English: 4 credits                       Science: 3 credits*                  
 Health: ½ credit                          Social Studies: 3 credits**
 Physical Education: ½ credit    Electives: 7 credits***
 Math: 3 credits            

*Science credits must include 1 credit of biological sciences and 1 credit of physical sciences.
**Although the state requires the social studies credits to include ½ credit of American History and ½ credit of American Government, our local policy requires 1 full credit of each.
***Electives must include 1 credit or 2 half credits in Business/Technology, Fine Arts, or Foreign Language.

Minimum Requirements: (For the graduating classes of 2014 and beyond)

English: 4 credits                          Science: 3 credits***                
Health: ½ credit                             Social Studies: 3 credits****
Physical Education: ½ credit**    Electives: 6 credits*****
Math: 4 credits*                          
Other Requirements (will be covered during a particular class):
-Economics and Financial Literacy
-Fine Arts

*Math credits must include one credit of Algebra II or the equivalent of Algebra II.
**The Ohio Core allows school districts to adopt a policy (which New Bremen School District has) that exempts students who participate in interscholastic athletics, band or cheerleading for two full seasons from the physical education requirements. Students must take another course of at least 60 contact hours (½ credit) in its place.
***Science credits must include one credit of physical sciences (Earth Science), one credit of life sciences (Biology), and one credit of advanced study in one or more of the following sciences (Chemistry, Physics, etc.)
****Although the state requires the social studies credits to include ½ credit of American History and ½ credit of American Government, our local policy requires 1 full credit of each.
*****All students must receive instruction in economics and financial literacy during grades 9 - 12 and must complete at least two semesters of fine arts (Choir, Band or Art) taken any time in grades 7 – 12. Students following a career-technical pathway are exempted from the fine arts requirement.           

II.  Graduation Tests Requirements                     
For students who need to pass theOhioGraduation Test (OGT):

A.   Notify student and parents about:
      *Importance of earning a diploma
      *Need to meet both testing and curriculum requirements to earn a diploma
      *Any additional local graduation requirements
      *District’s policy about participation in commencement ceremony

B.   How to access information (test blueprints, previous tests) on the Web about OGT:
      *http://education.ohio.gov/ and search keyword:OGT

C.   OGT test administrations before graduation:
      *Spring of 10^thgrade
      *Summer between 10^thand 11^thgrade (optional)
      *Fall and spring of 11^thgrade
      *Summer between 11^thand 12^thgrade (optional)
      *Fall and spring of 12^thgrade

D.   How to access previous graduation tests, go tohttp://education.ohio.gov/and search keywords: previous OGT tests 

III. Alternative Way to Meet the Testing Requirements:
A student may meet the testing requirements for passing all five Ohio Graduation Tests if he/she meets ALL of the following criteria:.
*Passes four of the five tests and has missed passing the fifth test by no more than 10 points;
*Has a 97% attendance rate, excluding any excused absences, four years of high school and must not have had an expulsionin high school;
*Has at least a grade point average of 2.5 out of 4.0 in the courses of the subject area not yet passed;
*Has completed the high school curriculum requirements in the subject area not yet passed;
*Has participated in any intervention programs offered by the school and must have had a 97% attendance rate in any programs offered outside the normal school day; and
*Has letters recommending graduation from the high school principal and from each high school teacher in the subject area not yet passed    

*ACT recommends that students take a core curriculum of at least:
4 years of English, 3 years of mathematics (including rigorous courses in Algebra 1, Geometry, and AlgebraII), three years of science (including rigorous courses in Biology, Chemistry, and Physics), 3 years of social studies, at least 2 years of the same foreign language, and additional coursework in art and computers.

*Students wanting to take college classes through Post Secondary Enrollment Options (PSEO) must attend the informational meeting on Tuesday, February 14, at 6:00 p.m. in the Community Room in the high school. Both the student and a parent must attend this meeting to be informed of the programs advantages/disadvantages, as well as procedures for scheduling, to be eligible.  Interested PSEO students must register their intent to participate to the Guidance Office by March 30 each year.

Other Important Notes: 
*All NBHS students must take a minimum of 6 classes each semester.
*High school credit is given for 8^thgrade Algebra I. 
*Athletes must carry a minimum of five passing credits each 9 weeks.
*A student can waive the physical education requirement by participating in 2 full seasons of high school athletics, marching band or cheerleading.
*College representatives come to NBHS each fall. Juniors and seniors must complete the necessary paperwork in order to attend the sessions (max of 5).

Criteria for an Honors Diploma (Graduating Class of 2011 and Beyond)
An Honors Diploma is a distinction for students who have exceeded graduation requirements in a variety of areas. To receive and Honors Diploma, a student must meet the following criteria:

The student who completes the high school academic curriculum shall meet at least seven of the following eight criteria:
1. Earn four units of English;
2. Earn at least four units of mathematics which shall include algebra I, algebra II, geometry, and another higher level course or a four-year sequence of courses which contains equivalent content;
3. Earn at least four units of science including one unit of physics and one unit of chemistry;
4. Earn four units of social studies;
5. Earn either three units of one foreign language or two units each of two foreign languages;
6. Earn one unit of fine arts;
7. Maintain an overall high school grade point average of at least 3.5 on a four-point scale up to the last grading period of the senior year; or
8. Obtain a composite score of 27 on the American college test’s ACT assessment (excluding the optional writing test) or a combined score of 1210 on the College Board’s SAT verbal and mathematics sections (excluding the required writing section).

The student who completes an intensive career-technical education curriculum shall meet at least seven of the following eight criteria:
1. Earn four units of English;
2. Earn at least four units of mathematics which shall include algebra I, algebra II, geometry, and another higher level course or a four-year sequence of courses which contains equivalent content;
3. Earn at least four units of science including one unit of physics and one unit of chemistry;
4. Earn four units of social studies;
5. Earn four units in a career-technical education program that leads to an industry-recognized credential, results in an apprenticeship or is part of an articulated career pathway, which can lead to post secondary credit. If the student’s program design does not provide for any of these outcomes, then the student must achieve the proficiency benchmark established for the applicable Ohiocareer-technical competency assessment or the equivalent;
6. Achieve the proficiency benchmark established for the Ohio Career-Technical Competency Assessment (available athttp://www.webxam.org/info_docs.asp) or equivalent assessment aligned with state-approved and industry validate technical standards; 7. Maintain an overall high school grade point average of at least 3.5 on a four-point scale up to the last grading period of the senior year; or
8. Obtain a composite score of 27 on the American college testing service’s ACT assessment (excluding the optional writing test) or a combined score of 1210 on the college board’s SAT verbal and mathematics sections (excluding the score obtained on the required writing section).

NCAA Clearinghouse Eligibility
The followingNewBremenHigh Schoolcourses have been approved by the NCAA for meeting the “core course” guidelines:

English          
Communication Skills
Creative Writing
Death/Novels
English 9
English 10
English 11
English 11/CP
English 12
English 12/CP 

Social Science
American Government
American History
AP US Government and Politics
Geographic Political Science
Psychology
Sociology
World History