-
Standard Diploma Requirements
Academic Advisement – What Students and Parents Need to Know
What are the diploma options?
Students must successfully complete one of the
following diploma options:
• 24
-credit standard diplom
a
•
18
-credit Academically Challenging Curriculum
to
Enha
nce Learning (ACCEL
)
•
Ca
reer and Technical Education (CTE) Pathwa
y
•
Advanced International Certificate of Education
(A
ICE) curriculum
• International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma curriculum
What are the state assessment requirements?
Students must pass the following statewide
assessments:
• Grade 10 English Language Arts (ELA) or
a
co
ncordant scor
e
•
Al
gebra 1 end of course (EOC) or a comparativ
e
score
Ref
er to Graduation Requirements for Florida’s
Statewide Assessments for concordant and
comparative scores.
Students enrolled in the following courses must
participate in the corresponding EOC assessment,
which constitutes 30 percent of the final course grade
+
:
•
Al
gebra
1
•
Ge
ometr
y
•
Bi
ology
1
•
U.
S. Histor
y
+
Sp
ecial note: Thirty percent not applicable if
not
enr
olled in the course but passed the EOC (cred
it
acceleration program [CAP]).
What is the difference between the 18-credit ACCEL
option and the 24-credit option?
• 3 elective credits instead of 8
•
Phy
sical Education is not require
d
•
On
line course is not require
d
What is the difference between the CTE Pathway option
and the 24-credit option?
• At least 18 credits are required
•
4
elective credits instead of
8
o 2
credits in CTE courses, must result
in
co
mpletion and industry certificatio
n
o 2
credits in work-based learning programs or u
p
to
2 elective credits including financial literacy
• Phy
sical Education is not require
d
•
Fi
ne and Performing Arts, Speech and Debate,
or
Pr
actical Arts is not required
• On
line course is not require
d
24 Credit Standard Diploma
4 Credits ELA
• ELA 1, 2, 3, 4
• ELA honors, Advanced Placement (AP), AICE, IB and
du
al enrollment courses may satisfy this re
quirement
4 Credits Mathematics*
• One of which must be Algebra 1 and one of which
mu
st be Geometr
y
•
In
dustry Certifications that lead to college credit ma
y
su
bstitute for up to two mathematics credits (excep
t
fo
r Algebra 1 and Geometry
)
•
An
identified computer science** credit ma
y
substitute for up to one mathematics credit (except
fo
r Algebra 1 and Geometry
)
3 Credits Science
• One of which must be Biology 1, two of which must
be
equally rigorous science course
s
•
Tw
o of the three required course credits must have
a
la
boratory componen
t
•
In
dustry Certifications that lead to college credit ma
y
su
bstitute for up to one science credit (except fo
r
Bi
ology 1
)
•
An
identified computer science** credit m
ay
su
bstitute for up to one science credit (except fo
r
Biology 1)
3 Credits Social Studies
• 1 credit in World History
•
1
credit in U.S. Histor
y
• 0.
5 credit in U.S. Governmen
t
• 0.
5 credit in Economic
s
1 Credit Fine and Performing Arts, Speech and Debate, or
Practical Arts*
1 Credit Physical Education*
• To include the integration of health
8 Elective Credits
1 Online Course
Students must earn a 2.0 grade point average (GPA) on a
4.0 scale for all cohort years and pass statewide,
standardized assessments unless a waiver of assessment
results is granted by the IEP team for
students with
disabilities.
* Eligible courses are specified in the Florida Course
Cod
e Directory
.
**A
computer science credit may not be used t
o
substitute for both a mathematics and science credit.
Scholar Diploma Designation
In addition to the requirements of section (s.)
1003.4282, Florida Statutes (F.S.), a student must satisfy
the following requirements
(per. s. 1003.4285, F.S.):
• Earn 1 credit in Algebra 2 or an equally rigorous
course
• Pass the Geometry EOC
• Earn 1 credit in Statistics or an equally
rigorous mathematics course
• Pass the Biology 1 EOC*
• Earn 1 credit in Chemistry or Physics
• Earn 1 credit in a course equally rigorous
to Chemistry or Physics
• Pass the U.S. History EOC*
• Earn 2 credits in the same World Language
• Earn at least 1 credit in an AP, IB, AICE or a dua
l
enrollment course
*A student is exempt from the Biology 1 or U.S. History
EOC assessment if the student is enrolled in an AP, IB or
AICE Biology 1 or U.S. History course; takes the
respective AP, IB or AICE assessment; and earns the
minimum score to earn college credit.
Merit Diploma Designation
• Meet the standard high school diploma requirements
• Attain one
or more industry certifications from the
list established (per s. 1003.492, F.
S.)
State University System (SUS)
Admission into Florida’s public universities is competitive.
Prospective students should complete a rigorous course of
study in high school and apply to more than one university
to increase their chance for acceptance. To qualify to enter
one of Florida’s public universities, a first-time-in-college
student must meet the following minimum requirements
(credit earned by industry certification does not count for
SUS admission):
• High school graduation with a standard diploma, a
minimum of
a 2.5 GPA, and admission test scores
meeting minimum college-re
ady test scores per
Board of Governors (BOG) Regulation 6.008
• 16 credits of approved college preparatory acad
emi
c
courses per BOG Regulation 6.002
• 4 English (3 with substantial writing)
• 4 Ma
thematics (Algebra 1 level and above)
• 3 Natural Science (2 with substantial lab)
• 3 Social Science
• 2 World Language (sequential, in the same la
nguage
or other equivalents)
• 2 approved electives
Sta
te University System of Florida
The Florida College System
The 28 colleges of the Florida College System serve nearly
800,000 students. Colleges offer affordable and stackable
workforce
credentials including certificate programs, associate
in science
degrees and associate in arts degrees, which
transfer to a
bachelor’s degree program. Many colleges also
offer workforce bachelor’s degree programs in areas of high
demand. All Florida
College System institutions have open-
door admissions for students who earned a standard high
school diploma or an equivalent diploma or successfully
earnedcollege credit.
Florida College System
Career and Technical Colleges and Centers
Florida also offers students 49 accredited career and
technical colleges or centers throughout the state, which
provide the education and certification necessary to work
in a particular career or technical field. Programs are flexible
for students and provide industry-specific education and
training for a wide variety of occupations.
Career and Technical Education Directors
What are the additional graduation options for students
with disabilities ?
Two additional options are available only to students
with disabilities. Both allow students to substitute a CTE
course with related content for one credit in ELA 4,
mathematics, science and social studies (excluding
Algebra 1, Geometry, Biology 1 and U.S. History). The
two options are as follows:
• Students with significant cognitive disabilities may
earn credits via access courses and be assessed vi
a
an alternate assessment.
• Students who choose the academic and
employment option must earn at least 0.5 credit
via paid employment.
What is the CAP?
The CAP allows a student to earn high school credit
if the student passes an AP examination, a College
Level Examination Program (CLEP) or a statewide
course assessment without enrollment in the course.
The courses include:
• Algebra 1
• Geometry
•
Biology 1
• U.S. History
Where is information on financial aid located?
The Florida Department of Education’s Office of Student
Financial Assistance administers a variety of postsecondary
educational state-funded grants and scholarships.
Office of Student Financial Assistance
August 2020
