Seven things you need to know about high school graduation requirements in Nevada

1. The total number of credits required to graduate from high school is at least 22.5. Each district has the option of adding to the credit requirements.

2. There are 15 units of core courses that everyone must take. (For students who started high school in or before1998 there are only 14 units of core courses required.) The core courses are: American Government —1, American History —1, Arts & Humanities —1, English —4, Health — _, Math —3 (2 if you started high school in or before 1998), PE —2, Computers* — _, Science —2. The remaining credits needed to graduate from high school are considered elective credits and are not specifically identified by content area. [* If a student passed a course of study in computers in 6th, 7th, or 8th grade, they don’t have to take a course in computers in high school.]

3. In addition to passing the core courses to get the credits you need, every student must pass the Nevada High School Proficiency Exam (HSPE) in reading, math, and writing in order to receive a standard diploma. Examples of the HSPE Reading and Math tests and previously used writing prompts are available on the Nevada Department of Education (NDE) web site: www.nde.state.nv.us

4. Students who started 9th grade in or before 1998, need to achieve passing scores for the HSPE in Reading, Mathematics, and Writing. The content of these tests is based on the courses of study approved by the State Board of Education in 1994. The passing scores for the HSPE are approved by the State Board and are currently set at: 71 for Reading, 64 for Mathematics, and 7 for Writing.

5. Students who started 9th grade in or after 1999, need to achieve passing scores for the HSPE in Reading, Mathematics, Writing, and Science. The content of these tests will be based on the Nevada State Content and Performance Standards, approved by the State Board of Education in August, 1998. The passing scores for the new, standards based HSPE will be set in the fall of 2001. All of the content and performance standards are available on the NDE web site.

6. If a student achieves a passing score on any portion of the HSPE they don’t have to retake that portion. However, if a student doesn’t receive a passing score the first time, they may retake the test again until they receive a passing score. Currently, students have multiple opportunities to take the different portions of the test. For example, a student who took the HSPE reading and math tests for the first time in October of 1999 would be able to take them again in February, April, June/July, and October of 2000, and February, April, and June/July of 2001.

7. Students who started 9th grade in or after 1999, will need 5 units of credit to be promoted to grade 10, they will need to have 11 units of credit to be promoted to 11th grade, and 17 units of credit to be promoted to grade 12.

GRADUATING FROM HIGH SCHOOL IN NEVADA

+ School Districts are permitted to raise course hour requirements for graduation.

** New minimum passing scores will be established by the State School Board in October 2001 when the content basis of the HSPE shifts to the 1998 State Content Standards.