Graduation Requirements
High School Diploma Requirements
At ASW, high school begins in grade 9 and finishes in grade 12. Over the course of these 4 years, students must pass and earn a “credit” for a required number of courses in specific subjects. Students must not turn 21 years of age before graduation.
Credits: Academic credit is awarded for each course passed for a full year. A full-time course is worth 1.0 credit points toward graduation. To be awarded a credit a student must:
- satisfactorily complete all assigned academic work with a passing overall grade of 3 or higher;
- maintain satisfactory attendance (please see Attendance Policy in our Student Handbook)
- submit all assigned summative work.
ASW High School Academic Diploma
The vast majority of ASW students will graduate with the ASW High School Academic Diploma. In order to do so, students must earn a minimum of 23 credits in specified subject areas and complete the CAS requirement as described below. Accommodations for identified student needs are supported within this program. The ASW Academic Diploma prepares students for university/college programs around the world.
Requirements for ASW High School Academic Diploma | |
---|---|
English | 4 credits |
Social Studies | 3 credits |
Science | 3 credits |
Mathematics | 3 credits |
Language Acquisition (2 from the same language)1 | 3 credits |
PE & Health1 | 2 credits |
Visual & Performing Arts1 | 1 credits |
Design1 | 1 credits |
Electives2 | 3 credits |
Total Credits (minimum, most graduates exceed this number as they are working toward university placement following high school) | 23 credits |
CREATIVITY, ACTIVITY, SERVICE (CAS): All ASW HS students are required to complete activities which meet the goals of CAS over the course of two years. Upon completion, students will showcase their experiences by presenting to the community. ( see full explanation below ). | |
1 Denotes courses in which waivers may be granted depending on student’s enrollment date and prior educational experiences. 2 Credits from any course area may be used as elective credit after other requirements are met. |
Stipulations:
- Each year, students must be enrolled full time at ASW (full time = in grades 9 & 10 students must have a minimum of 7 credit-bearing courses; in grades 11 & 12 students must have a minimum of 6 credit-bearing courses).
- A maximum of 18 credits may be transferred from other accredited institutions at the time of enrolment.
- Credits are earned by achieving 3 or higher in final grades of courses while adhering to the attendance policy
- Learning Support is credit-bearing, but cannot count toward the required 23 credits.
IB Diploma Programme
Students have the option to earn additional qualifications alongside their ASW High School Academic Diploma or ASW High School General Diploma (described below) from the International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO) as described below.
IB Diploma Programme Courses
Students that choose to complete selected independent IB Diploma Programme course requirements including an external exam can earn individual scores awarded by the IBO. All IB DP courses are 2 years in length and are completed during grade 11 and 12. Universities may award university credit for earning official IB scores in individual courses (specified by each university).
IB Diploma
The IB Diploma is an additional diploma that can be earned while attending ASW. This additional diploma may serve as qualification for direct entry prerequisites to specific programs in some universities, count toward completion of the first year of university, and/or the universities may award individual course credits.
- Complete 6 IB DP courses (from specific subject disciplines) as well as IB Core components (TOK, Extended Essay, CAS).
- 3 courses must be taken at the “Higher Level”
- Candidates must earn a minimum of 24 points out of 45 (externally moderated/assessed by the IB)
- Candidates may not have a grade less than 2 in any course
- Candidates may not have more than two courses graded at 2 (SL or HL).
- Candidates may not have more than three courses graded at 3 or below (SL or HL)
- Candidates must earn at least 12 points on higher level (HL) subjects
- Candidates must earn at least 9 points on standard level (SL) subjects
- The candidates may not receive a penalty for academic misconduct.
ASW General Diploma
This ASW General Diploma provides opportunity and flexibility for students with identified learning needs to earn a valid graduation diploma. Students on this track are in Learning Support, need accommodations as well as program or curricular modification and/or the support of an instructional aide to access the curriculum. In order to graduate with the ASW High School General Diploma, students must earn a minimum of 23 credits as detailed below and complete the CAS requirement. Students still have the option to complete some IB DP Courses.
This diploma prepares students for some college and university programs around the world as well as vocational programs. HS Counselors work with individual students and families to explore and work toward these options.
Requirements for ASW High School General Diploma | |
---|---|
English | 4 credits |
Social Studies | 2 credits |
Science | 2 credits |
Mathematics | 2 credits |
PE & Health1 | 2 credits |
Visual & Performing Arts1 | 1 credits |
Design1 | 1 credits |
Electives2 | 9 credits |
Total Credits (minimum) | 23 credits |
CREATIVITY, ACTIVITY, SERVICE (CAS): All ASW HS students are required to complete activities which meet the goals of CAS over the course of two years. Upon completion, students will showcase their experiences by presenting to the community. ( see full explanation below ). | |
1 Denotes courses in which waivers may be granted depending on the student's enrollment date and prior educational experiences. |
Stipulations:
- Students must attend full time, however, the courses do not have to be credit-bearing
- Students do not have to complete the foreign language requirement
- Fewer minimum credits are required in math, science, and social studies
- More flexibility in selection and application of elective credits
- Maximum 4 credits may come from Learning Support, Study Skills, or EAP courses (in electives category)
- Modifications made to courses (curriculum, assessment criteria, program requirements) will be indicated on the report card and transcript.
CAS Requirements
CREATIVITY, ACTIVITY, SERVICE (CAS):
In order to graduate with an ASW diploma, all students are required to complete a CAS program during grade 11 and grade 12. As specified below, students engaged in the full DP will meet all of the requirements as outlined by the IBO, while students not engaged in the full DP will meet most of the requirements. All students are expected to maintain and complete a CAS portfolio as evidence of their engagement with CAS. The CAS portfolio is a collection of evidence that showcases CAS experiences, the CAS project,and student reflections. All students at ASW will present their portfolios at the end of grade 12.
REQUIREMENTS FOR STUDENTS NOT ENGAGED IN THE FULL DP:
- Students must participate in, document, and present on experiences, learning and growth from each of the strands of CAS characterized as follows:
- Creativity – arts, and other experiences that involve creative thinking
- Activity – physical exertion contributing to a healthy lifestyle, complementing academic work elsewhere in their coursework
- Service – an unpaid and voluntary exchange that has a learning benefit for the student; the rights, dignity and autonomy of all those involved are respected
- Students must demonstrate the following 5 learning outcomes:
Learning Outcome |
Descriptor |
---|---|
Identify own strengths and develop areas for growth. | Students are able to see themselves as individuals with various abilities and stills, of which some are more developed than others. |
Demonstrate that challenges have been undertaken, developing new skills in the process. | A new challenge may be an unfamiliar experience or an extension of an existing one. The newly acquired or developed skills may be shown through new experiences or through increased expertise in an established area. |
Show commitment to, and perseverance in, CAS experiences. | Students demonstrate regular involvement and active engagement in CAS. |
Demonstrate the skills and recognize the benefits of working collaboratively. | Students are able to identify, demonstrate and critically discuss the benefits and collaboration gained through CAS experiences. |
Recognize and consider the ethics of choices and actions. | Students show awareness of the consequences of choices and actions in planning and carrying out the CAS experiences. |
REQUIREMENTS FOR FULL IB DIPLOMA STUDENTS (AS REQUIRED BY THE IBO):
- Students must participate in, document, and present on experiences, learning and growth from each of the strands of CAS characterized as follows:
- Creativity – arts, and other experiences that involve creative thinking
- Activity – physical exertion contributing to a healthy lifestyle, complementing academic work elsewhere in their DP coursework
- Service – an unpaid and voluntary exchange that has a learning benefit for the student; the rights, dignity and autonomy of all those involved are respected
- Students must develop a CAS Project, which is a collaborative series of sequential CAS experiences lasting at least one month. Students must be involved in at least one CAS Project during the programme.
- The Project challenges students to
- show initiative
- demonstrate perseverance
- develop skills such as collaboration, problem solving and decision making. On completion students will showcase their experiences by presenting their projects and experiences, which was documented on an individualized website to a panel of faculty members.
- The Project challenges students to
- Students must demonstrate the following 7 learning outcomes:
Learning Outcome |
Descriptor |
---|---|
Identify own strengths and develop areas for growth. | Students are able to see themselves as individuals with various abilities and stills, of which some are more developed than others. |
Demonstrate that challenges have been undertaken, developing new skills in the process. | A new challenge may be an unfamiliar experience or an extension of an existing one. The newly acquired or developed skills may be shown through new experiences or through increased expertise in an established area. |
Show commitment to, and perseverance in, CAS experiences. | Students demonstrate regular involvement and active engagement in CAS. |
Demonstrate the skills and recognize the benefits of working collaboratively. | Students are able to identify, demonstrate and critically discuss the benefits and collaboration gained through CAS experiences. |
Recognize and consider the ethics of choices and actions. | Students show awareness of the consequences of choices and actions in planning and carrying out the CAS experiences. |
Demonstrate how to initiate and plan a CAS experience. | Students can articulate the stages from conceiving an idea to executing a plan for individual or collaborative CAS experiences. Students may show their knowledge and awareness by building on previous experience or launching a new idea or process. |
Demonstrate engagement with issues of global significance. | Students are able to identify and demonstrate their understanding of global issues, make responsible decisions and take appropriate action in response to the issue either locally, nationally or internationally. |