West Virginia

Recognized Rigorous Secondary School Programs of Study

The eligibility options for a student graduating from secondary school in West Virginia during
the 2007 calendar year are:

• West Virginia Scholars. This program, part of the national State Scholars Initiative and
patterned after the recommendations of the National Commission on Excellence in
Education, requires at least:1
o Four years of English;
o Four years of math (including Algebra I, Algebra II and Geometry);
o Four years of lab science (biology, chemistry, physics);
o Four years of social studies (chosen from U.S. and World History, Geography,
Economics, and Government); and
o Two years of a language other than English.

• A set of courses similar to the State Scholars Initiative. This program of study requires
passing grades in the following:
o Four years of English;
o Three years of math (including Algebra I and a higher level course such as
Algebra II, geometry, or data analysis and statistics);
o Three years of science (including at least two courses from biology, chemistry or
physics);
o Three years of social studies; and
o One year of a foreign language.

• Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) courses and test scores.
This program requires a minimum of two Advanced Placement (AP) or International
Baccalaureate (IB) courses in high school and a minimum passing score on the exams for
those classes. Students must score 3 or higher on AP exams and 4 or higher on IB exams.

• West Virginia PROMISE. The requirements for this program are:

o English - 4 credits
o Mathematics - 3 credits (Algebra I, plus two other math courses, one of which
must be above Algebra I, such as Geometry, Algebra II, Trigonometry, Pre-
Calculus, Calculus, Integrated Math or Discrete Math)
o Social Sciences - 3 credits (US History to 1900, World Studies to 1900, 20th-21st
Century History)
o Natural Sciences - 3 credits (Coordinated and Thematic Science 9, Coordinated
and Thematic Science 10, and one additional credit from biology, chemistry,
physics, human anatomy/physiology, or environmental earth science)
o A student must graduate with a minimum cumulative 3.0 GPA (grade point
average) or whatever is locally considered a "B" average (weighted grades may be
used). In addition, the student needs to graduate with a minimum 3.0 GPA in
his/her core courses.
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West Virginia Scholars requirements were increased for students graduating from secondary school in 2007.

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 o A student must attain an ACT composite score of 22 with a minimum sub-score of
20 in each of the four subject areas; or a combined SAT score of 1020 with
minimum sub-scores of 490 in the critical reading section and 480 in the math
section. Scores cannot be combined from multiple test administrations. The
highest scores will be accepted from one, single test date.2

• West Virginia Earn a Degree - Graduate Early (EDGE). The requirements for this
program are:
o English - 4 credits
o Mathematics - 3 credits (Algebra I, plus two other math courses, one of which
must be above Algebra I, such as Geometry, Algebra II, Trigonometry, Pre-
Calculus, Calculus, Integrated Math or Discrete Math)
o Social Sciences - 3 credits (US History to 1900, World Studies to 1900, 20th-21st
Century History)
o Natural Sciences - 3 credits (Coordinated and Thematic Science 9, Coordinated
and Thematic Science 10, and one additional credit from biology, chemistry,
physics, human anatomy/physiology, or environmental earth science)
o EDGE students earn college credit in escrow by successfully passing at least three
high school courses that have been approved by both the West Virginia
Department of Education and the West Virginia Community and Technical
College Office. In addition to successfully passing the approved course, the
student must also take the accompanying end-of-course exams and receive a score
of at least 74% on each exam.

• West Virginia Dual Credit Program. The requirements for this program are:
o English - 4 credits
o Mathematics - 3 credits (Algebra I, plus two other math courses, one of which
must be above Algebra I, such as Geometry, Algebra II, Trigonometry, Pre-
Calculus, Calculus, Integrated Math or Discrete Math)
o Social Sciences - 3 credits (US History to 1900, World Studies to 1900, 20th-21st
Century History)
o Natural Sciences - 3 credits (Coordinated and Thematic Science 9, Coordinated
and Thematic Science 10, and one additional credit from biology, chemistry,
physics, human anatomy/physiology, or environmental earth science)
o Students in this option must have successfully passed and received credit for at
least three dual credit courses.

• High Schools That Work Award of Educational Achievement. Students must complete
the HSTW-recommended curriculum in at least two of the three subject areas; complete a
concentration in a career/technical field, mathematics/science, or the humanities; and
meet all three of the performance goals on the HSTW assessment.
o The recommended curriculum consists of:
 English: Four credits in college-preparatory level courses

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West Virginia PROMISE minimum ACT composite and SAT combined scores were slightly increased for 2007
secondary school graduates.

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  Math: Four credits in college-preparatory level courses, including Algebra
I, geometry, Algebra II and a higher level mathematics course such as
trigonometry, statistics, pre-calculus, calculus, or Advanced Placement
mathematics.
 Science: Three or more credits in science, including at least two credits in
college-preparatory biology, chemistry, anatomy/physiology or
physics/applied physics.
o The concentrations consist of:
 Career/Technical: Four or more credits in a coherent sequence in a
career/technical field or major.
 Mathematics/Science: Four college-preparatory courses each in
mathematics and science. At least one course in either mathematics or
science must be at the Advanced Placement level.
 Humanities: Four college-preparatory courses each in English/language
arts and social studies and four courses in an area of the humanities, such
as foreign language, fine arts or additional English and social studies
courses. At least one course in either English or social studies must be at
the Advanced Placement level.
o Performance Goals:
 The performance goals on the HSTW assessment are a 279 in reading, a
297 in mathematics, and a 299 in science on a scale of 0-500.