Communications processes.

(L) Technology systems.

(M) Two (2) credits in business technology, family and consumer sciences, technology education, or vocational-technical courses having predominately technology content taught through a project-based approach.

(9) The technology competency requirement may be met by completing a student project that addresses individual, workplace, or community needs and demonstrates the ability to:

(A) evaluate, select, and apply appropriate technology tools and resources;

(B) use telecommunications tools and resources to meet needs for:

(i) collaboration;

(ii) research;

(iii) publication;

(iv) communications; and

(v) productivity;

(C) use technology tools for managing and exchanging information;

(D) use technology tools for information analysis, problem-solving, and decision making; and

(E) design, develop, publish, and disseminate information, models, or other creative products that include printed information and graphics, charts, tables, or other visual elements.

A student who meets the technology competency requirement by demonstrating these performances shall be given two (2) credits in computer applications.

(Indiana State Board of Education; 511 IAC 6-7-6.1; filed Mar 27, 2000, 9:07 a.m.: 23 IR 1999; filed Jun 30, 2004, 1:45 p.m.: 27 IR 3499; errata filed Jul 11, 2005, 10:00 a.m.: 28 IR 3306; filed Dec 21, 2010, 10:15 a.m.: 20110119-IR-511090383FRA)