(a) Each school shall implement a uniform grading system which assesses a student's mastery of the prescribed objectives of the courses of study undertaken. The mastery of prescribed course objectives shall be the primary measure of academic attainment for reporting student grades on report cards.
(b) The information derived from student instructional evaluations shall be shared with the student and with the parents and shall be used to give teachers and students direction for subsequent learning activities.
(c) Parent/teacher and parent/teacher/student conferences focused on the student's instructional progress and development shall be held, where feasible and practical, to provide an additional means of communication between home and school. Residential schools may meet this standard by documenting the communication of student grades on report cards to parents.
(d) Each school shall issue a report card to parents of students who are under the age of eighteen (18) and to students eighteen (18) years of age and older on a regular basis, but not less than four (4) times yearly. The report card shall include, but not be limited to, the following sections:
(1) Recommendations and probable promotion status;
(2) Appropriate signatures and request for return of report cards; and
(3) Student attendance record.
(e) A summary of each year's final card shall become part of the student's permanent school record.
Each school shall establish and implement a promotion policy which shall be submitted to and approved by the local school board and Agency Superintendent for Education or Area Education Programs Administrator, as appropriate. The requirements shall include, but not be limited to, the following:
(a) Each grade level or equivalent shall have a minimum criteria for student promotion based primarily on measurable mastery of the instructional objectives.
(b) Criterion-referenced tests that evaluate student skills shall be utilized for measuring the mastery of instructional objectives. The evaluation results shall form the basis for the promotion of each student.
(c) A student who has not participated, either directly or through approved alternative instructional methods or programs, in a minimum of 160 instructional days per academic term or 80 instructional days per semester without a written excused absence shall not be promoted. A school board or a school committee may review a promotion decision and, if warranted due to compelling and/or extenuating circumstances, rescind in writing such action on a case-by-case basis. Alternative instructional methods shall be submitted in writing for approval by the Agency Superintendent for Education or Area Education Programs Administrator, as appropriate.
Graduation requirements contained under this section shall be applied beginning with the graduating class of the 1987-88 school year.
(a) Satisfactory completion of a minimum number of units shall be the measure for the issuance of a high school diploma.
(b) To graduate, a student shall earn 20 units in a four year high school program unless the state in which the school is located exceeds these requirements, in which case the state's requirements shall apply; fifteen (15) units shall be required as follows:
(1) Language arts—four (4) units.
(2) Mathematics—three (3) units.
(3) Social studies—three (3) units.
(i) One (1) unit in United States history;
(ii) One-half (
1/2) unit in civics/government;
(iii) One-half (
1/2) unit in tribal history/government;
(iv) One-half (
1/2) unit in Indian studies; and
(v) One-half (
1/2) unit in any other social studies;
(4) Science—two (2) units.
(i) One (1) unit in the general science area.
(ii) One (1) unit in laboratory science areas, i.e., chemistry, physics, biology, zoology, laboratory anatomy.
(5) Physical education—one (1) unit.
(6) Practical arts—one (1) unit. Credit in any vocational course may also be used to satisfy this required unit.
(7) Fine arts—one (1) unit. Music, art, dance, drama, theatre, and other fine arts courses may be used to satisfy this required unit. These are minimum requirements; local schools may establish academic or vocational requirements beyond those prescribed by these standards.
(c) A school with an average enrollment of fewer than 75 students may offer subjects in alternate years. If schools use this pattern, alternating pairs of subjects shall be listed and approved by the Agency Superintendent for Education or Area Education Programs Administrator, as appropriate.
(d) Credits earned through approved correspondence or extension study may be accepted if such credits are from schools approved or accredited by the state in which they are located or by a college or university which is regionally accredited for such purposes.
(e) Students who successfully complete the requirements of the High School Proficiency Examination in the State in which the school is located shall receive an endorsement so stating on their diplomas.