Mission Statement
"The mission of the Deer Lakes School District is to shape today's learners into tomorrow's leaders."

General Information
COUNSELING SERVICES IN SELECTION OF COURSES 
Each student is assigned a school counselor. Students may go to the guidance office for counseling and assistance. Parents may contact counselors by phone (724-265-5320 Ext. 2626) to talk or to arrange an appointment.

SPECIAL EDUCATION SERVICES 
A full continuum of special education services is available at Deer Lakes High School. Students that meet the eligibility criteria and are in need of specially designed instruction may receive academic or emotional support from the Deer Lakes Special Education staff. Related services such as speech and language, occupational therapy, physical therapy, vision, and hearing services are also provided to those students with an identified need. Deer Lakes also provides Transition Planning for identified students at age 14.

GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS
Graduation from Deer Lakes High School will be determined by the credits earned in Grades 9, 10, 11, and 12. The minimum amount of credits will be required as the table below dictates. These are to be earned as follows:

* Students who score Proficient or Advanced on the Keystone Algebra Exam will only be required to complete 3.00 credits in mathematics.  Students will still be required to earn 24.00 credits for graduation. 

Students who elect to take Personal Finance as a math credit will also be required to complete one of the following courses: Gamemaker Programming, Introduction to Computer Programming, AP Computer Programming, AP Computer Programming Principles or STEM Robotics and Engineering 1 or 2.  

** For every successful year of completion at AW Beattie students are required to complete .5 less credits in Physical Education/Health.  All students are required to successfully complete Freshmen Physical Education/Health.  Students will still be required to earn 24.00 credits for graduation.  

KEYSTONE EXAM INFORMATION
Act 6 and Act 158 of Pennsylvania place new graduation requirements on students beginning with the Class of 2022. The new law expands options for students to demonstrate postsecondary readiness through four additional pathways that more fully illustrate college, career, and community outcomes. For students graduating in 2022 and beyond, the following options exist to meet statewide graduation requirements: Keystone Proficiency Pathway, Keystone Composite Pathway, Alternate Assessment Pathway, Evidence Based Pathway, and CTE (Career & Technical Education) Pathway. Complete information is found on our high school website under the tab “Statewide High School Graduation Requirements.” Students are still required to take the end-of-course Keystone exams in Algebra 1, Literature, and Biology, and will be offered multiple opportunities to retake the exams if not proficient. Remediation courses are being offered as a support for all students who wish to improve their scores. As the Pennsylvania Department of Education finalizes plans for future Keystone Exams or changes these graduation requirements, the High School Program of Studies will be revised to reflect the changes.

Additional and updated Keystone Exam Information

Non-Discrimination Notice
The Deer Lakes School District is an equal opportunity education institution and will not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, handicap, or limited English proficiency in its activities, programs, or employment practices as required by Title VI, Title IX and Section 504.

For information regarding civil rights or grievance procedures, contact The District Business Manager, Title IX Coordinator, and Mrs. Lindsay McGaughey, Section 504 coordinator, at Deer Lakes School District, 19 East Union Road, Cheswick, PA 15024 or 724/265-5300.

For information regarding services, activities, and facilities that are accessible and usable by handicapped persons, contact Mrs. Lindsay McGaughey, Director of Special Education, at Deer Lakes School District, 163 East Union Road, Cheswick, PA 15024 or 724/265-5300 Ext. 2647

Class Rank and Grade Weighting System

• The Board authorizes a system that does not rank students but does measure their achievement by cumulative weighted average, for students in grades 9-12.
• Click here for grading periods.

1. A legend of letter grades and corresponding percentages will be displayed on the report card and transcripts, for example, 97% -100% = A+.

2. The parent/student will have the option of placing class rank on transcripts. 

3. Point values will be assigned according to the Level of Course taken. One (1) point will be added on for each credit of the Level 3 course taken. Five-tenths (.5) points will be added on for each credit of the Level 2 course taken.

The courses listed in this book have been assigned a value so that the level of difficulty of a given course can be clearly understood by students and parents.

Level 1: Courses emphasize fundamental concepts, basic writing and vocabulary, and practice of necessary skills and tasks. 

Level 2: Honors Level Courses emphasize the development of complex concepts, expanded writing and vocabulary, and the introduction of more involved tasks and skills. These courses have additional rigor and students should expect more individual assignments and the need for self-directed learning.

Level 3: Advanced Placement Courses emphasize the development and utilization of complex skills, intricate concepts, advanced writing and vocabulary, and higher-order cognitive tasks. These courses are extremely rigorous and are taught at the collegiate level. The time commitment of these courses is at least double that of an honors-level course.

NOTE: The Administration will attempt to include every course in the schedule that is listed in this book. However, if the demand for a course exceeds available space or if the demand is too limited, students may be asked to make an alternate choice. 

Initial Schedule
Before the end of the school year, students will receive a course selection request for the upcoming year. Changes may be made until August 15th by returning the course selection request to the Guidance Office. Once the school year begins, no schedule changes will be made without administrative approval.

Full-Year Courses
After school starts, course changes for year-long courses will only be made at the end of the first and second marking periods for students experiencing academic difficulty and with administrative approval.  

Because of these deadlines, it is very important that schedules be examined closely by the student and parent so changes are not necessary. Scheduling a course is a commitment for the entire school year! Please make your course selections carefully.

Course Withdrawal
Students must drop a course at the required time of 9 weeks for a year-long course and 4-1/2 weeks for a semester course.  All course withdrawals must have administrative approval.  

The Deer Lakes High School’s Guidance Department reserves the right to change students’ schedules based on aptitude and for the purpose of individual student achievement.  The Guidance office will make students aware of the situation as changes are made; be assured this will only be done with the student’s best interest in mind.  The goal of the Guidance Department is for every child to achieve academically and develop intellectually to his/her fullest ability.

English Application A

Grade 9     1.00 Credit      Level 1     Course # 1110
This course emphasizes the fundamental language skills of reading, writing, speaking, listening, thinking, viewing and presenting. Emphasis on vocabulary and composition skills will be an on-going part of the program. The course includes studies of various literary genres: short story, poetry, novel, drama, and non-fiction. The development of critical reading and writing skills are a major emphasis of the course.  The course is designed to aid students to become stronger readers and writers.