As high school students continue to register for 2010-11 courses, Denton school district officials are offering several outlets to ensure students and their parents are aware of state-mandated graduation requirements that will take effect next fall at all grade levels.

A PowerPoint presentation recently shown to school board members, two videos and some literature have been placed on the district Web site, www.dentonisd.org , detailing graduation requirements finalized by the State Board of Education in January. The information also expounds on information relating to high school registration.

“It explains what is required, the new changes and what their [students’] options are,” said Mike Mattingly, assistant superintendent of curriculum, instruction and staff development. “We’re hoping this is detailed enough if you’re a student [to know] what’s expected.”

Students will be required to take one credit of physical education as opposed to one and a half credits, as previously mandated. PE and athletic courses require only one credit, but students will be allowed to count up to four credits from the courses toward graduation under new requirements.

Health and technology courses will no longer be required for graduation by the state, although individual school districts may require them.

Mattingly said the Denton district will encourage students to study health and technology but won’t make them mandatory.

Because courses for next year were pretty much finalized, the number of offerings for health and technology will not be reduced but will be scaled back soon, he said.

“Probably next year, we’ll have a better plan to deal with that,” Mattingly said.

Students intending to graduate under the recommended or distinguished achievement plans are required to take a total of 26 credit hours.

The recommended plan requires two credits of one foreign language and five and a half elective credits.

The more rigorous distinguished plan requires three credit hours in a foreign language and four and a half elective credits.

That plan also requires students to complete a combination of four advanced measures, which include: making high scores on Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate or PSAT tests; scoring a grade of a 3.0 or higher in a college or tech-prep articulated class; and having an original project or research judged by professionals and conducted under the direction of a mentor.

As has been required since 2007-08, students must take four years of math, science, English and social studies courses.

Under the new graduation requirements, students will no longer be allowed to substitute two to three career and technology work-based training courses or dance for PE credit. Courses taken prior to 2010-11 by students will continue to count as PE credit.

Changes to graduation requirements have had a large impact on career and technology courses, said Marty Thompson, dean of the district’s LaGrone Advanced Technology Complex. Courses have been reconfigured, and the 600 offerings previously available statewide have been reduced to 200, Thompson said.

“It’s not a good year we’re getting ready to go into,” she said.

Classes have been restructured, and new classes are being created with no state funding for training teachers or education support, Thompson said.

With many students doing what they can to fulfill the requirement of four years ofmath, science, English and social studies to graduate, the technology complex has seen a loss of 300 students this year, she said. The complex foresees a drop in student enrollment next year, which could also result in a drop in state funding.

Thompson said the technology center should know the number of students enrolling by April.

“We’re kind of sitting on pins and needles because that could affect teacher hiring and teacher retention,” she said.

As new graduation requirements started to emerge last summer, the district’s counseling services department began to update its Web site to keep students and parents current on changes as they happened, said Melanie Lewis, director of the department.

Registration for high school courses began in January, and counselors at each campus have visited with each class to make students aware of high school registration and new graduation requirements, she said.

Counselors also were dispatched to middle schools to share information with next year’s incoming freshmen.

Registration for high school courses is expected to continue throughout April.

Mattingly suggests that students and parents visit the district Web site and campus counselors if they have more questions about the new requirements.

“I think we’re pretty prepared for these changes,” he said. “I think we have a good plan in place for next year, and I think the students are going to benefit from it.”

BRITNEY TABOR can be reached at 940-566-6876. Her e-mail address is btabor@dentonrc.com .