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:
COURSES
| AREA OF STUDY | TOTAL CREDITS NEEDED |
| English | 4.00 |
| Social Studies | 4.00 |
| *Mathematics | 4.00 |
| Science | 3.00 |
| Technology | 2.00 |
| **Physical Education/Health | 1.50 |
| Arts or Humanities | 2.00 |
| Electives | 3.50 |
| TOTAL | 24.00 |
* 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 INFORMATIONAct 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 score. 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