The Advanced Technology Academy graduation requirements are designed to prepare students for college and the modern global business market.

Number of Classes: Students shall be registered each semester for seven periods of instruction carrying a minimum of 3.5 credits per semester. College classes may be substituted for high school classes in accordance with the State of Michigan guidelines.

Academic Assessments: All students are required for graduation to take all of the following tests and evaluations for which they are eligible:

--ACT Explore
--ACT Plan
--ACT
--MEAP - Students will take and continue to take at every available opportunity the MEAP evaluation until they have achieved or exceed a score that meets state requirements to obtain a Michigan Merit Award.

WorkKeys – Students will take the WorkKeys tests in the 10th grade and will continue to take the evaluation at every opportunity until they have received a passing score on all sections and obtain a Michigan Merit Award.

ACT Career Readiness Exams

Community Service Requirement: The Advanced Technology Academy recognizes the importance of the school in the local community and wishes to strengthen ties between the school and the greater community. In order to achieve this goal, all students must now fulfill a community service. All freshmen are required to work 40 hours of approved community service over the four years that they attend ATA.

Credit Requirements

In order to phase in the requirements for students who have already been enrolled at the Academy, a sliding schedule of requirements is in effect.

Freshmen (Class of 2012)
28 academic credits
40 hours of approved community service
Sophomores (Class of 2011)
28 academic credits
40 hours of approved community service
Juniors (Class of 2010)
28 academic credits
40 hours of approved community service
Seniors (Class of 2009)
27 academic credits
20 hours of approved community service

Time Requirements

Each student shall participate in a senior high school program for at least eight semesters. Students must take a full day of classes (7). The academy does not provide study halls. Students may not withdraw from a class. Students may not audit a class.

Ford PAS Requirements

As the Ford PAS curriculum is at the core of the Academy academic program, students are required to take any Ford PAS courses offered at the Academy when directed to do so
by Academy administration. The high school counselor will notify students when a Ford PAS course is required.

Required Courses

A minimum of 15.0 credits must be earned in the following areas:

English…………………………………………4.0 units
--3.5 Language Arts, Writing, Literature
--0.5 Speech
Mathematics……………………………………4.0 units
Science…………………………………………3.0 units
Social Studies…………………………………..3.0 units
--0.5 American Government
--1.0 Economics
--1.0 U.S. History
--0.5 Introduction to Psychology
Physical Education……………………………..0.5 unit
Health…………………………………………..0.5 unit
Computer Instruction…………………………..1.0 units
On-line Course ………………………………...0.5 unit

The specific classes in the fundamental disciplines of English, Math and Science will be determined the Michigan Merit Curriculum and by the requirements associated with the student’s choice of their individual Career Pathway in either:

--Engineering Technology
--Engineering Management
--Ford PAS Business
--Health Care

Additional Graduation Requirements

Incoming ninth grade students commencing with the 2007-2008 school year shall be required to pass all Advanced Technology Academy high school classes including Ford PAS classes and Michigan Merit Curriculum classes offered by the high school.

Grading Scale

The following is the grading scale used by the Advanced Technology Academy high school:

A, A-, B+, B, B-,C+,C,C-,D+,D,D-,F (below 60%)

Credit for Home Schooling

A home schooling course is given credit toward graduation if after the course is evaluated it proves to be the equivalent to a class offered at a high school level. It will be necessary for the parent or student to supply a course outline and copies of tests and/or written work performed. All students are required to take a test for placement into classes at the Academy.

Placement and Promotion Policy

The Advanced Technology Academy Board of Directors recognizes that education growth of children will vary and that they should be placed in an educational setting most appropriate to their needs. Such placement is made to draw the greatest educational benefit from the instructional program of the Academy and attain success with the Academy’s rigorous curriculum.

No student will be placed in a grade where the student has not achieved the instructional objectives set for a particular educational grade level.

In line with the Placement and Promotion Policy adopted by the Board on March 21,
2007 the administration shall:

1. Not withstanding an incoming student’s previous grade level, place the student in a grade level consistent with his or her academic achievement as demonstrated by the student’s performance on a nationally recognized achievement test administered by the Advanced Technology Academy. Students may be placed up to two grade levels less than their previous grade level at another school.

2. Promote any current student in grades 1 through 8 only if they have substantially demonstrated by performance on a nationally recognized achievement test administered by the Academy that the student has achieved the grade level content expectations of the material.

DUAL ENROLLMENT FOR DAVENPORT UNIVERSITY

The Advanced Technology Academy has a dual enrollment program with Davenport University. By working with Davenport University, ATA is able to offer students the opportunity to earn college credits while still enrolled in high school. It is the goal of ATA that every student makes substantial progress towards an Associate's Degree before finishing high school. Meeting this goal will require that students enroll in as many Davenport University registered courses as soon as possible in their high school careers.

By earning college credits, at no cost, in engineering, math, science, business and health care, ATA students can take a sizable head start in their college educations. After high school, ATA students can easily matriculate to Davenport University and have all earned college credit follow them. This allows ATA students to earn their Bachelor’s Degree in less time and at much less cost than would normally be required.

Note: Do to changes in the Michigan Curriculum Standards, the Class of 2009 (seniors) may have portions of these credits waived or modified with the approval
of the Principal and School Counselor.

The above academic regulations are in effect at the time of printing of this Handbook. Regulations may be modified based upon revisions in state law, action
by the State Board of Education, action of the Advanced Technology Academy Board of Directors or revised administrative interpretations of the Academy.