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FILE: JFD
ALABAMA HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS
1. COURSE REQUIREMENTS
The Alabama courses of study shall be followed in determining minimum required content in each discipline. Students seeking the Alabama High School Diploma with Advanced Academic Endorsement shall complete advanced level work in the core curriculum. Students seeking the Alternate Adult High School Diploma shall complete the prescribed credits for the Alabama High School Diploma and pass the test of General Education Development (GED).
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COURSE
REQUIREMENTS
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Alabama
High
School Diploma
Credits
|
Alabama
High
School
Diploma
with
Advanced
Academic
Endorsement
Credits
|
Alternate
Adult
High School
Diploma
Credits
|
|
ENGLISH
LANGUAGE ARTS
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4
|
4
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4
|
|
Four
credits to include the equivalent of:
English
9
English
10
English
11
English
12
|
1
1
1
1
|
1
1
1
1
|
1
1
1
1
|
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MATHEMATICS
|
4
|
4
|
4
|
|
Four
credits to include the equivalent of:
Algebra
I
Geometry
Algebra
II with Trigonometry
Mathematics
Elective(s)
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1
1
2
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1
1
1
1
|
1
1
2
|
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SCIENCE
|
4
|
4
|
4
|
|
Four
credits to include the equivalent of:
Biology
A
physical science
Science
Electives
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1
1
2
|
1
1
2
|
1
1
2
|
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SOCIAL
STUDIES*
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4
|
4
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4
|
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Four
credits to include the equivalent of:
Grade
9
Social Studies
Grade
10
Social Studies
Grade
11
Social Studies
Grade
12
Social Studies
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1
1
1
1
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1
1
1
1
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1
1
1
1
|
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PHYSICAL
EDUCATION
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1
|
1
|
1
|
|
HEALTH
EDUCATION
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0.5
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0.5
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0.5
|
|
ARTS
EDUCATION
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0.5
|
0.5
|
0.5
|
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COMPUTER
APPLICATIONS**
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0.5
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0.5
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0.5
|
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FOREIGN
LANGUAGE***
|
|
2
|
|
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ELECTIVES
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5.5
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3.5
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5.5
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Local
boards shall offer foreign languages, fine
arts, physical education, wellness
education, career/technical education, and
driver education as electives.
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TOTAL
CREDITS
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24
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24
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24
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* All four required credits in Social Studies shall comply with the current Alabama Course of Study.
** May be waived if competencies outlined in the computer applications course are demonstrated to qualified staff in the local school system. The designated one-half credit shall then be added to the electives credits, making a total of six electives credits.
*** Students earning the diploma with the advanced academic endorsement shall successfully complete two credits in the same foreign language.
2. ASSESSMENT REQUIREMENTS - Pass the required statewide assessment for graduation.
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1.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS
Effective
for students with disabilities as defined by the
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (Public
Law
101-476) who begin the tenth grade in the 1997-98
school year, students must earn the course credits
outlined in
Ala. Admin. Code r. 290-3-1-.02(8)(g)1. and
successfully complete an approved occupational
portfolio in order to
be awarded the Alabama Occupational Diploma.
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COURSE
REQUIREMENTS
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Alabama
Occupational Diploma
Credits
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ENGLISH
LANGUAGE ARTS
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4
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Four
credits to include the equivalent of:
Employment
English I
Employment
English II
Employment
English III
Applied
Employment English IV
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1
1
1
1
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MATHEMATICS
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4
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Four
credits to include the equivalent of:
Job
Skills Math I
Job
Skills Math II
Job
Skills Math III
Applied
Job Skills Math IV
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1
1
1
1
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SCIENCE
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4
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Four
credits to include the equivalent of:
Life
Skills Science I
Life
Skills Science II
Life
Skills Science III
Applied
Life Skills Science IV
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1
1
1
1
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SOCIAL
STUDIES
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4
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Four
credits to include the equivalent of:
Career
Preparation I
Career
Preparation II
Career
Preparation III
Applied
Career Preparation IV
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1
1
1
1
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CAREER/TECHNICAL
EDUCATION
*Cooperative
Career/Technical Education
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2
1
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HEALTH
EDUCATION
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0.5
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PHYSICAL
EDUCATION
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1
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ARTS
EDUCATION
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0.5
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ELECTIVES
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3
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Existing
laws require LEAs to offer arts education,
physical education, wellness education,
career/technical education, and driver
education as electives.
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TOTAL
CREDITS
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24
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*May
be a part of the two credits for Career/Technical
Education.
The designated one credit for Cooperative
Education will then be added to the electives,
making a total of four electives.
2.
ASSESSMENT REQUIREMENTS
Complete
successfully an approved Alabama Occupational
Diploma Portfolio for graduation.
Alabama
High School Diploma with Career/Technical
Endorsement and
Alabama
High School Diploma with Advanced Career/Technical
Endorsement
1.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS
Effective
for students who begin the ninth or tenth grade in
the 1999-2000 school year, students may earn an
Alabama High School Diploma with Career/Technical
Endorsement or an Alabama High School Diploma with
Advanced Career/Technical Endorsement by completing
the required credits in the core curriculum
consistent with guidelines established by the State
Department of Education and local boards and a
coherent sequence of three career/technical courses
in a career major.
For the advanced career/technical
endorsement, advanced level work must be completed;
and core curriculum requirements may be satisfied by
credit earned through applied academic courses or
embedded or substitute credit situations.
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COURSE
REQUIREMENTS
|
Alabama
High School Diploma
with
Career/Technical
Endorsement
Credits
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Alabama
High School Diploma
with Advanced Career/Technical
Endorsement
Credits
|
|
ENGLISH
LANGUAGE ARTS
|
4
|
4
|
|
Four
credits to include the equivalent of:
English
9
English
10
English
11
English
12
|
1
1
1
1
|
1
1
1
1
|
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MATHEMATICS
|
4
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4
|
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Three
credits to include the equivalent of:
Algebra
I
Geometry
Algebra
II with Trigonometry
Mathematics
Electives (1 may be embedded)
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1
1
2
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1
1
1
1
|
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SCIENCE
|
4
|
4
|
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Two
credits to include the equivalent of:
Biology
A
physical science
Science
Electives (1 may be embedded or substituted)
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1
1
2
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1
1
2
|
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SOCIAL
STUDIES*
|
4
|
4
|
|
Four
credits to include the equivalent of:
Grade
9 Social
Studies
Grade
10
Social Studies
Grade
11
Social Studies
Grade
12
Social Studies
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1
1
1
1
|
1
1
1
1
|
|
PHYSICAL
EDUCATION
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1
|
1
|
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HEALTH
EDUCATION
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0.5
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0.5
|
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ARTS
EDUCATION
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0.5
|
0.5
|
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COMPUTER
APPLICATIONS**
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1
|
1
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CAREER/TECHNICAL
EDUCATION
(sequenced
program of courses)***
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3
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3
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ELECTIVES****
|
2
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2
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Local
boards shall offer foreign languages, arts
education, physical education, wellness
education, career/technical preparation, and
driver education as elective credits.
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TOTAL
CREDITS
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24
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24
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*
All four required credits in Social Studies
shall comply with the current Alabama
Course of Study.
**
May be waived if competencies outlined in the
computer applications course are demonstrated to
qualified staff in the local school system.
The designated one credit will then be added
to the elective credits, making a total of three
elective credits.
***
The Alabama courses of study shall be
followed in determining minimum requirements for the
coherent sequence of career/technical education
courses.
****
Students may earn the advanced
career/technical and the advanced academic
endorsements concurrently if the elective credits as
outlined above are used to earn the required credits
in foreign language.
2.
ASSESSMENT REQUIREMENTS
Pass the required statewide assessment for
graduation.
COURSE INFORMATION
1. English Language Arts Required Courses. Students
must earn four (4) credits to include the
equivalent of one credit each of English 9, English
10, English 11, and English 12. The content for each
of these courses is prescribed by the Alabama Course
of Study: English Language Arts.
2. Mathematics Required Courses. Students must earn
four (4) credits from courses in the seven (7)
categories listed below, including the equivalent of
one credit each of Algebra I and Geometry and for a
diploma with the advanced academic endorsement, one
credit of Algebra II with Trigonometry. The content
for each of the courses listed below is prescribed
by the Alabama Course of Study: Mathematics.
1. Introduction to Algebra.
2. Algebra I.
3. Geometry.
4. Algebra II with Trigonometry.
5. Mathematics in Society (Prerequisite: Algebra 1).
The course shall be defined in the 1997 Alabama
Course of Study: Mathematics.
6. Embedded Mathematics Credit (Prerequisite:
Algebra I and Geometry).
1. Advanced Mathematics.
3. Science Required Courses. Students must earn four
(4) credits from courses in the six (6) categories
listed below to include the equivalent of one credit
each of Biology and a Physical Science, and for the
advanced academic endorsement diploma, two credits
of an Additional Life
and/or Physical Science. The content for each of the
courses listed below is prescribed by the Alabama
Course of Study: Science.
1. Biology.
2. A Physical Science.
3. Earth and Space Science.
4. Additional Life Science (Prerequisite:
Biology).
5. Additional Physical Science.
6. Embedded Science Credit (Prerequisites: Biology
and a Physical Science).
4. Social Studies Required Courses. Students must
earn four (4) credits to include the equivalent
of one credit in grade 9, one credit of World
History in grade 10, one credit of United
States History in grade 11, and one-half credit each
of American Government and Economics in grade 12.
The content for each of the courses listed-below is
prescribed by the Alabama Course of Study: Social
Studies. AP European History may be substituted for
World History, IB History of the Americas I may be
substituted for U.S. History, and History of the
Americas II may be substituted for American
Government and Economics.
5.
Other Required Courses. Students must successfully
complete the following courses. The content for each
of these courses is prescribed by the applicable
Alabama Course of Study.
1. Physical Education. - One credit.
2. Health Education. One-half credit.
3. Computer Applications. - One-half credit.
4. Fine Arts - One-half credit.
5. Foreign Language. Students earning the diploma
with the advanced academic endorsement must
successfully complete two credits in the same
foreign language.
6. Applied Academic Courses. Applied Academics is
the presentation of subject matter in a way that
integrates a particular academic discipline such as
mathematics, science, or English with work-force
applications and hands-on laboratory experiences
dealing with practical equipment and devices. These
courses must have a structured curriculum, undergo
rigorous scrutiny including pilot testing and have
the approval of the State Superintendent.
7. Embedded Credit. Embedded Credit is credit
awarded for satisfactory completion of a designated,
sequential career/technical program containing
embedded academic content from the core
curriculum.
Embedded credit can be awarded in the 11th or 12th
grade when the student completes a career/technical
program that qualifies for award of embedded credit
as approved by the SDE. Program completion is
defined as earning three (3) or more credits in a
career/technical program. A maximum of one (1) math
embedded credit and/or one (1) science embedded
credit can be earned by an individual student. When
embedded academic credit is awarded, the number
of
credits identified on the transcript as
career/technical credits earned will be reduced by
the number granted for embedded academic
credit.
ALABAMA OCCUPATIONAL DIPLOMA INFORMATION
1. The School District offers students with
disabilities the option to earn an Alabama
Occupational Diploma in all high schools in the
School District. The School District provides for
each eligible student to participate in general,
career/technical, and special education courses, as
appropriate, for meeting graduation requirements.
Eligible students completing the requirements shown
above shall be awarded an Alabama Occupational
Diploma.
2. Each student completing the program must have an
approved occupational portfolio containing a
collection of evidence of the student's knowledge,
skills, abilities, and employment
competencies.
Page 5 of 6
3. The IEP committee shall select a program of study
leading toward the Alabama High School Diploma, the
Alabama Occupational Diploma, or the Graduation
Certificate, and document this
decision on the IEP developed during the student's
ninth grade year, or the IEP developed during the
year prior to the student's 16th birthday, whichever
occurs first. This decision must be reviewed
annually.
4. Students may select and move between courses of
study leading to the Alabama High School Diploma,
the Alabama Occupational Diploma, and the Graduation
Certificate, as appropriate. When there is
indecision regarding which diploma option would be
most appropriate for a student, the IEP committee is
strongly encouraged to select the higher of the
options being considered.
5. The Superintendent of Schools will distribute
information explaining the Alabama Occupational
Diploma throughout the School District.
SOURCE: Winston Co. Board of Education, Double
Springs AL
ADOPTED: Jun. 24, 1986; REVISED: Aug. 22, 1989; May
21, 1996; Sep. 4, 1997; July 7, 1998, July 27, 1999;
August 17, 1999; July 6, 2000; Sept. 14, 2000;
August 7, 2001; July 31, 2003
LEGAL REF.: Alabama Legislature - Foundation
Program, Alabama Administrative Code Rule
290-3-1-.02 (8) (a) – (g).
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