HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS FOR
STUDENTS ENROLLING IN THE NINTH GRADE FOR THE FIRST TIME
IN THE 2002-03 SCHOOL YEAR AND SUBSEQUENT YEARS.

(1) PURPOSE. This rule specifies programs of study that shall be offered by
local boards of education for students enrolling in the ninth grade for the first time in
the 2002-2003 School Year and for subsequent years.

(2) DEFINITIONS.

(a) Core Courses - courses identified as “c” or “r” in Rule 160-4-2-.03 List of
State-Funded K-8 Subjects and 9-12 Courses for the specified program of study. For
diploma seals with distinction, fine arts courses are also considered core.

(b) Elective Courses – any courses identified as “e” in Rule 160-4-2-.03 List of
State-Funded K-8 Subjects and 9-12 Courses that a student may select beyond the
core requirements to fulfill the unit requirements for graduation.

(c) Program of study – selected courses as specified by the State Board of
Education that, when successfully completed, will result in a specific seal of
endorsement on the High School Diploma.

1. College Preparatory (CP) Program - a program of study requiring 22 units.
Completion of this program is signified by a High School Diploma with a College
Preparatory Seal.

2. College Preparatory with Distinction (CP+) Program - a program of study
requiring 24 units and a grade-point average in the core courses of 3.0 or above on a
four-point scale or 80 numeric grade-point average or above. Completion of this
program is signified by a High School Diploma with a College Preparatory Seal of
Distinction.

3. Technology/Career-preparatory (TC) Program - a program of study
requiring 22 units. Completion of this program is signified by a high school diploma
with a Technology/Career-preparatory Seal.

4. Technology/Career-preparatory with Distinction(TC+) Program - a
program of study requiring 24 units and a grade point average in the Core Courses of
3.0 or above on a four point scale or 80 numeric grade point average. Completion of
this program is signified by a high school diploma with a Technology/Career-preparatory
Seal of Distinction.

(d) Required courses - specific courses identified as “r” in Rule 160-4-2-.03 List
of State-Funded K-8 Subjects and 9-12 Courses that each student in a program of
study shall pass to graduate from high school.

(e) Seal - an attachment placed on a high school diploma indicating the successful
completion of one or more programs of study.

(f) Secondary School Credential - a document awarded to students at the
completion of the high school experience.

1. High School Diploma - the document with appropriate seal(s) awarded to
students certifying that they have satisfied attendance requirements, unit requirements
and the state assessment requirements as referenced in Rule 160-3-1-.07 Testing
Programs - Student Assessment.

2. High School Certificate - the document awarded to pupils who do not complete
all of the criteria for a diploma or who have not passed the state assessment
requirements as referenced in Rule 160-3-1-07 Testing Programs – Student
Assessment, but who have earned 22 units.

3. Special Education Diploma - the document awarded to students with
disabilities assigned to a special education program who have not met the state
assessment requirements referenced in Rule 160-3-1-.07 Testing Programs - Student
Assessment or who have not completed all of the requirements for a high school
diploma but who have nevertheless completed their Individualized Education
Programs (IEP).

(g) Unit – one unit of credit awarded for a minimum of 150 clock hours of
instruction or 135 hours of instruction in an approved block schedule.

(h) Unit, Summer School – one unit of credit awarded for a minimum of 120
clock hours of instruction.

(3) REQUIREMENTS.

(a) Local boards of education shall provide secondary school curriculum,
instructional and support services that reflect the high school graduation and state
assessment requirements and assist all students in developing their unique potential to
function in society.

(b) Local boards of education shall require that

1. Students who enroll from another state meet the graduation requirements for the
graduating class they enter and the state assessment requirements as referenced in
Rule 160-3-1-.07 Testing Programs - Student Assessment.

2. Students who enroll in the ninth grade for the first time in the 2002-2003 school
year and withdraw shall meet the graduation requirements specified in this rule and
the assessment requirements specified in Rule 160-3-1-.07 Testing Programs -
Student Assessment.

3. UNITS OF CREDIT.

(i) All state-supported high schools shall make available to all students the
programs of study for the required College Preparatory, College Preparatory with
Distinction, Technology/Career-preparatory and Technology/Career-preparatory with
Distinction programs of study.

(ii) A course shall count only once for satisfying any unit of credit requirement
for graduation. See the following chart.

*Core Courses

**Technology/Career-preparatory students may want to utilize an elective unit
as Foreign Language or as a fourth unit of mathematics depending upon the
student’s program of study and the student’s intentions to enter a University
System of Georgia institution or other post-secondary institution.
Determination of the appropriate number of mathematics units for each
Technology/Career-preparatory program of study shall be determined by the
local board of education.

***Technology/Career-preparatory includes Junior Reserve Officer Training
Corps (JROTC).

(iv) Dual Seal: To receive both the College Preparatory (CP) or College
Preparatory with Distinction (CP+) and the Technology/Career-Preparatory
(TC) or Technology/Career-Preparatory with Distinction (TC+) seal, a
student shall complete the requirements as specified in this rule for each seal.

4. COURSE CREDIT

(i) Unit credit shall be awarded only for courses that include concepts and skills
based on the Quality Core Curriculum (QCC) for grades 9-12 or those approved by
the State Board of Education. Unit credit may be awarded for courses offered in the
middle grades that meet 9-12 QCC requirements. For example, a student who takes
an Algebra I course in the middle grades that meets 9-12 QCC requirements may be
awarded unit credit. The Individualized Education Program (IEP) shall specify
whether core courses taken as part of an IEP shall receive core unit credit.

(ii) Only elective course credit or no course credit may be awarded for courses in
which instruction is based on the QCC for grades K-8.

(iii) Completion of a program of study does not necessarily qualify students for the
HOPE Scholarship Program.

5. AREAS OF STUDY.

(i) Courses that shall earn unit credit in English/language arts, mathematics,
science, social studies, health, physical education, foreign languages, military science,
music, visual arts, dance, theatre arts, computer science, education, humanities,
personal/interpersonal/ social skills and Technology/Career-preparatory are listed in
Rule 160-4-2-.03 List of State-funded K-8 Subjects and 9-12 Courses.

(ii) Any student may select any course listed in the course listing rule. The one
exception to this provision is where the letter "r" appears with course names. These
courses are required. They must be successfully completed and cannot be substituted
with any other course. Any course identified as "c" is a core course and may be
selected to count as one of the core unit requirements. Courses identified as “c” in
Technology/Career-preparatory areas will count as one of the four core
Technology/Career-preparatory courses for a T/C or T/C+ program of study. A
course identified as "e" is an elective course that may be selected beyond the core
requirements to fulfill the unit requirements.

(I) English/Language Arts: At least one-half unit of credit in American
literature/composition shall be required. All courses that may satisfy the
remaining units of credit are identified with a "c." The other courses
identified with an "e" are electives. Grammar/composition shall be a
component of all courses and shall be integrated into the course of study, not
isolated.

(II) Fine Arts: One elective required of all students may be selected from
courses in fine arts. For students working toward diplomas with distinction,
two additional elective units are required for College-Preparatory (CP)
programs and one additional elective unit is required for Technology/Career-preparatory
(T/C) programs. These electives may be chosen from fine arts.

(III) Foreign Language: Two units of credit of the same foreign language shall be
required for the College Preparatory (CP) and College Preparatory with Distinction
(CP+) programs of study. Students whose native language is not English may be
considered to have met the foreign language requirement by exercising the credit in
lieu of enrollment option if they are proficient in their native language. A formal
examination is not necessary if other evidence of proficiency is available. One
elective required of all students may be selected from courses in foreign language.
For a student who is hearing impaired, American Sign Language may be taken as an
elective or as a core course to fulfill the requirements of the College Preparatory (CP)
or College Preparatory with Distinction (CP+) seal. If American Sign Language is to
be used to fulfill the college preparatory requirement of two units of the same foreign
language, adherence to the requirements in the following paragraph is required.
For the purpose of fulfilling the foreign language requirement for a College
Preparatory (CP) or College Preparatory with Distinction (CP+) seal, a demonstrated
proficiency in American Sign Language shall be accepted as a foreign language if it is
determined that a deaf student has a hearing loss which significantly impacts upon the
student's ability to learn a foreign language. The IEP Committee shall state in the IEP
that American Sign Language is substituting for two units of foreign language.
For students who are not hearing impaired, American Sign Language may be taken
for one unit of elective credit or for a third unit of foreign language credit.

(IV) Health and Physical Education: For each program of study, one unit
of credit of health and physical education is required. Students shall combine
one-half or one-third units of credit of Health (17.011), Health and Personal
Fitness (36.051), or Advanced Personal Fitness (36.061) to satisfy this
requirement. Health and physical education courses may be taken as electives
for all programs of study. Courses in physical education shall be taken to
enhance lifelong fitness and physical activities rather than development of
athletic performance

(V) Mathematics: For the College Preparatory (CP) and College
Preparatory with Distinction programs of study, four units of credit of
approved mathematics will be required. The student record shall show credit
or equivalency for each of the core courses of Algebra I (27.061); Euclidean
Geometry (27.063) or Informal Geometry (27.062); and Algebra II (27.064)
and an additional course listed in the College Preparatory Mathematics
(27.06) or Advanced Mathematics (27.07) categories or Statistics (27.051).
For the student who takes Applied Problem Solving (27.045) and Applied
Algebra (27.046), the record shall show credit for Applied Problem Solving
(27.045), Applied Algebra (27.046), Euclidean Geometry (27.063) or
Informal Geometry (27.062) or Applied Geometry (27.047), and Algebra II
(27.064). This latter program of study will fulfill admission requirements for
some institutions in the University System of Georgia.

The Technology/Career-preparatory (TC) and Technology Career-preparatory
with Distinction programs of study require that a student earn at least three
units of mathematics which shall include, as a minimum, Algebra I or its
equivalent. To meet the requirements for Algebra I or its equivalent, a student
shall earn a unit of credit in (1) Algebra I or (2) a locally developed course
equivalent to Algebra I that has been approved by the State Board of
Education, or (3) earn two units of credit by passing both Applied Problem
Solving and Applied Algebra or (4) two units of credit by passing both
Concepts of Problem Solving and Concepts of Algebra.

(VI) Science: Students shall earn at least three (3) units of credit in science.
Students earning the College Preparatory (CP) or College Preparatory with
Distinction seal shall satisfactorily complete a physical science, a life science, and
one additional science course.

Students earning the Technology/Career-preparatory (TC) or Technology/Careerpreparatory
with Distinction (TC+) seal shall meet the requirements for the College
Preparatory (CP) or College Preparatory with Distinction seal or shall pass any three
units of science including one physical science, one life science or two units of
applied biology/chemistry.

Science courses that meet the science requirement for graduation shall be year-long
courses with the exception of the third unit of credit. All courses meeting the science
requirements for graduation must be laboratory-based.

(VII) Social Sciences: At least three units of credit shall be required in social
studies. One unit of credit shall be required in United States history. One unit of
credit shall be required from the world studies area, e.g., world history or world
geography. World history shall be required for the College Preparatory and College
Preparatory with Distinction seals. World geography may be taken to meet the world
studies requirement for a Technology/Career or Technology/Career with Distinction
seal. One-third or one-half unit of citizenship education (government) shall be
required. One-third or one-half unit of Principles of Economics/Business/Free
Enterprise shall be required. Systems organized on the quarter system shall add one
other one-third social studies unit from the political science/government area or from
the economics area or from the international relations area to the Citizenship
Education and Principles of Economics/Business/Free Enterprise courses to complete
the unit of credit requirement.

(VIII) Technology/Career-preparatory: To receive the Technology/Career-preparatory
(TC) or Technology/Career-preparatory with distinction (TC+) seal, a
student shall complete at least four Technology/Career-preparatory units, three of
which must be concentrated in one occupational or related program areas. One of the
four units may include the Program of Education and Career Exploration (PECE),
Coordinated Vocational Academic Education (CVAE) or Related Vocational
Instruction (RVI).

6. REQUIRED PROCEDURES FOR AWARDING UNITS OF CREDIT.

(i) A unit of credit for graduation shall be awarded to students only for successful
completion of state-approved courses of study based on a minimum of 150 clock-hours
of instruction provided during the regular school year, 135 clock-hours of
instruction in an approved block schedule during the regular school year, or a
minimum of 120 clock-hours of instruction in summer school.

7. LOCAL AUTHORITIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES.

(i) Local boards of education shall provide instructional, support and delivery
services. These services shall include, but are not limited to, the following.

(I) A continuous guidance component beginning with the ninth grade. The
purposes of the guidance component are to familiarize students with graduation
requirements, to help them identify the likely impact of individual career objectives
on the program of work studies they plan to follow and to provide annual advisement
sessions to report progress and offer alternatives in meeting graduation requirements
and career objectives.

(II) Record keeping and reporting services that document student progress toward
graduation and include information for the school, parents and students.

(III) Diagnostic and continuous evaluation services that measure individual student
progress in meeting competency expectations for graduation.

(IV) Instructional programs, curriculum and course guides and remedial
opportunities to assist each student in meeting graduation requirements.

(V) Appropriate curriculum and assessment procedures for students who have
been identified as having disabilities that prevent them from meeting the prescribed
competency performance requirements.