For Immediate Release 26 January 2001

Board of Regents Clarifies Regents Scholars Requirements

PIERRE—South Dakota high school graduates will have to complete specific courses if they want to earn the Regents Scholars diploma, according to action taken Thursday by the Board of Regents at its regular business meeting in Pierre.

"The Regents have offered the Regents Scholars diploma for many years," said Regents President Harvey C. Jewett, Aberdeen. "Any South Dakota high school graduate who earns the diploma is offered automatic admittance to any one of the six public universities. Now that the Regents Scholars curriculum has become the foundation for the Governor’s proposed scholarship, we thought that we should clarify specific course requirements so that students would know which what to study."

The Regents’ action Thursday does not increase the total number of courses required or the number in each subject area, said Regents Executive Director Robert T. Tad Perry. "The Regents have identified courses or areas of emphasis that they think will prepare a student to perform college work."

As a result of the action course requirements will be:

• 4 units of English with emphasis on grammar, composition, or literary analysis; one year of debate may be included to meet this requirement
• 4 units of algebra, geometry, trigonometry, or other advanced mathematics including accelerated or honors mathematics (algebra) at the 8^th grade level
• 4 units of science including 3 units of biology, chemistry, or physics in which at least one regular laboratory period is scheduled each week; accelerated or honors science (biology, chemistry, or physics) provided in 8^th grade is acceptable
• 3 units of social studies in history, economics, sociology, geography or government
• 2 units of a modern or classical language; American Sign Language is considered a modern language
• units required for fine arts will meet the minimum requirement for high school graduation established by the South Dakota Board of Education
• ½ unit of computer science, including basic keyboarding, word processing, database and spreadsheet packages, and Internet or other wide area networks.

"Students and their families need to be aware that course selection is very important as they plan their high school curriculum. Every math course has to be on the algebra track. Credits in consumer or business math will not meet the criteria," said Perry.

Perry added that, if the Regents Scholarship proposal advanced by the Governor is funded by the Legislature, the course requirements approved today will be the criteria for deciding who will receive the scholarships.

For more information contact Dr. Robert T. Tad Perry, Executive Director, or Dr. Lesta Turchen, Senior Administrator, (605) 773-3455.