Graduation Plans
Every public high school student in the state of Texas must follow one of the State Graduation Programs in order to receive a diploma. The graduation program your child chooses will determine the courses he or she must take and how many credits he or she will need to graduate. Austin ISD currently offers the following:
- Foundation High School Program (FHSP) — 22 credits
- Foundation High School Program (FHSP) + Endorsement — 26 credits
- Foundation High School Program (FHSP) + Endorsement + Distinguished Level of Achievement — 26 credits
The Foundation High School Program + Endorsement + Distinguished Level of Achievement is the prescribed graduation plan for all incoming 9th graders. As part of this plan, all incoming 9th graders must declare an endorsement.
| Course Category | Credits Needed | Courses Needed |
|---|---|---|
|
English Language Arts |
4 Credits |
|
| Mathematics | 3 Credits |
|
| Science | 3 Credits |
|
| Social Studies | 3 Credits |
|
| World Languages | 2 Credits |
|
| Physical Education | 1 Credit | |
| Fine Arts | 1 Credit | |
| Health | 0.5 Credits | |
| Electives | 4.5 Credits |
| Course Category | Credits Needed | Courses Needed |
|---|---|---|
|
English Language Arts |
4 Credits |
|
| Mathematics | 4 Credits |
|
| Science | 4 Credits |
|
| Social Studies | 3 Credits |
|
| World Languages | 2 Credits |
|
| Physical Education | 1 Credit | |
| Fine Arts | 1 Credit | |
| Health | 0.5 Credits | |
| Electives | 6.5 Credits |
| Course Category | Credits Needed | Courses Needed |
|---|---|---|
|
English Language Arts |
4 Credits |
|
| Mathematics | 3 Credits |
|
| Science | 3 Credits |
|
| Social Studies | 3 Credits |
|
| World Languages | 2 Credits |
|
| Physical Education | 1 Credit | |
| Fine Arts | 1 Credit | |
| Health | 0.5 Credits | |
| Electives | 6.5 Credits |
Endorsements
All Texas students are required to choose and Endorsement as part of their Graduation Plan. An Endorsement refers to a college and career pathway in either Multidisciplinary Studies, STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, & Mathematics), Business & Industry, Arts & Humanities, Public Service.
- Multidisciplinary Studies: The Multidisciplinary Studies endorsement allows for students to further study a foundation area or a wide range of curriculum sets.
- Science, Technology, Engineering, & Mathematics (STEM): The Science, Technology, Engineering, & Mathematics (STEM) endorsement is a curriculum path that allows a student to focus deeply on courses directly related to science, technology, engineering and advanced math.
- Business & Industry: The Business & Industry endorsement is a curriculum path that allows a student to focus deeply on courses directly related to the business field.
- Arts & Humanities: The Arts & Humanities endorsement is a curriculum path that allows for a student to focus deeply on courses directly related to fine arts, english literature, foreign languages and social studies.
- Public Service: The Public Services endorsement is a curriculum path that allows a student to focus deeply on courses directly related to the public services field, including the education field and government.
Please note that while all five endorsements may be offered at a campus, not all college and career pathways may be available. All students must take required English, mathematics, science and social studies courses in the year they enter high school, and they must continue those courses annually until all requirements are met.
Students may earn a Multidisciplinary Studies endorsement by completing the requirements specified in the Foundation High School Program (FHSP) plan, in addition to completing one of the following programs of study:
- Pathway A (4 x 4 Core)
- Pathway B (4 x 4 AP/DC)
Multidisciplinary Studies Pathway Requirements for Completion
- Pathway A (4 x 4 Core) — 4 credits in each core subject course, including English IV, Algebra II (Distinguished Level of Achievement Only), and Chemistry and/or Physics.
- Pathway B (4 x 4 AP/DC) — 4 credits in any Advanced Placement (AP) or Dual Credit courses selected in English, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, Economics, World Languages, Fine Arts
Students may earn a Science, Technology, Engineering, & Mathematics (STEM) endorsement by completing the requirements specified in the Foundation High School Program (FHSP) plan, in addition to completing one of the following programs of study:
- Engineering (CTE)
- Computer Programming (CTE)
- Computer Science (CTE)
- Mathematics
- Science
Science, Technology, Engineering, & Mathematics (STEM) Pathway Requirements for Completion
- Career & Technical Education (CTE) — 4+ credits in a coherent sequence with at least 3 courses in the same pathway and at least 1 advanced CTE course in a coherent sequence. The final course must come from the same pathway.
- Mathematics — 5 credits in Mathematics, including Algebra II and 2 additional Mathematics elective courses.
- Science — 5 credits in Science, including Chemistry, Physics, and 1 additional Science elective course.
Students may earn a Business & Industry endorsement by completing the requirements specified in the Foundation High School Program (FHSP) plan, in addition to completing one of the following programs of study:
- Agriculture, Food & Natural Resources (CTE)
- Architecture & Construction (CTE)
- Arts, Audio Video Technology & Communications (CTE)
- Business, Marking & Finance (CTE)
- Communications
- Hospitality & Tourism (CTE)
- Information Technology (CTE)
- Manufacturing (CTE)
- Technology Applications (CTE)
- Transportation, Distribution & Logistics (CTE)
Business & Industry Pathway Requirements for Completion
- Career & Technical Education (CTE) — 4+ credits in a coherent sequence with at least 3 courses in the same pathway and at least 1 advanced CTE course in a coherent sequence. The final course must come from the same pathway.
- Communications — 4 levels of 1 English Language Arts elective, including Journalism, Yearbook, Public Speaking, and Debate.
Students may earn a Arts & Humanities endorsement by completing the requirements specified in the Foundation High School Program (FHSP) plan, in addition to completing one of the following programs of study:
- Fine Arts
- Band
- Choir
- Dance
- Guitar
- Orchestra
- Piano
- Technical Theatre
- Theatre Arts
- Visual Art
- World Languages
- Spanish
- French
- Social Studies
Arts & Humanities Pathway Requirements for Completion
- Fine Arts — 4 levels of 1 Fine Arts elective or 2 levels each of 2 Fine Arts electives.
- ex. Art I, II, III, IV; or Dance I, II and Theatre Arts I, II
- World Languages — 4 levels of 1 World Language elective or 2 levels each of 2 World Language electives.
- ex. Spanish I, II, III, IV; or Spanish I, II and French I, II
- Social Studies — 5 credits in Social Studies, including World Geography, World History, US History, Economics, Government, and 1 additional Social Studies elective course.
Students may earn a Public Service endorsement by completing the requirements specified in the Foundation High School Program (FHSP) plan, in addition to completing one of the following programs of study:
- Education & Training
- Health Science
- Human Services
- Law & Public Service
Public Service Pathway Requirements for Completion
- Career & Technical Education (CTE) — 4+ credits in a coherent sequence with at least 3 courses in the same pathway and at least 1 advanced CTE course in a coherent sequence. The final course must come from the same pathway.