EAST BOSTON HIGH SCHOOL COURSE OF STUDY MASS CORE GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS Students must fulfill the following Mass Core College & Career Readiness requirements: --- 4 ELA/ESL Courses 4 Math Courses: 1 Advanced Algebra 3 Math Courses 3 Science courses total: Physics, Biology and Chemistry 1 Science Course Elective 3 History courses: U.S. History 1 U.S. History 2 World History 2 World/Native Language Courses in the Same Language 2 Physical Education/Health courses 1 Art Course 1 Computer Course 2 Career Technical Education courses 3 Mass Core elective courses PASS ELA, MATH and SCIENCE MCAS
GPA, AP, DUAL ENROLLMENT AND HONORS EXPLANATION GPA (GRADE POINT AVERAGE) In high school, you are given letter grades on your report card, which are then converted into number grades. These number grades are averaged to calculate your GPA. The GPA is important because it represents the kind of student you have been in high school. It is based on a 4.0 scale. To calculate your GPA, you can convert the letter grade into the following numerical values: an A = 4 points, a B = 3 points, a C = 2 points, a D = 1 point, and an F = 0 points. The numbers are then averaged. The more A s you get, the higher the GPA. What is an Honors course? An honors course is a class with more demanding college-prep coursework. Honors classes can cover advanced material and allow for more in-depth study than a standard course. Students must have 90% attendance rate, must receive a teacher recommendation in order to enroll and they must have a B or better in the content of the honors course they want to take. What is an AP course? An AP course stands for Advanced Placement. It is a course created by the College Board, which offers college-level content and exams to high school students. Most colleges and universities grant placement and course credit to students who get high scores on the AP exams. What is Dual Enrollment? The term dual enrollment is used in reference to high school students taking college courses on the college campus while they are still in high school. The term early college is a common synonym for dual enrollment. Do Honors, AP and Dual Enrollment courses count as more points in your GPA? Because Advanced Placement, dual enrollment, and honors-level courses are more demanding, the grades in these courses are given extra weight: Advanced Placement & Dual Enrollment you take the Grade * Credit * Weight of 1.5 to the earned GPA for that class (for example, a B in AP Biology would count as a 4.5 (3.0 * 1.5 = 4.5) Honors You take the Grade * Credit * Weight of 1.3 to the earned GPA for that class (for example, a B in honors ELA 10 would count as a 3.9 (3 * 1.3= 3.9)
ADVANCED PLACEMENT COURSES AND THEIR PRE-REQUISITES How can a student enroll in an AP? A student must have a 90% attendance rate, a B- or better in the content of the AP course they wish to take and they must receive a teacher recommendation. Students must also pass the required pre-requisite courses for each AP course they wish to take. When can a student enroll in an AP course? A student may begin taking AP courses their junior year of high school. What is the maximum number of AP courses a student can take in one year? Students may take a maximum of 3 AP courses in one year. Are there any pre-requisite classes? Yes, please see below. AP Calculus AB or AP Calculus BC Students must pass MCAS as well as Alg 1, Geometry, Adv Alg, and Pre-Calculus AP Statistics Students must pass MCAS as well as Alg I, Geometry and Adv Alg. AP Language and Composition Students must pass MCAS, ELA 9, and ELA 10. AP Literature Students must pass MCAS, ELA 9/ESL, ELA 10/ESL, and AP Lang & Composition AP Histories (AP Government, AP US History and AP Human Geography) Students must pass MCAS as well as US History 1 and US History 2. AP Sciences (AP Biology, AP Chemistry, AP Environmental, and AP Physics) Students must pass MCAS as well as Physics, Biology and Chemistry. Student may take AP Physics, AP Biology or AP Environmental their junior year, but must take Chemistry concurrently if they have not taken it yet. AP Spanish Literature Students must pass MCAS and Spanish 1 & 2 or Spanish for Native Speakers 1 AP Italian Student must pass MCAS and Italian 1 & 2 AP Computer Science Students must pass MCAS and Computer Science Honors AP Art Students must pass MCAS and Foundations of Art and Art Portfolio
MASS CORE COLLEGE & CAREER READINESS ELECTIVES MASS CORE Electives At most high schools, students get to take electives. These are classes outside the required curriculum that you get to choose. You may find elective classes in subjects such as art, dance, psychology, computer programming and filmmaking. Taking elective classes can give you a chance to explore your interests and have fun studying something you enjoy. The courses also count towards your MASS Core Elective requirement for graduation. Tips for Choosing Electives Follow Your Passions Follow your passions when choosing electives. Taking a class in an area you enjoy or want to learn more about can be fun and interesting. Try Something New Taking a class that will introduce you to a completely new subject is a great way to challenge yourself and stay motivated. You may discover a new talent or interest. MASS CORE COLLEGE AND CAREER READINESS ELECTIVES Accuplacer Prep (158) Advanced Topics in Science (55A) African American History (257) Bio-technology College Level Dual Enrollment (A82) Computer Science Honors (C61) Creative Writing (15U) Dance (887) Debate (25D) Fitness & Conditioning (088) Forensic Science (55H) Game Design with JAVA (C5E) Introduction to Technology (629) JROTC (LET 1 ) (619) JROTC (LET 2) (620) JROTC (LET 3) (621) JROTC (LET 4) (622) Latin American History (259) Law and Justice (25C) Theatre Arts (AAB) Visual Arts Portfolio (861) Weight Lifting (084) Yoga (082) WORLD LANGUAGE COURSES WORLD LANGUAGES: AP Spanish (374) AP Italian (378) Spanish for Native Speakers 1&2 (356 & 357) Spanish 1&2 (351 & 352) Italian 1&2 (3AA & 3AB) Latin 1&2 (35K & 35M)
CAREER TECHNICAL EDUCATION COURSES When MUST a student start taking Career Technical Education Courses (CTE)? CTE courses start junior year and will finish senior year. What CTE pathways are offered at East Boston High School? Please see below. CTE Pathways Pathway 1: Radio & TV Broadcasting Radio & TV Broadcasting I Radio & TV Broadcasting II Pathway 2: Hospitality Management Hospitality Management I Hospitality Management II Pathway 3: Design & Visual Communications Design & Visual Communications I Design & Visual Communications II Pathway 4: Future Educators /Boston University Pathway Teach Boston I Teach Boston II Pathway 5: Criminal Justice Criminal Justice I Criminal Justice II Pathway 6: JROTC JROTC Management 1 (646) JROTC Management 2 (647) Pathway 7 STEM Option 1 - * Pre-requisites for STEM AP Pathway: Students must pass MCAS, Alg 1, and Physics. Student must take Honors Biology, Honors Chemistry and Honors Geometry in the 10 th grade. Students will start taking AP classes in 11 th grade. They must take a minimum of 3 AP STEM classes. They must be in either science, technology, engineering or mathematics. Students can take more than 3 STEM AP classes if they fit into their schedule with the other graduation requirements. Pathway 8 - STEM Option 2 * Pre-requisites for Bio-technology Pathway Students must pass MCAS, Alg 1, Geometry, Physics, and Biology. Starting in 11 th grade, students will take: Bio-technology 1 (students must take Chemistry concurrently) Bio-technology 2