Graduation Requirerments

GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS FOR THE CLASS OF 2008 AND BEYOND

To receive a Steamboat High School diploma, students must earn a minimum of 23 credits, and attend at least 7 semesters of high school.

These requirements are as follows: -3

	REQUIRED	RECOMMENDED	SPECIFIC REQUIRED COURSE
Fine Arts	1 credit	Additional credit
Foreign Language		4 credits
Language Arts	4 credits	4 credits	English 9, American Literature
Mathematics	1.5 credits (C or better)	4 credits	Math Competency Assessment
Physical Education	1.5 credits	1.5 credits	.5 credit Lifetime or Team Sports, .5 Health
Science	3 credits	4 credits	Physical Science, Biology,   Physics (or Fundamentals of  Physics), Physiology
Speech	.5 credits	.5 credits	Speech
Social Studies	3 credits	4 credits	Geog/Civics,  U.S. History and World History
Career and Tech	2 credits	1—4 credits	Computer Applications plus 1 or 1.5 additional credits.
Other classes	6.5 credits	3 credits
Total	23 credits	28 credits

When registering for classes and making four year plans, students should think carefully about what they plan to do following graduation.  Selective colleges will want to know that students took the most academically rigorous schedule possible at their high school. It is important to the staff at SSHS that students have choices following graduation. Additionally, colleges want to know that students worked hard all four years, and did not slack off their senior year. At Steamboat Springs High School we feel that if a student graduates with 23 credits, that is the minimum required and is like getting a D-. Likewise if students know that they are passionate about art or engineering technology they may want to focus on those areas. However, remember that most careers today require some sort of post-secondary training. Most post-secondary options require some minimum level of grades and classes. Don’t limit the options open to you, because you are afraid to take challenging courses.  See the sections in this book on what colleges are looking for and Admissions requirements developed by the Colorado Commission on Higher Education.