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During the 8th grade year, all students are required to build a personal graduation plan. The following pages outline the Endorsement categories and their Pathways.  Next to each pathway, you will see the sequence of study for the pathway. 

Accelerated courses: Middle school compacted curriculum courses that are designed to allow students access to a faster pace of curriculum in a given core content area.

Advanced courses: Advanced courses are middle school courses that allow students to dive deeper into the content to ensure a more rigorous interaction with the curriculum to help support their advanced path of learning into college-level courses before graduation.

Credit: A course that awards high school credit and is calculated into the high school grade point average. High school course numbers in this guide are listed as whole numbers, but when selecting courses, an A (fall semester) and B (spring semester) will be added to the end of each course number for scheduling purposes. Half credit courses will not have an A or B added. For example, 1275 Spanish I will be 1275A and 1275B, but Creative Writing will remain 2551.

Elective: A course that a student chooses to take, although it is not specifically required.

EOC: End of Course. A subject specific exam required for student earning high school credit. Ex:  Algebra I.

GPA: Grade Point Average.  A grade point average is calculated at the end of the year for all of the eligible high school credit courses a student takes. Students who take high school credit courses in middle school will have their grades calculated into the grade point average.

Honors courses: High school college preparatory courses that are designed to provide students with the necessary skills to be successful in Dual Credit and AP courses. In KISD, these skills together with the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) comprise the syllabi for Honors courses.

House Bill 5: House Bill 5 was signed into law in the summer of 2013 and one of its provisions was to change high school graduation plans for all students who enter high school during the 2014-15 school year and thereafter. The bill provides more flexibility for high school students to pursue either higher education or a career. A single graduation plan, the Foundation High School Program (FHSP), was established. Students will also have the opportunity to build on the FHSP by earning Endorsements, Performance Acknowledgements, and a Distinguished Level of Achievement (DLA). 

KCAL: Keller Center for Advanced Learning

KCA: Keller Collegiate Academy (See the high school academic planning guide for all course descriptions. Classes taken at KCA are listed under KCA pathways.)

Pathways available only at KCAL: Architectural Design, Automotive, Construction Technology, Cosmetology, Cybersecurity, Electrical Technology, HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning), Networking Systems/Maintenance, Plant Science, Plumbing Technology, Programming & Software Development, Veterinary Studies, and Welding.

Pathways that finish advanced courses at KCAL: Culinary Arts, Design & Mulitmedia Arts, Digital Communications, Engineering, Health Sciences (Biomedicine, Clinical Rotations, EMT, Nursing (CNA), Patient Care Technician (PCT), Pharmacy Technician, Medical Assistant), and Law Enforcement: Police and Legal Studies.

Pathways available only at high school campuses: Accounting & Financial Services, Business Management, Fashion Design, Health Science: Exercise Science and Sports Medicine, Interior Design, Marketing, and Teaching and Training.

Pathways available only at KCA:  Associate of Arts with Health Science certifications,  Associate of Science with Health Science certifications, Associate of Applied Science, Surgical Technology, and Associate of Science, Anesthesia Technology.

Prerequisite: A requirement that must be met in order to take a specific course.

Required Course: A specific course that a student must take and pass to be promoted to the next grade and ultimately to graduate from high school.

Semester: An 18-week segment of the 36-week school year. Two semesters make up the school year on the middle school level.

STAAR: State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness. This is a state mandated testing program.

STEM: Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math.

TEDS: Texas Education Data Standards. The statewide curriculum mandated by the State Board of Education.