Academic Information and Graduation Requirements - High School

ACADEMIC COUNSELING

Counselors are available in each school to assist students with their problems and concerns of an academic, a vocational or a personal nature.  Parents are encouraged to make an appointment to discuss their child’s problems or progress with counselors and/or their child’s faculty advisor and/or teacher(s).

Information concerning post-secondary education and training, college admissions testing, (ACT, SAT, COMPASS, Accuplacer etc.), scholarship searches, military options, and career decision-making is also available through classroom guidance and individual guidance services.  Parents and students are encouraged to utilize all of the services provided by the Georgia Student Finance Commission website, for helping students plan, apply, and pay for college.

PROMOTION/RETENTION POLICY

Students are classified and must have earned the appropriate number of units listed below to enter the respective grade highlighted in the following grid.

Promotion to the next grade requires students to pass the core course work prior to taking the next required course, i.e. ninth grade literature before taking tenth grade literature.  This applies to all core content. (See chart

 

Students will be asked to make up course work not passed by attending credit recovery programs where students may need to pay for repeated course work.

END OF COURSE TESTING

End-of-Course Tests will be given in the fall, spring, and summer to students who are enrolled in the following courses:

• American Literature and Composition
• Biology
• United States History
• Algebra: Concepts & Connections

Students enrolled in these courses regardless of their grade level, will be required to take the End-of-Course Tests. 

GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS

Juniors and seniors transferring into Emanuel County Schools can meet state graduation requirements and be exempt from system requirements if meeting system requirements would delay graduation.

Students graduating must meet all unit requirements for graduation or complete the requirements of an Accelerated Career Diploma or meet the requirements for a “Diploma of Performance” as specified in a student’s Individual Education Plan (IEP), to walk in the graduation ceremonies.  Additional information can be found in the Student Services section on the district website.

High School Course Requirements

Course Requirements:

English/Language Arts	4
Mathematics	4
Science	4
Social Studies	4
CTAE/Modern Lang./Latin/Fine Arts	3
Health and Physical Education(.5 unit each)	1
Elective	8
TOTAL UNITS (MINIMUM)	28

 

ACCELERATED CAREER DIPLOMA (Formerly Option B)

Accelerated Career Diploma, previously known as Option B, Senate Bill 2 or O.C.G.A. 20- 2-149.2, provides qualified students an alternate path to high school graduation. The Accelerated Career Diploma path to a high school diploma is designed for those students who have already chosen a career path in which they will be ready to begin work upon earning either 1) two Technical Certificates in one of several eligible career pathways, 2) a technical diploma or 3) an associate degree while simultaneously completing the 9 required high school courses to earn a high school diploma. These students will graduate with the necessary credential to move on to their chosen path in the world of work.  Accelerated Career Diploma students that are eligible to graduate early will graduate at the time they finish coursework.  They can submit an appeal to walk with their original class but with an understanding, they graduate the year earlier.

GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS FOR ACCELERATED CAREER DIPLOMA

Student earning an Accelerated Career Diploma must earn the minimum 9 high school requirements plus the required Technical College Credentials.

Accelerated Career Diploma Course Requirements:

Course Requirements:

English/Language Art (American Lit/EOC is required)	2
Mathematics (Algebra: C & C is required)	2
Science (Biology is required)	2
Social Studies (US History is recommended)	2
Health and Physical Education (.5 unit each)	1
TOTAL HIGH SCHOOL UNITS (MINIMUM)	9

 

Complete any of the following Technical College Credentials:

• Any one Associate Degree      
• 2 sequenced Technical Certificates of Credit (TCC’s) as required by the Technical College
• Any one Diploma Program

HIGH SCHOOL REQUIRED /CORE/ELECTIVE CREDIT

Core area courses successfully completed may not be repeated except as determined by an administrator as being necessary for success in later courses.  In that case, only elective credit will be awarded.

ADVANCED PLACEMENT PROGRAM (AP)

Advanced Placement (AP) courses give students a head start on college while they are still in the supportive environment of a high school classroom. Advanced Placement courses provide in-depth study in a number of subjects and preparation for national tests administered by the College Board. These examinations are scored on a scale of one to five, with five being the highest score. Upon entering college, many students who performed well on the Advanced Placement exams will receive college credit and/or advanced placement in their college course work. Each college determines its own Advanced Placement policy and will specify the score on each exam necessary for credit or advanced standing. A significant number of colleges and universities grant advanced standing to students who begin their studies with credits earned through the Advanced Placement program.

Students who are enrolled in an AP course are strongly encouraged to take the exam in an effort to receive college credit for the course. The cost of the exam is the responsibility of the student, which cost approximately $95 per exam. The College Board offers fee waivers to reduce the cost of the exam for students from families who qualify. Students should contact their school counselor for more information.

HONOR GRADUATE

In order to qualify as an Honor Graduate from his/her high school, a student seeking a regular education diploma must have attained a non-rounded 90 or better average for the four (4) years of high school and attained at least 28 Carnegie credits.  All transfer grades must have been from a SACS-approved school or the equivalent.  

No residency requirement exists concerning the qualification of Honor Graduate.  Grades from Dual Enrollment classes will be considered in calculations of the numerical averages.  Grades from Honors courses and approved Dual Enrollment courses will be weighted and considered in calculations of the numerical averages.  

For purposes of identifying honor graduates, the averages shall be computed at the conclusion of the third nine weeks of the fourth year.

CLASS RANKING/GRADE WEIGHTING

Courses identified as Honors courses or Dual Enrollment courses eligible for weighting will receive the following weight: 

Honors = 1.05

Dual Enrollment = 1.10

Advanced Placement = 1.10

This weighting is not applied to individual grades on the transcript but is applied when the cumulative average is calculated. Courses with no identifier or identified as advanced earn no weighting. Class rank is determined by the weighted cumulative grade point average and is computed on a 100 point scale. Beginning FY22 for New Dual Enrollment students in 9th and 10th grades: Weighting is only applied for dual enrollment courses that are comprised of the 30 Hope paid hours.

This will apply only to a student’s class rank, eligibility to be an honor graduate, and distinction of salutatorian and valedictorian.

VALEDICTORIAN AND SALUTATORIAN

The valedictorian and salutatorian for each graduating class shall be those students who have attained the highest academic averages of students receiving college prep diplomas.  No student shall be entitled to be valedictorian or salutatorian who does not enroll at the respective high school during the first ten (10) days of his/her senior year and must be enrolled the final semester of senior year.

For purposes of identifying the valedictorian and the salutatorian for respective classes, the averages shall be computed at the conclusion of the third nine weeks of the fourth year.

Credit in lieu of course work will not be included in the academic overall average.

Valedictorian will be the student with the highest class ranking after grades are weighted.  Salutatorian will be the student with the second highest class ranking after grades are weighted.

GEORGIA SCHOLAR

Through the Georgia Scholar program, the Department identifies and honors high school seniors who have achieved excellence in school and community life. The program is coordinated by the Department’s Excellence Recognition Office and through local coordinators in each public school system and in private schools throughout the state. Each Georgia Scholar receives a seal for his or her diploma.

Students eligible for Georgia Scholar recognition are high school seniors who exhibit excellence in all phases of school life, in community activities, and in the home. Georgia Scholars are students who have carried exemplary course loads during the four years of high school; who performed excellently in all courses; who successfully participated in interscholastic events at their school and in their communities; and who have assumed active roles in extracurricular activities sponsored by their school. ​

The recognition is open to any student who qualifies. Students need to speak to their counselor about the Georgia Scholar Program criteria.

GEORGIA GOVERNOR’S HONORS PROGRAM

The Georgia Governor’s Honors Program (GHP) is a residential summer program for gifted and talented high school students who will be rising juniors and seniors during the program.  The program offers instruction that is significantly different from the typical high school classroom and that is designed to provide students with academic, cultural, and social enrichment necessary to become the next generation of global critical thinkers, innovators, and leaders.

GHP is held in mid-summer (mid-June to mid-July) as a residential educational experience on a college or university campus.  Students attend classes in the mornings and afternoons in specific areas of study, and they participate in a wide variety of social and instructional opportunities every evening.  Meals and rooms are provided by the program with the only required and expected costs to the students being travel expenses to and from the interviews, a few basic supplies for classes and dorm rooms, and spending money as desired during the program.

COMPETITIVE INTERSCHOLASTIC ACTIVITIES ELIGIBILITY

All students participating in competitive interscholastic activities, as defined by GHSA, must be on track for graduation and meet eligibility requirements.  

Eligibility is based on the subjects/units passed the previous term and being “on track” which is based on the accumulated Units at the end of each school year.  Summer school is considered part of the second semester/ term.

First-year students (entering 9th grade) are eligible academically.  Second semester first-year students must have passed at least three (3) courses the previous semester in order to participate.  A student has eight (8) consecutive semesters or four (4) consecutive years of eligibility for interscholastic competition.  Date of entry is defined as the first date of enrollment as a student taking two (2) or more high school subjects.  To be eligible to participate in interscholastic activities, a student must not have reached his/her nineteenth birthday prior to May 1, preceding the year of participation.

GHSA ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS*

                      Block

Units passed previous term   2.5

On-track at end of year one   5

On-track at end of year two 11

On-track at end of year three 17

*Schools have the discretion to increase eligibility requirements.  Contact the athletic director, at the school you attend, to verify requirements.

If spring semester and summer school are being used to determine fall eligibility, then the semester averages and subjects passed will involve ALL subjects taken in spring semester and summer school.  The course must be listed in the school course offering and credit must be applied toward graduation.  Independent study course credit taken in summer school is not acceptable for gaining eligibility.  In determining eligibility for students, summer school credits earned on non-accredited home study programs or non-accredited private schools are not recognized.  Accreditation recognized under this rule shall be from one of the following: Georgia Accrediting Commission, a national or regional accreditation agency.  Eligibility is concerned with subjects/units passed the previous semester, and grades made in that semester.

If a student has an incomplete (only given with approval of the principal as stated in this handbook: pg. 34), all work must be completed within the first fourteen (14) calendar days after the close of the semester.  Students who are ineligible for extracurricular activities cannot participate in ANY competitive interscholastic activity.  Ineligible students cannot practice or travel with the team or program even though the team or program will not be in operation until the next school year.

Students who have an unexcused absence for one-half (½) or more of the school day on the day of the activity shall not participate in that activity unless granted permission by the principal.

HOPE PROGRAM

The HOPE (Helping Outstanding Students Educationally) grant and scholarship programs will assist graduating high school students, who meet certain requirements, with financial assistance for post-secondary study at Georgia public colleges, universities or technical institutes and in some instances, private institutions.  Counselors can provide additional information to students and parents