Course Requirements and Endorsements

GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS

NISD offers 5 Endorsement Strands at O'Connor High School. To graduate from NISD there are certain requirements students must meet that try to produce a well-rounded graduate. Each year students will take 4 core subject classes, one Endorsement Strand Course, and other required courses and electives as they choose. 

NISD FOUNDATION GRADUATION PROGRAM WITH AN ENDORSEMENT

• 4 credits of English (English 1, English 2, English 3, Advanced English Course)
• 4 credits of Math (Alg 1, Geom, Adv. Math Course*, Adv. Math Course)
• 4 credits of Science (Bio, Lab Science Course, Adv. Science Course, Adv. Science Course) 
• 4 credits of Social Studies (W Geo or W Hist, US Hist, Gov/Eco)
• 2 credits of Language Other than English 
• 1 credit of Fine Art
• 1 credit of PE or PE substitute
• .5 Speech/.5 Health
• 5 credits of Electives 
• Earn one of the 5 Endorsements (The Endorsement chosen may have certain core course requirements as well as a series of endorsement elective courses to be take in sequence.)

26 Total Credits to Graduate *In order to ensure that students are college ready Northside ISD recommends students enroll in Algebra 2 as the third advanced math course.  Algebra 2 is also the only additional requirement to earn a Distinguished Diploma.

5 Endorsement Strands and Potential Career Paths

• ARTS and HUMANITIES
  • Social Studies
  • World Languages (LOTE)
  • English Language Arts
  • Fine Arts (Art, Band, Choir, Dance, Orchestra, Theatre)
• BUSINESS and INDUSTRY
  • Business Management & Administration
  • Architecture & Construction
  • Arts, Audio/Visual Technology, & Communications
  • Hospitality & Tourism
  • Accounting, Finance, Marketing
  • Transportation, Distribution, & Logistics
  • Agricultural, Food, & Natural resources
  • Journalism or Debate
  • Public Speech
  • Fashion Design
  • Culinary Arts

• PUBLIC SERVICE
  • Health Sciences
  • Human Services
  • Education & Training
  • JROTC
• STEM
  • science
  • computer science
  • engineering
  • math

                                         **ALL STEM students must take Algebra II, Chemistry, and Physics

• MULTIDISCIPLINARY
  • 4 credits English including English IV
  • 4 Math credits
  • 4 Science credits
  • 4 Social Studies credits

        OR

• *AP and Dual
• 4 credits in Advanced Placement classes or Dual Credit selected from English, Math, Science, Social Studies, Economics, LOTE, or Fine Arts

       OR

• *Combination
• Students take four advanced courses that prepare them to enter the workforce or postsecondary ed without remediation from within one endorsement area or among endorsement areas not in a coherent sequence.