High School Home Page

Overseeing the education of a student is an important task that should not be taken lightly at any stage. The high school years are the ones that will follow a person throughout his or her life. Few colleges will ever know what your grades in the 6th grade were, but all colleges you may want to attend and most employers will know about Algebra I in the 9th grade.
These words are not intended to strike fear in the hearts of parents or students but to emphasize the necessity to:
        1) Understand the requirements,
        2) Develop a plan,
        3) Review that plan yearly, and
        4) Execute that plan with rigor.

What is a High School Credit?

High school credits in Florida are awarded on the basis of a half credit for passing a semester unit of work.  FOFCAI follows the Florida standards for core content and instructional hours based on 68 seat hours of instruction in academic content that earns one-half credit. Students that graduate with twenty-four credits will have forty-eight semester grades that are averaged together to calculate the Grade Percentage Average or GPA. For most students, each half credit is earned over 90 attendance days in a semester.

There are courses and subject areas that are specifically required for graduation, including the total number of credits, which are detailed in this guide. There is no substitution or waiver of the seat hours requirement for any course except as provided under the alternative programs for graduation or upon written statement from a licensed physician certifying that the course will be physically or mentally harmful to the student. The alternative methods or programs include Dual Enrollment and the CAP Program, which allows for the AP or CLEP exam for four specific courses only. (Algebra I, Geometry, Biology I and U.S. History) The medical exception applies to the Physical Fitness half credit of the Personal Fitness requirement. (The Health component is not effected by a medical waiver.)

Most students will earn a Standard High School Diploma, which mirrors the guidelines for courses and content of the Florida Public School system. However, students have the opportunity to opt for the College Prep (or Scholars Designation) Diploma or the Merit (Career Preparatory) Diploma. For specifics, refer to the Graduation Requirements page.