Diploma Requirements for High School

Course and Diploma Requirements for Students Entering the Ninth Grade in 2008 and Beyond

Students must complete at least 23 units to earn a standard high school diploma. 

Subject	Credits	Required Courses	Substitutions
English	4	Ninth-Grade Literature and Composition American Literature and Composition Two additional English courses	AP, IB, or other concurrent courses The Writing, Conventions, and Listening, Speaking and Viewing strands of the Georgia Performance Standards shall be taught in sequence in grades 9-12.
Math	4	Math I or GPS Algebra Math II or GPS Geometry Math III or GPS Advanced Algebra One additional math course	AP, IB, dual enrollment or other math courses aligned to GPS or CCGPS
Science	4	Biology Physical Science or Physics Chemistry, Earth Systems, Environmental Science Fourth science	AP or IB equivalent course Fourth science credit may be used to meet both the science and elective requirements. AP/IB equivalent
Social Studies	3	U.S. History World History 1/2 Credit American Government/Civics 1/2 Credit Economics	AP or IB equivalent course
Health and Physical Education	1	Students shall combine one-half or one-third units of credit from the following courses: Health, Personal Fitness, or Advanced Personal Fitness	Districts may waive this requirement for students who earn three credits in JROTC if the courses include health and physical education curriculum requirements as outlined in state board rule.
Career and Technical Education; modern language/ Latin; or fine arts	3	Students are encouraged to focus on one of the following areas of interest: career and technical education, foreign language or fine arts.	CTAE credits must be taken in a coherent sequence on a pathway leading to a career readiness certificate endorsed by related industries. Districts may award foreign language credit to students whose native language is not English. American Sign Language may be taken to fulfill the modern language requirement.
Electives	4		Fourth science may substitute as an elective credit.
Total Credits	23

AP means Advanced Placement courses; IB means International Baccalaureate courses; CTE means Career and Technical course.

Unit credit is only awarded only for courses that include concepts and skills based on the Georgia Performance Standards (GPS) or Common Core Georgia Performance Standards (CCGPS) for grades 9-12 or those approved by the State Board of Education

Assessment Requirements

Schools administer Georgia Milestones End-of-Course tests in eight associated courses across four subjects, including:

• English language arts: Grade 9 Literature and Composition, American Literature and Composition
• Math: Coordinate Algebra, Algebra I, Geometry, Analytic Geometry
• Science: Biology, Physical Science
• Social studies: U.S. History, Economics

Each exam counts for 20% of the final course grade. Middle grades students who take high school courses also sit for EOCTs.

Course and Diploma Requirements for Students Entering the Ninth Grade in 2018 and Beyond

Students must complete at least 24 units to earn a high school diploma.

Subject	Credits	Courses	Notes and Substitutions
English	4	English I English II Two other credits	Approved AP, IB, and dual enrollment course options
Math	4	Algebra I Three other math courses	Approved AP, IB, and dual enrollment course options
Science	3	Biology I Two other science courses	Approved AP, IB, and dual enrollment course options
Social Studies	3 1/2	World History U.S. History 1/2 U.S. Government 1/2 Economics 1/2 Mississippi Studies	Approved AP, IB, and dual enrollment course options
Health	1/2
Physical Education	1/2
Art	1
College and Career Readiness	1	Must occur in the student’s junior or senior year, or in the student’s completion of a 4-year sequence.
Technology or Computer Science	1
Electives	5 1/2
Total Credits	24

Diploma Endorsements

Students pursuing a Traditional High School Diploma should identify an endorsement before entering the ninth grade from these three options: Career and Technical, Academic or Distinguished Academic. Students who earn an academic or distinguished academic diploma endorsement from a public high school will be accepted into any of the state’s public universities. Endorsement requirements can only be changed with parental permission. The additional requirements for each endorsement are as follows:

Career and Technical Endorsement

• Complete a total of 26 credits and earn an overall GPA of 2.5.
• Earn Silver level on ACT WorkKeys.
• Complete a four-credit sequential CTE program of study.
• Successfully complete one of the following:
  • One CTE dual credit or earn articulated credit in the high school CTE course;
  • Work-Based Learning experience or Career Pathway Experience; or
  • Earn a State Board of Education-approved national credential.

Academic Endorsement

• Complete a total of 26 credits and earn an overall GPA of 2.5.
• Courses must meet the Mississippi IHL college preparatory curriculum.
• Earn ACT sub scores of 17 English and 19 Math or the SAT equivalency sub score.
• Successfully complete one of the following:
  • One AP course with a C or higher and take the corresponding AP exam;
  • One IB course with a C or higher and take the appropriate IB exam; or
  • One dual credit course with a C or higher.

Distinguished Academic Endorsement

• Complete a total of 28 credits and earn an overall GPA of 3.0.
• Courses must meet the Mississippi IHL college preparatory curriculum.
• Earn ACT sub scores of 18 English and 22 Math or the SAT equivalency sub score.
• Successfully complete one of the following:
  • One AP course with a B or higher and take the corresponding AP exam;
  • One IB course with a B or higher and take the appropriate IB exam; or
  • One dual credit course with a B or higher.

Assessment Requirements

Mississippi administers the Mississippi Academic Assessment Program and Subject Area Testing Program, Second Edition and the ACT to high school students in their junior year. MAAP comprises Algebra I and English II exams while SATP2 comprises Biology I and U.S. History assessments. Subject area test scores will constitute 25% of a student’s final grade. Students may meet the assessment requirements for graduating with a standard diploma in one of three ways:

• Passing all four subject area tests
• Using a concordance table by combining grades and scale score values
• Using a combined score of 646 with results from all four subject area tests

Beginning with school year 2016-2017, all students enrolled in a course for the first time that has a corresponding SATP exam must participate in the assessment in order to earn the Carnegie Unit. State Board Policy 3804 allows students to satisfy assessment requirements through alternative means, such as qualifying ACT sub-scores, earned college credit, or an earned industry certification.

Course and Diploma Requirements for Students Entering the Ninth Grade in 2022 and Beyond

Students must complete at least 23 units to earn a standard high school diploma. The College-Preparatory/Work-Ready curriculum is Oklahoma’s default diploma path. Parents or guardians may waive this curriculum if they wish, which places their students onto the Core diploma path. Regardless of the path chosen, all students must complete a personal financial literacy passport requirement as well as a CPR/AED requirement. Students must also participate in Service Learning and/or work-based learning activities at least once in grades 9-12.

Subject	Core Curriculum	College Prep/Work Ready
English	4 credits to include:  English I English II English III English IV Other approved course	4 credits:  English I English II English III English IV or other approved courses
Math	3 credits from: Algebra I, Algebra II, Geometry, Trigonometry, Math Analysis, Calculus, Advanced Placement Statistics, or any mathematics course with content and/or rigor above Algebra I and approved for college admission requirements	3 credits from: Algebra I, Algebra II, Geometry, Algebra III, Pre-Calculus or another approved math course
Science	3 credits: 1 credit: Biology I 2 credits from courses including, but not limited to life, physical, or earth science or technology or qualified agriculture course, approved STEM Block course, contextual science course that enhances technology preparation	3 credits: 1 credit: Biology I 1 credit from Chemistry, Physics, or Physical Science 1 credit from another approved lab science course
History and Citizenship	3 credits: 1 credit: U.S. History 1/2 credit U.S. Government 1/2 credit Oklahoma History 1 credit from history, government, economics, civics, or non-western culture	3 credits: 1 credit: U.S. History 1/2 credit U.S. Government 1/2 credit Oklahoma History 1 credit from history, government, economics, civics, or non-western culture
The Arts	1 credit: courses from music, art, drama and humanities	1credit from music, art, drama, dance, humanities or speech
Diploma Specific Requirements	1 credit: course options include World Language or Computer Technology (excludes keyboarding or typing courses)	2 sequential World or Non-English Language OR Computer Technology courses (excludes keyboarding or typing courses) 1 additional unit in English, Math Science, History, World Languages, Computer Technology or one additional unit from CTE, concurrently enrolled, AP, IB or other approved courses
Electives	8 elective credits	6 elective credits
Total Credits	23	23

*A one-year, full-time, three-hour career and technology program that leads to an industry credential or college credit may substitute for one math credit requirement

Senate Bill 1422 (2014) allows certain future high school senior students to substitute AP computer science for any math requirement.

Assessment Requirements

The Oklahoma School Testing Program administers end-of-instruction exams in English language arts, math, and science course subjects as well as U.S. History, in compliance with ESSA and aligned with the Oklahoma Academic Standards. Students in grade 11 will be given the Oklahoma College and Career Readiness Assessment which is composed of Science content and U.S. History content, both aligned with the Oklahoma Academic Standards. Grade 11 students also take either the ACT or SAT with writing sections.

Course and Diploma Requirements for Students Entering the Ninth Grade in 2020 and Beyond

Students must complete at least 22 units to earn a standard high school diploma.

Subject	Credits	Courses	Notes and Substitutions
English	4	English I English II English III English IV	AP, IB or dual enrollment English courses or Advanced Composition
Math	4	Algebra I Algebra II Geometry   One additional math course	AP, IB or dual enrollment math courses
Science	3	Biology Chemistry or Physics One additional lab science	AP, IB or dual enrollment science courses
Social Studies	3	U.S. History and Geography    1/2 credit Economics 1/2 credit U.S.  Government  World History and Geography	IB or dual enrollment social studies courses
Personal Finance	1/2	Three years of JROTC may be substituted if the JROTC instructor attends the Personal Finance training.
Physical Education	1/2	May substitute JROTC, marching band, cheerleading, etc.
Fine Arts	1
Foreign Language	2	Must be two years of the same foreign language
Electives	3	May consist of math and science, career and technical education, fine arts, humanities, AP or IB courses
Total Credits	22

A public high school student may complete an early high school graduation program and be eligible for unconditional entry into a public two-year institution of higher education or conditional entry into a public four-year institution of higher education if the student meets the requirements of T.C.A. § 49-6-8303, also known as the Move on When Ready Act.

Graduation with Honors, State Honors and State Distinction

Seal of Biliteracy 

Students may earn a Seal of Biliteracy when they demonstrate a high level of proficiency in speaking, reading, and writing one or more languages in addition to English. English learners may also earn the Seal of Biliteracy for demonstrating English Proficiency. To earn this designation, students must meet the following requirements:

1. Complete all the English requirements for graduation with an overall GPA of 3.0 or higher in those courses.
2. Demonstrate proficiency in the chosen language by meeting benchmark scores on approved assessments of language proficiency. To see more of these requirements, see TN’s High School Policy 2.103.

Tri-Star Scholarship 

Students who earn a composite score of 19 or higher on the ACT, or the equivalent score on the SAT, and earn a department-promoted capstone industry certification may be recognized as a TN Tri-Star Scholar.

State Distinction

Students may graduate with state distinction when they demonstrate skills and knowledge that may include forensics, mock trial, and career and technical student organizations. State distinction is for academic-based competitions hosted by a statewide or national student organization.

Assessment Requirements

Tennessee administers at least ten regular end-of-course exams as part of the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program: English I and II, Algebra I and II, Integrated Math I, II, and III, Geometry, Biology I, U.S. History and Geography. Exam results must count for some percentage of a student’s final course grade. Passing the EOC exams is not required to graduate from high school. To obtain a regular diploma, all students in grade 11 must take either the ACT or SAT. Students are required to take a project-based U.S. Civics test in high school. Students must also pass a United States citizenship and immigration test with a score of 70% or higher.

Course and Diploma Requirements for Students Entering the Ninth Grade in 2020 and Beyond

Students must earn at least 22 standard units to earn a Standard Diploma. To receive an Advanced Diploma, students must earn four additional standard units. All students must complete at least one virtual course, which may be non-credit-bearing. Students must also complete one AP, honors or IB course, complete a high-quality work-based learning experience, or earn a career and technical education credential that has been approved by the Virginia Board of Education. Examples include, but are not limited to, the successful completion of an industry certification or the passing of a state licensure exam, national occupational competency assessment, or the Virginia Workplace Readiness Skills test. Students must also be trained in Emergency First Aid, CPR and use of an AED. Finally, all students must demonstrate foundational skills in “the five Cs” in accordance with the Profile of a Virginia Graduate approved by the board: critical thinking, creative thinking, collaboration, communication, and citizenship.

Subject	Standard Diploma*	Advanced Diploma
English	4 credits	4 credits
Math	3 credits: At least two courses from Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra Functions, Data Analysis, Algebra II or other approved courses (a computer science course may be substituted)	4 credits: At least three courses from Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra Functions, Data Analysis, Algebra II or other approved courses (a computer science course may be substituted)
Laboratory Science	3 credits: Course selections from at least two different science disciplines: Earth sciences, biology, chemistry, physics or completion of the sequence of science courses required for the IB Diploma	4 credits: Course selections from at least two different science disciplines: Earth sciences, biology, chemistry, physics or completion of the sequence of science courses required for the IB Diploma
History and Social Sciences	3 credits: U.S. and Virginia History U.S. and Virginia Government Either World History or Geography or both	4 credits: U.S. and Virginia History U.S. and Virginia Government World History  Geography
Foreign Language	Not Required	3 credits: Three years of a single foreign language or two years of two languages
Health and Physical Education	2 credits	2 credits
Fine Arts or Career and Technical Education**	2 credits:  One credit in fine or performing arts or CTE (for the Standard diploma, this category includes World Language)	1 credit
Economics and Personal Finance	1 credit	1 credit
Electives	4 credits: Must include at least two sequential electives as required by the Standards of Quality	3 credits:  Must include at least two sequential electives as required by the Standards of Quality
Total Credits	22	26

*Students may substitute a CTE credit for credit in history, science or social studies if the student completes a CTE program sequence and passes an examination or occupational competency assessment in a CTE field that confers certification or an occupational competency credential from a recognized industry, or trade or professional association or acquires a professional license in a career and technical education field from the Commonwealth of Virginia. The examination or occupational competency assessment must be approved by the Board of Education as an additional test to verify student achievement.

**A computer science course credit earned by students may be considered a career and technical course credit.

Virginia requires all students graduating with either the standard or advanced diplomas to earn five verified credits: two in English, one in math, one in science, and one in history and social sciences. Verified credits are “awarded for a course in which a student earns a standard unit of credit and achieves a passing score on a corresponding end-of-course SOL test or a substitute assessment approved by the Board or Education.”

Graduation Seals of Achievement

Governor’s Seal

• Complete the requirements for an Advanced Studies Diploma with an average grade of “B” or better.
• Earn at least nine transferable college-level credits in AP, IB, Cambridge or dual enrollment courses.

Board of Education Seal

• Complete the requirements for a Standard or an Advanced Studies Diploma with an average grade of “A” or better.

Board of Education’s Career and Technical Education Seal

• Complete the requirements for a Standard or an Advanced Studies Diploma, including a prescribed sequence of courses in a CTE concentration and maintain a grade of “B” or better in those courses, OR
• Earn a CTE certificate or recognized industry, trade, or professional credential, OR
• Acquire a license in a CTE field from the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Board of Education’s Diploma Seal for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM)

• Earn a Standard or an Advanced Studies Diploma and complete all the math and science requirements for the Advanced Studies diploma with a “B” average or better in all course work.
• Complete 50 hours or more work-based learning in a STEM area.
• Satisfy the requirements for a CTE concentration (two or more courses).
• Pass one of the following:
  • a Board of Education CTE STEM-H credential examination, OR
  • an examination approved by the Board that confers a college-level credit in a STEM field.

Board of Education’s Excellence in Civics Education Seal

• Complete the requirements for the Modified Standard, a Standard, or an Advanced Studies Diploma.
• Complete Virginia & U.S. History and Virginia & U.S. Government courses with a grade of “B” or higher.
• Complete 50 hours of voluntary participation in community service or extracurricular activities, participate in JROTC or enroll in the military during high school.
• Have good attendance and no disciplinary infractions.

Board of Education’s Seal of Biliteracy

• Pass all required End-of-Course Assessments in English reading and writing at the proficient or higher level.
• Demonstrate proficiency on an approved assessment at the intermediate-mid level or higher in one or more languages other than English, including American Sign Language.

Board of Education’s Seal for Excellence in Science and the Environment

• Earn either a Standard or Advanced Studies Diploma.
• Complete at least three different first-level laboratory science courses and at least one rigorous advanced-level or postsecondary-level laboratory science course, each with a grade of “B” or higher.
• Complete laboratory or field-science research and present that research in a formal, juried setting
• Complete at least 50 hours of voluntary participation in community service or extracurricular activities that involve the application of science such as environmental monitoring, protection, management or restoration.

Other Diploma Seals or Awards

Local school divisions may award other diploma seals or awards for exceptional academic, CTE, citizenship or other exemplary performance in accordance with criteria defined by the local school board. The design, production and use of those seals is the responsibility of the local school boards awarding the seal.

Assessment Requirements

The Virginia State Board of Education requires districts to administer end-of-course exams through the state’s Standards of Learning assessment program. Students who pass corresponding SOL assessments receive “verified credit” for those courses. Virginia has developed a battery of 12 exams in 11 subject areas: Algebra I and II, Biology I, chemistry, earth science, English (reading and writing), geometry, World History I and II, world geography, and Virginia and U.S. history.

Students pursuing both the Standard Diploma and Advanced Diploma must earn at least five verified units of credit by passing corresponding SOL exams. In addition to the verified credits for the four core subjects, students may also select an SOL assessment or alternate tests in computer science, career and technical education, or other areas approved by the state board of education. See table below.

Verified Credits Required for Graduation with a Standard or Advanced Diploma

Subject	Standard Diploma Required Credits	Advanced Diploma Required Credits	Advanced Diploma Verified Credits
English	4	4	2
Math	3	4	1
Laboratory Science	3	4	1
History and Social Sciences	3	4	1
Health and Physical Education	1	2	0
World Language	0	3	0
Fine Arts, or Career and Technical Education	2 (including World Language	1	0
Economics and Personal Finance	1	1	0
Electives	4	3	0
Total	22	26	5

NOTE: A student may utilize additional tests for earning verified credit in computer science, technology, career or technical education, economics or other areas as prescribed by the board in 8VAC20-131-110.

The state department of education, in consultation with higher education faculty, has developed English and math Capstone Courses, for students who have completed required courses, earned at least two “verified” credits, but are not fully college ready. The Virginia General Assembly funds academies for students at risk of not meeting college and career readiness benchmarks through a program called Project Graduation.

The department of education produces school and district report cards, which include the number and percentage of students participating in Advanced Placement and dual credit programs, SOL test results and the number of students who receive a career and technical education credential.