Graduation in the high school program is based upon the successful accumulation of credits. These include both core and elective credits. From time to time the British Columbia Ministry of Education reviews and revises the determination of core and elective credits. Please contact the school for the most current information about academic credits leading to graduation.

HIGH SCHOOL GRADES and CREDITS

The British Columbia Ministry of Education introduces its Graduation Program 2004 starting in September 2004. The required credits for students, who enter the B.C. high school program prior to September 2004, differs from the required credits for students who enter the B.C. high school program beginning in September 2004. The following information, about grade level courses, is provided as a description of the range of choice in core/required and elective/selected study.

Enrollments prior to September 2004

At the Grade 10 level, students take the following core courses:

English 10,
Science 10,
Math 10,
Social Studies 10,
Physical Education 10, and
Career & Personal Planning 10.

Two elective courses are required to complete the credit requirements,
and can be chosen from among:

Composition 10,
Science & Technology 10,
Business Computer Applications 10,
Fine Arts/Art 10, and
Keyboarding 10.

Successful completion of Grade 10 requires the six core courses plus the two electives, for a total of eight courses. Eight courses carry the value of 32 credits.

At the Grade 11 and 12 levels, students are required to successfully complete a total of 52 credits, of which 28 credits are required from core courses and 24 credits are required from elective courses.

Students take such core courses as:

English 11 & 12 or Communications 11 & 12,
Social Studies 11 or BC First Nations Studies 12,
Mathematics 11 or 12,
Science 11 or 12,
a Fine Arts/Art 11,
an applied skills 11 course, and
Career & Personal Planning 11 & 12.

The student must also successfully complete 24 credits chosen from among the elective courses, and can be chosen from among:

Accounting 11,
Communications 11,
Essentials of Math 11,
Biology 11 and 12,
Physics 11 and 12,
Chemistry 11 and 12,
Science & Technology 11, and
Information Technology 11.

The counselor and administrators at Pattison High School help each student to define the most beneficial program of study for that student.

Enrollments as of September 2004

Beginning in September 2004, Grade 10 becomes part of the permanent record for all students graduating in the BC High School system. The Ministry of Education introduces the Graduation Program and the concept of the Graduation Portfolio.

The requirements for successful completion of Grades 10, 11 & 12 are calculated as a grouping of 80 credits. Of the total of 80 credits, 48 credits must be earned from among a selection of required courses, and 28 credits must be earned from among a selection of elective courses.

The 48 required credits are chosen from among the following:

English or Communications 10 (4 credits),
English or Communications 11 (4 credits),
English or Communications 12 (4 credits),
Social Studies 10 (4 credits),
Social Studies 11, Canadian Civics 11 or BC First Nations Studies 12
(4 credits)
Science 10 (4 credits),
Science 11 or 12 (4 credits) one from a number of course options,
Mathematics 10 (4 credits) one from a number of course options,
Mathematics 11 or 12 (4 credits) one from a number of course options),
Physical Education 10 (4 credits),
Fine Arts and/or Applied skills 10, 11 or 12 (4 credits) one from a number
of course options, and
Planning 10 (4 credits).

Students must also earn 4 Graduation Portfolio Assessment credits, and successfully complete a minimum of 28 elective credits. Examples of elective courses are given above. A minimum of 16 elective course credits are required at the Grade 12 level.

Five Graduation Program Exams in Grades 10 – 12 are required for graduation. In the 2004 Graduation Program, all students are required to write the following five exams:

Grade 10 English or Communications,
Grade 10 Science,
Grade 10 Mathematics,
one of Social Studies 11, Canadian Civics 11 or BC First Nations 12 , and
Grade 12 English or Communications.

All universities in BC, and some universities in Canada and the United States, require the student to show evidence of second language studies. This can be achieved through a challenge exam.