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A Message From the Principal…

Welcome to Mohonasen High School. Each year we update our Course of Study Guide with the latest course offerings, descriptions of programs and graduation requirements. It is my hope that you use this valuable resource in order to plan for an outstanding and engaging educational experience for the upcoming school year. With the beginning of each school year comes the opportunity for a new start. I encourage each of you to take advantage of the countless academic programs awaiting you at Mohonasen High School, and seek out the resources available through the Counseling and Career Center in order to make the most informed course selections possible. In order to keep this publication as succinct as possible many school policies are not mentioned. If you have questions on academic information not provided here please consult the Mohonasen High School Parent-Student Survival Guide (PDF document).

Attendance Requirement

Students may be denied course credit if they miss more than 15 percent of class time due to unexcused absences, tardiness or early dismissals. Attendance is taken on a class–by–class basis, not just at the beginning of the day. Students must bring in a written excuse within three days of their return to school. The maximum number of unexcused absences are:

  • Full credit courses that meet every day—25

  • Full credit courses that meet every other day—13

  • Half credit courses that meet every other day—6

  • Half credit courses that meet every day—12

Graduation Requirements

Requirements for graduation can be divided into two categories, credits and exams. Students are required to earn 22.5 credits, including a mandatory core curriculum of 18.5 credits, in order to graduate. Students also are required to pass a minimum of five New York State Regents Exams. There are additional courses and exam requirements for an Advanced Regents Diploma.

Courses and Credits Required

Subject Local/Regents Advanced Regents
English 4 4
Social Studies 4 4
Math 3 3
Science 3 3
Health .5 .5
Art/Music 1 1
Foreign Language 1 3*
Physical Education 2 2
Electives varies varies
Total (minimum) 22.5 22.5
*To earn an Advanced Regents Diploma, students must complete one of the following:
- 3 Units of credit in foreign language
- 5 Unit sequence in art, music, business, technology, family and consumer sciences or CTE (Vo-Tec)

Exams Required

Test Local/Regents Advanced Regents
RE English 65 65
RE Global 65 65
RE US History 65 65
RE Science 65 65
2nd RE Science None 65
RE Math 65 65
2nd RE Math None 65
Foreign Language None 65*
*This exam only pertains to students pursuing a sequence in Foreign Language
Students will receive an honors diploma if they attain a 90 average on their Regents exams.

Course Selection

At the high school there is an entire week dedicated to students selecting their courses for the following year. This is called Course Registration.

Course Registration

The process occurs in January for 9th, 10th and 11th grade students. During the first two days, as students move through their day, teachers will set aside a portion of the block to discuss course options and made recommendations. This will occur in both core academic areas and elective areas. All teachers are available for additional questions during period 10 of that week.

Students are encouraged to bring their course selection sheets home during Day 2 for parental input. During the next several days, students will meet with counselors in large group settings to go over selections, check credits, answer questions and collect sheets.

In addition to Course Registration, counselors also meet individually with all 9th, 10th and 11th graders throughout the year.

Eighth Graders

Eighth graders meet with high school counselors in small groups in February. Here students learn more about the high school and what options they have in terms of high school classes. Typically students are placed into their core courses based on grade 8 assessments and teacher recommendations. They are then able to choose how they would like to meet their art/music requirement and whether they will continue in foreign language.

Credits Required for Advancement

Students need to meet specific academic requirements to advance to each grade level. They are as follows:

Sophomore
A student must earn a minimum of 4 credits. One of these credits must be in English or global studies.

Junior
Students must have a minimum of eight and one half credits. These must include at least two credits in English or social studies, and at least one in the other; and at least one credit in each math and science.

Senior
Students must be able to be scheduled to graduate. Students also must have two units of credit in math as they are not allowed to take two math courses simultaneously.

Course Load Requirement

In addition to the total number of credits needed to graduate, there is a requirement that all students carry at least 6.5 credits per year. This insures that students continue to challenge themselves throughout high school and are able to experience a variety of different courses. Juniors and seniors are able to count cooperative work experience as one of these credits. Students requiring Academic Intervention Services are sometimes allowed to take fewer credits.

Course Levels

Mohonasen High School offers three levels of academic study in the core curriculum. The level at which a student studies is determined by previous
academic achievement, student interest, application, and teacher recommendations, and student application.

Honors/Advanced Placement (AP)
Honors and/or AP courses are offered in English, social studies, math, and science. Acceptance into these courses will be based on student interest, academic achievement, Regents Exam scores, and teacher recommendation.

Regents Prep
This course of study provides students with an averaged paced program and moderate supports. Most students complete their math and science requirements in three years, but are encouraged to take more. A majority of the students in the school take these courses. Students in Regents Prep may earn Advanced Regents, Regents, or Local Diplomas.

Academic Intervention Services (AIS)
AIS also is Regents Prep. However, it includes stretch courses in science and math, as well as support labs in English, social studies, and math. Students are provided with additional support and instruction in the appropriate course area. Students are placed in these courses through scores on both 8th grade assessments and Regents Exams, as well as through teacher recommendations. Students in AIS courses are able to earn Advanced Regents, Regents, and Local Diplomas.

College Credit

There are multiple ways to earn college credit during high school. These include:

College in the High School (CHS)
CHS credits are earned by meeting minimum grade requirements in the course. Students receive an official transcript from the college, but do not need to attend the school to get the credit. However, students should always check with their prospective colleges to be sure that credits transfer. Our CHS courses take place through Schenectady County Community College (SCCC). These courses are FREE to Mohonasen students.

Courses available for CHS credit are:

  • English 123: College Composition, English 124: Introduction to Literature, Philosophy SCCC

  • Business Computer Applications, Business Law, Marketing

  • French 4, French 5, Spanish 4, Spanish 5

  • Early Childhood Education

Advanced Placement
Advanced Placement Exams are taken in May of the year students take the course. They are graded on a scale of 1–5 and most colleges require a minimum
of a 3 on the exam to award credit. The exams cost approximately $80. AP Exams are offered in connection with the following courses:

  • AP Biology

  • AP Calculus

  • AP English

  • Spanish 5

  • AP US History

  • AP World History

  • AP Physics

  • AP Statistics

Dropping a Course

It is important that students choose courses carefully since dropping courses after school begins is very difficult. It requires permission from both the parent and the school and often causes scheduling problems. Dropping a course required for graduation is never permitted. However, in extreme cases it may be necessary to drop a course. If this is the case, it is the student’s responsibility to get an add/drop form from the teacher and procure signatures from the teacher, counselor, academic administrator, parent, and principal. Students are allowed to drop a course up to 12 weeks into a full-year course and up to seven weeks into a semester course. However, this is only if they can still maintain 6.5 credits. There will be no indication on their transcript if all guidelines are followed.

Adding a Course

Students are only able to add a course during the first 12 days of the semester/school year. This timeframe encompasses two rotations of A-F days. It has been shown that students adding a course after this time are unable to make up the work that has been missed.

Requests and Non–Requests for Teachers

A student or parent may relay a preference for a particular teacher, but this in no way guarantees that the match will work when student schedules are created. There are simply too many variables when it comes to scheduling students, courses, and teachers to be able to promise a particular teacher. Students and parents may put in a non–request for a particular teacher if the student and/or sibling has had the teacher before. However, there is no guarantee that a non–request can always be honored, for the same reasons outlined above.

Early Graduation

Students wishing to complete their graduation requirements either one year or one semester early need to see their counselor. They also will need to receive the permission of the principal.

Honor Societies

Mohonasen High School sponsors several honor societies. They are National Honor Society, French Honor Society, Science Honor Society, Spanish Honor Society, Math Honor Society, Tri-M Music Honor Society, and National Business Honor Society. Eligibility is based on grade level and very specific academic and extra-curricular criteria. Please consult the Mohonasen High School Parent-Student Survival Guide (PDF document) for specific information.

Honor Rolls

Honor rolls are calculated at the end of each marking period. All grades, except PE, are counted toward the grade point average. Students with failing or
incomplete grades are not eligible for honor roll regardless of their average.

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This page is maintained by Erin McNulty, Webmaster, according to Mohonasen Central School District Web publishing regulations. This Web site was produced by the Capital Region BOCES Communications Service, Albany, NY. The district is not responsible for facts or opinions contained on any linked site. Copyright © 2008. All rights reserved.