Overview

Navigate to Grade Reporting > Configurations > Graduation Endorsements Setup

The Graduation Endorsements Setup page allows districts to define endorsement plans for students, which are a series of related courses that are grouped together by interest or skill set in order to provide students with in-depth knowledge of a subject area, as defined in the Texas Administrative Code. Districts can add additional endorsements as needed.

• Endorsements consists of one or more pathways. At least one pathway should be created for each of the state-required endorsements: 
  • Arts and humanities
  • Business and industry
  • Multidisciplinary studies
  • Public services
  • Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM)
• Each pathway contains one or more requirements.
• Each requirement consist of one or more course clusters.
• A course cluster is a list of courses and required credits for meeting the requirement.

Once created, the graduation endorsement plan can be added to a student's academic plan where you can track a student's progress. See Texas - Academic Plan.

The student's progress is also displayed on the Profile and Graduation Status pages.

• If an endorsement has multiple pathways, a student who completes any one of the pathways will earn the endorsement.
• If a pathway has multiple requirements, all requirements must be met for the student to complete that pathway.
• If a requirement has multiple course clusters exist, any one of the clusters will fulfill the requirement. 

Security  ↑

Steps  ↑

The five graduation endorsements and any existing pathways are listed.

1. Click Add Endorsement Pathway to add a pathway, or click the Edit icon to edit an existing pathway. The Add/Edit Pathway page opens allowing you to add a pathway.
   
   
2. Select one of the state-defined endorsements, or select Add New Endorsement Code to add a local endorsement.
   1. If adding an endorsement code, a window opens prompting you to specify a Code and Description.
      
   2. Add the required information and click Save. The Add Endorsement Code window closes.
      
      NOTE: Endorsement Codes can also be added on Update Code Table (GEP.EC).
      
      
3. Type a descriptive name for the new pathway.
   
   
4. Click Add Requirement to add requirements for the pathway. A pathway must have at least one requirement.
   
   A section opens at the bottom of the page allowing you to add a requirement and its course clusters.
   
   Requirement Name - Type a descriptive name for the requirement.
   
   Cohort Range - If the requirement is specific to one or more cohorts of students, select the schoolyear range to which it applies. 
   • Leave the second field blank if the requirement applies to all cohorts beyond the cohort selected in the first field.
   • Leave both fields blank if the requirement applies to all cohorts.
     
     
     
5. Click Add Cluster, or click Copy Clusterif a similar cluster already exists. A requirement must have at least one cluster.
   • If copying a cluster, a window opens allowing you to select an existing cluster. Select the cluster and then modify it as needed using the following steps.
     
     
   • If adding a cluster:
     
     The Course Clusters section opens at the bottom of the page.
     
     
     
     1. Cluster Name - Type a descriptive name for the course cluster.
        
        
     2. Required Credits- Enter the number of credits needed to meet the requirement.
        
        NOTE: Courses can be required or not required. If not required but taken, the credit counts toward the Required Credits for the course cluster.
        
        
     3. Click AND to add required courses to a cluster. 
     4. If there are multiple options for a particular required course, click AND to add the course, then click OR to add alternate courses for the requirement.
     5. If any course within a group of courses counts toward the Required Credits, click ANY.
        
        A window opens allowing you to select one or more courses.
        
        There are two options for selecting courses: Individual or Course Sequence.
        • Individual Courses
          • Use the search field to locate specific courses.
            • Courses can be filtered according to column headings. Click the Filter icon.
            • Note that inactive courses can be selected and are identified in the Stat (Status) column.
            • To search for specific courses using Characteristics or Service ID, expand the Additional Filterstab.
              • Select any additional filter criteria and click Apply Filters.
              • To clear any applied filters, click Clear All Filters.
                
                
          • Select one or more required courses, and click OK. The window closes and the required courses are added to the cluster.
            
            
          • If there are multiple options for a particular required course, click OR. A window opens allowing you to select one or more alternate course.
            • Use the search field to locate a specific courses as described above.
            • Select on or more alternate courses, and click OK. The window closes and the alternate courses are added to the cluster with the ORlabel.
              • Click the Plus icon to add additional alternate courses.
              • Click the Delete icon to remove an alternate course from the list.
            • Within the OR group, courses can be linked within an AND ALSO group to indicate that all courses listed within that AND ALSO group are required to fulfil the OR cluster. This is helpful when a course is split into two required components, such as Fall and Spring, that together equal the full course.
          • In the Max Creditsfield for each group:
            • If Max Credits is 0: When courses are grouped under an OR group, only one of the courses, or AND ALSO group of courses, can be used to fulfil that cluster requirement.  

            • If Max Credit is greater than 0: Multiple courses, or AND ALSO group of courses, can be taken an counted up to the total Max Credits.

        • Course Sequence

          • Expand the Academic Course Sequence tab to add required courses from a preexisting course sequence, as set up on the Academic Plan Course Sequence page.
            
            

     6. Click Save.

        • All courses listed in the AND section are required and count toward the Required Credits.

        • Any course listed in the ANY section count toward the Required Credits.

        • If there are courses listed under AND and ANY, the AND courses are required, and the ANY courses count toward the rest of the Required Credits.