SECTION 74.11. High School Graduation Requirements

(a) To receive a high school diploma, a student entering Grade 9 in the 2014-2015 school year and thereafter must complete the following:

(1) in accordance with subsection (d) of this section, requirements of the Foundation High School Program specified in §74.12 of this title (relating to Foundation High School Program);

(2) testing requirements for graduation as specified in Chapter 101 of this title (relating to Assessment); and

(3) demonstrated proficiency, in Grade 8 or higher, as determined by the district in which the student is enrolled, in delivering clear verbal messages; choosing effective nonverbal behaviors; listening for desired results; applying valid critical-thinking and problem-solving processes; and identifying, analyzing, developing, and evaluating communication skills needed for professional and social success in interpersonal situations, group interactions, and personal and professional presentations.

(b) Beginning with students enrolled in Grade 12 during the 2021-2022 school year, each student in Grade 12 must complete and submit a free application for federal student aid (FAFSA) or a Texas application for state financial aid (TASFA) before graduating from high school.

(1) A student may graduate under the Foundation High School Program without completing a financial aid application if:

(A) the student's parent or other person standing in parental relation submits a signed form, approved by the Texas Education Agency (TEA), indicating that the parent or other person declines to complete and submit the application or authorizes the student to decline to complete and submit the financial aid application;

(B) the student signs and submits the form described by paragraph (1) of this subsection on the student's own behalf if the student is 18 years of age or older or has been emancipated under Texas Family Code, Chapter 31; or

(C) a school counselor authorizes the student to decline to complete and submit the financial aid application for good cause, as determined by the school counselor.

(2) A school counselor may not indicate that a student has not complied with this subsection if the school district or open-enrollment charter school fails to provide the form described by paragraph (1)(A) of this subsection to the student or the student's parent or guardian.

(c) A school district shall clearly indicate the distinguished level of achievement under the Foundation High School Program, an endorsement, and a performance acknowledgment on the transcript or academic achievement record (AAR) of a student who satisfies the applicable requirements.

(d) A student entering Grade 9 in the 2014-2015 school year and thereafter shall enroll in the courses necessary to complete the curriculum requirements for the Foundation High School Program specified in §74.12 of this title and the curriculum requirements for at least one endorsement specified in §74.13 of this title (relating to Endorsements).

(e) A student may graduate under the Foundation High School Program without earning an endorsement if, after the student's sophomore year:

(1) the student and the student's parent or person standing in parental relation to the student are advised by a school counselor of the specific benefits of graduating from high school with one or more endorsements; and

(2) the student's parent or person standing in parental relation to the student files with a school counselor written permission, on a form adopted by the TEA, allowing the student to graduate under the Foundation High School Program without earning an endorsement.

(f) A student may earn a distinguished level of achievement by successfully completing the curriculum requirements for the Foundation High School Program and the curriculum requirements for at least one endorsement required by the Texas Education Code (TEC), §28.025(b-15), including four credits in science and four credits in mathematics to include Algebra II.

(g) An out-of-state or out-of-country transfer student (including foreign exchange students) or a transfer student from a Texas nonpublic school is eligible to receive a Texas diploma but must complete all requirements of this section to satisfy state graduation requirements. Any course credit required in this section that is not completed by the student before he or she enrolls in a Texas school district may be satisfied through the provisions of §74.23 of this title (relating to Correspondence Courses and Distance Learning) and §74.24 of this title (relating to Credit by Examination) or by completing the course or courses according to the provisions of §74.26 of this title (relating to Award of Credit).

(h) Elective credits may be selected from the following:

(1) high school courses not required for graduation that are listed in the following chapters of this title:

(A) Chapter 110 of this title (relating to Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for English Language Arts and Reading);

(B) Chapter 111 of this title (relating to Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Mathematics);

(C) Chapter 112 of this title (relating to Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Science);

(D) Chapter 113 of this title (relating to Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Social Studies);

(E) Chapter 114 of this title (relating to Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Languages Other Than English);

(F) Chapter 115 of this title (relating to Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Health Education);

(G) Chapter 116 of this title (relating to Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Physical Education);

(H) Chapter 117 of this title (relating to Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Fine Arts);

(I) Chapter 127 of this title (relating to Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Career Development and Career and Technical Education); and

(J) Chapter 130 of this title (relating to Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Career and Technical Education);

(2) state-approved innovative courses as specified in §74.27 of this title (relating to Innovative Courses and Programs);

(3) Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC)--one to four credits;

(4) Driver Education--one-half credit; and

(5) College preparatory English language arts or mathematics courses developed and offered pursuant to the TEC, §28.014.

(i) Courses offered for dual credit at or in conjunction with an institution of higher education that provide advanced academic instruction beyond, or in greater depth than, the essential knowledge and skills for the equivalent high school course required for graduation may satisfy graduation requirements, including requirements for required courses, advanced courses, and courses for elective credit as well as requirements for endorsements.

(j) A student may not be enrolled in a course that has a required prerequisite unless:

(1) the student has successfully completed the prerequisite course(s);

(2) the student has demonstrated equivalent knowledge as determined by the school district; or

(3) the student was already enrolled in the course in an out-of-state, an out-of-country, or a Texas nonpublic school and transferred to a Texas public school prior to successfully completing the course.

(k) A district may exempt a student from a specific career and technical education (CTE) course prerequisite for a CTE course that satisfies a mathematics or science credit if the district determines the student is not using the course to complete a CTE program of study.

(l) A district may award credit for a course a student completed without meeting the prerequisites if the student completed the course in an out-of-state, an out-of-country, or a Texas nonpublic school where there was not a prerequisite.

(m) A district shall allow a student who successfully completes AP Computer Science A or IB Computer Science Higher Level to satisfy both one advanced mathematics requirement and one languages other than English requirement for graduation.

(n) Each school district shall annually report to the TEA the names of the locally developed courses, programs, institutions of higher education, and internships in which the district's students have enrolled as authorized by the TEC, §28.002(g-1). The TEA shall make available information provided under this subsection to other districts. If a district chooses, it may submit any locally developed course for approval under §74.27 of this title as an innovative course.

(o) Each school district shall annually report to the TEA the names of cybersecurity courses approved by the board of trustees for credit and the institutions of higher education in which the district's students have enrolled as authorized by the TEC, §28.002(g-3). The TEA shall make available information provided under this subsection to other districts. If a district chooses, it may submit any locally developed course for approval under §74.27 of this title as an innovative course.

(p) A school district shall permit a student to comply with the curriculum requirements under the Foundation High School Program by successfully completing appropriate courses in the core curriculum of an institution of higher education (IHE). A student who has completed the core curriculum of an IHE in accordance with TEC, §61.822, as certified by the IHE in accordance with §4.28 of this title (relating to Core Curriculum):

(1) is considered to have earned an endorsement by successfully completing the appropriate courses for that endorsement;

(2) is considered to have earned a distinguished level of achievement under the Foundation High School Program; and

(3) is entitled to receive a high school diploma.

Source Note: The provisions of this §74.11 adopted to be effective July 8, 2014, 39 TexReg 5149; amended to be effective August 22, 2016, 41 TexReg 5039; amended to be effective August 27, 2018, 43 TexReg 4190; amended to be effective November 24, 2019, 44 TexReg 7050; amended to be effective August 1, 2020, 45 TexReg 4178; amended to be effective August 1, 2021, 46 TexReg 3874; amended to be effective August 1, 2022, 47 TexReg 4502