It shall be the policy of the Board of Education to acknowledge each student's successful completion of the graduation requirements of the State and County by the awarding of a diploma at fitting graduation ceremonies.

The Board shall award a regular high school diploma to every student enrolled in this County who has completed the standard graduation requirements. An eligible student with disabilities who has been determined by an IEP Team to be unable, even with extended learning opportunities and significant instructional modifications to meet State and County standard graduation requirements may receive a modified diploma. Students with disabilities receiving modified diplomas shall be allowed to participate in graduation ceremonies with their same grade classmates and continue with special education eligibility services.

An Institutional Education Program operated by the West Virginia Department of Education will transfer graduation credits to a County School for the awarding of the high school diploma. An eligible student with disabilities who meets the criteria for instruction based on modified standards may pursue either a standard or modified diploma. These decisions are specified on the student’s IEP. The Board is required to accept the transferred credit.

The school system shall offer the following high school credentials for qualifying graduating students.

All West Virginia High School students shall be scheduled in the defined high school curriculum, college courses, career and technical programs, credit recovery, Option Pathway, experiential learning, or virtual school courses for the full instructional day for all four (4) years.

The Board shall permit a student who masters the approved content standards for a credit bearing high school course that are embedded within a second course to receive credit for both courses.

A dual credit course must meet both the specified course content standards and objectives for secondary offering and the college course requirements. Dual credit courses may be delivered at the high school, on the college campus, another site not located at the high school or college campus, in a virtual environment, or through a combination of these delivery methods. (West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission Series 19, http://files.k12.wv.us/npr/oc001/mp0inhm4ovks4o/Series-19--4-27-10-%20-20-.pdf)

A course, where a student will earn dual credit, must provide for 180 days of instruction, provide for student assignments on dates when the college may not be in session, and how a missed day of class or instruction at the secondary level will be handled when the college is in session.

If dual credit is not earned, a student may earn high school credit through credit recovery.

The high school grading scale will be utilized to award grades for dual credit courses.

The tuition and cost of college text books and materials will be paid by the student.

If the college or university awards the grade, the scale may differ from West Virginia State Board of Education policy 2515 - Uniform Grading and expectations and scale detailed in the County Policy 5421 - Grading. The Board shall work with the college or university to conform the grade awarded to the provisions of West Virginia State Board of Education policy 2515 - Uniform Grading and the expectations and scale detailed in County Policy 5421 - Grading prior to the student enrolling in the course. Therefore the final grade would count toward the student's final grade point average and class rank.

Credit may be earned at an accredited postsecondary institution.

A student who transfers into a West Virginia school that has higher graduation requirements may not be able to complete these requirements. In such cases, the student's credits shall be evaluated to determine if one or more County and/or State requirements will be waived by the County or State Superintendent.

If a student has been enrolled continuously in grades 9-12, the student shall be expected to meet the graduation requirements that were in effect when s/he entered 9th grade unless amended by West Virginia State Board of Education policy.

If a student has enrolled after dropping out of school, the requirements that a student must meet depend upon the length of time s/he has been out of school. If the student has been out of school less than one (1) year, s/he would be expected to complete the graduation requirements that were in effect when s/he entered grade 9 for the first time. If the student has been out of school one year or more, s/he would be expected to complete the graduation requirements in effect upon re-enrollment.

Every high school may permit students below the ninth grade to take advance work for credit. This work shall count toward the graduation requirements if it was both:

Commencement exercises will include only those students who have successfully completed requirements for graduation as certified by the high school Principal. No student who has completed the requirements for graduation shall be denied a diploma as a disciplinary measure. A student may be denied participation in the ceremony of graduation when personal conduct so warrants.

The Option Pathway is a blend of the Career and Technical Education (CTE) Pathway and the High School Equivalency Assessment. This pathway provides an opportunity for the high school students behind their ninth grade cohorts a second opportunity to graduate on time rather than dropping out of school.

Students who fail high school courses shall be provided with an opportunity to recover credit for such failed courses. Researched-based successful credit recovery programs require students to successfully obtain mastery of content rather than repeat an entire course shall be made available to allow students to recover credit for failed high school courses.

The Superintendent shall establish whatever administrative guidelines are necessary to comply with State rules and regulations.

WV Code 18-2-39; 18-8-6
West Virginia State Board of Education policy 2510