Requirements
Symbols used to identify courses:
Graduation Requirement Designation
Graduation Requirements
STEM Designation
Humanities Designation
NCAA
UCONN Early College Experience
CREDIT REQUIREMENTS
Requirements for Enrollment (Course Load) and Promotion
A graduate of the Madison Public Schools must have earned a minimum of twenty-five (25) credits and must have met the credit distribution requirement. Students must have met performance standards in the following: reading, writing, and mathematics.
Requirements for Enrollment and Promotion and Graduation
- Students in grades 9, 10, and 11 are required to enroll in six and one-half (6.5) credits each year. They may also take up to seven and one-half (7.5) credits if their schedule permits them to do so.
- Students must carry a minimum of four courses per trimester.
- The minimum enrollment requirement for seniors is six (6) credits.
- The students must earn four and one-half (4.5) credits during their senior year in order to be eligible for graduation, regardless of previously earned credits.
- The minimum requirements for promotion are as follows:
- Grade 10 status, six (6) credits must be earned
- Grade 11 status, twelve (12) credits must be earned
- Grade 12 status, eighteen (18) credits must be earned
- Graduation, twenty-five (25) credits must be earned
Minimum Requirements for Credit Distribution
STEM Requirements (9.0 credits)
- Math courses: 3.5 credits
- Science courses: 3.0 credits
- Any STEM-designated courses: 2.5 credits
Humanities Requirements (9.0 credits)
- English courses: 4.5 credits
- Social Studies courses: 3.5 credits
- Must include United States History* (1.0 credit)
- Must include Civics and American Government* (0.5 credit)
- Any Humanities designated courses: 1.0 credit
- o English, Social Studies, CTE, World Language, and Art courses
Additional Requirements (7.0 credits)
- World Language courses: 1.0 credit
- Physical Education courses: 1.0 credit
- Health/Wellness courses: 1.0 credit
- CTE courses: 1.0 credit
- Music, Theatre, or Art courses: 1.0 credit
- Mastery Based Diploma: 1.0 credit
- Must include Personal Finance* (0.5 credit)
- Must include Independent Project* (0.5 credit)
- Any additional course/elective(s): 1.0 credit
Grade Point Average (GPA)
Both a Weighted GPA and an Unweighted GPA will be calculated each trimester and reported on the transcript. Our school profile, which is submitted to colleges and universities annually, will have a detailed explanation of our grading system, including Weighted GPA and Unweighted GPA. (The profile is available from the DHHS website). Please visit https://www.madison.k12.ct.us/daniel-hand-high-school/general-info/grading for examples of how to calculate Weighted and Unweighted Grade Point Averages.
Unweighted GPA
Unweighted GPA is calculated using all courses (grades 9-12) without regard to level. No additional weighting or points are added for Honors or Advanced Placement courses. A four-point scale (4.0) is used. See chart below.
| GRADE | GPA ALL LEVELS |
| A+ | 4.33 |
| A | 4.00 |
| A- | 3.67 |
| B+ | 3.33 |
| B | 3.00 |
| B- | 2.67 |
| C+ | 2.33 |
| C | 2.00 |
| C- | 1.67 |
| D | 1.00 |
| F | 0.00 |
Weighted GPA
Weighted GPA is calculated using leveled courses taken in grades 10-12. Freshman courses are not included. The philosophy of DHHS is that freshman year is a transition during which there is significant social, emotional, and academic growth. Weighted GPA is determined by the grade earned and the level designation of the course. A four-point scale (4.0) is used. See chart below.
| Grade | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| A+ | 5.33 | 4.33 | 3.33 |
| A | 5.00 | 4.00 | 3.00 |
| A- | 4.67 | 3.67 | 2.67 |
| B+ | 4.33 | 3.33 | 2.33 |
| B- | 3.67 | 2.67 | 1.67 |
| C+ | 3.33 | 2.33 | 1.33 |
| C | 3.00 | 2.00 | 1.00 |
| C- | 2.67 | 1.67 | 0.67 |
| D | 2.00 | 1.00 | .33 |
| F | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
Rank in Class
Rank in class is calculated using the Weighted GPA. The class rank, or decile, for a graduating student will not be officially reported on the student’s academic transcript. Daniel Hand High School will calculate rank for the purpose of determining which students are eligible for Senior Honors and for some scholarships and awards.
Senior Honors are defined as the top ten ranking positions in the class for honors recognition and shall include the class valedictorian, salutatorian, class essayist, and senior scholars. If Daniel Hand High School has more than one student qualifying for top honors, the students tying for valedictorian honors will be named co-valedictorians. The next recipient will be named salutatorian followed by the class essayist. Final Senior Honors Rank will be based upon six trimesters, beginning sophomore year, plus the first and second trimesters of the student's senior year. An official Senior Honors Rank will be provided to candidates during the third trimester of their senior year.
For students who have not been at Daniel Hand long enough for a Senior Honors Rank calculation, a Rank in Class is calculated for the purpose of determining eligibility for some scholarships and awards. Transfer students should see their school counselor for additional information.
Rank in class is governed under Board of Education policy #5128. If a situation exists which is not covered by this policy, it will be reviewed on a case by case basis by the School Counseling Department and the building principal.
Honor Roll
The purpose of the honor roll at DHHS is to recognize strong academic performance and to encourage all students to maintain consistently high performance in all subjects. All courses will be included in the honors calculations. No student may maintain honor status with any grade lower than a C+. The following standards have been established based on the trimester grades.
High Honors: Unweighted GPA of 3.83 or higher
Honors: Unweighted GPA of 3.16 to 3.82