Program of Studies
Graduation Requirements
| Subject Area | NMRHS Graduation Requirements | Required By MA State Colleges & Universities | Recommended By Most 4-Year Colleges | Recommended By Highly Selective Colleges |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| English Language Arts | 4 full credit courses | 4 courses | 4 courses | 4 courses |
| Mathematics | 4 full credit courses | 4 courses | 4 courses | 4 courses |
| Social Studies | 3 full credit courses * Students must pass the Civic Action Project in US History 2 | 3 courses Including US History | 3 courses Including US History | 4 courses Including US History, World History, & Economics |
| Science | 3 full credit Lab courses | 3 lab courses | 3 lab courses including Biology, Chemistry, & Physics | 4 lab courses including Biology, Chemistry, & Physics |
| World Language | 2 high school credit courses in the same language | 2 high school courses in the same language | 2-3 high school courses in the same language | 3-4 high school courses in the same language |
| Physical Education | 4 half credit courses | Varies by college/university | Varies by college/university | Varies by college/university |
| Arts (music, visual, drama) | 1 half credit course | Varies by college/university | Varies by college/university | Varies by college/university |
| Electives | Any combination of offered electives such as business education, technology, arts, etc. [27.5 credits] | |||
* Civic Action Project - Graduation Requirements
In accordance with Massachusetts State Law and a mandate through the Department of Secondary Education, all students at North Middlesex Regional High School must participate in a Civic Action Project in order to fulfill all graduation requirements. The Civics Action Project will be embedded into the US History II curriculum to ensure full access and participation for all students. In the event that a student(s) is dual-enrolled during junior and/or senior years he/she will work directly with the department head (or a designee) and be provided an opportunity to complete an independent Civics Action Project.
Competency Determination Policy
As you may be aware, under Massachusetts state regulations, students must meet both local graduation requirements and state competency determination requirements in order to receive a high school diploma. Graduation requirements are described in the NMRHS Program of Studies. In the past, the Massachusetts Competency Determination requirement was met through successfully passing the MCAS test in ELA, Math and Science & Technology/Engineering. In November 2024, there was a state ballot question which discontinued the use of the MCAS for determining competency in the content areas. While MCAS testing still occurs, we can not use the test results as part of meeting the state competency requirement. Each district was asked to identify how we will measure student competency in ELA, Math, and Science and Technology/Engineering (and in History and Social Sciences beginning with the Class of 2027). The term competency essentially means that a student has mastered the skills and standards for the particular content area.
The leadership team began working last year on developing a method for determining competency. This included working with the NM School Committee policy subcommittee to revise our school committee policy. At the August school committee meeting, the proposed revision was presented to the committee for consideration. Subsequently, at the September 16th school committee meeting, the policy was again discussed and voted on for approval.
Linked below is the policy, including translations of the policy, so that you can better understand the pathways for each student to demonstrate competency while working towards achieving a high school diploma.
* NMRSD Competency Determination Policy (IKFA)
* NMRSD Competency Determination Policy (IKFA) (Spanish)
* NMRSD Competency Determination Policy (IKFA) (Portuguese)
* NMRSD Competency Determination Policy (IKFA) (Chinese SImplified)