Graduation
Your Path to Graduation
Your Path to Graduation - Brochure
Graduation Requirements
- Students Entering Ninth Grade - 2013-2014 School Year (PDF, 130KB)
- Students Entering Ninth Grade - 2012-2013 School Year (PDF, 118KB)
- Students Entering Ninth Grade - 2011-2012 School Year (PDF, 64KB)
- Students Entering Ninth Grade - 2010-2011 School Year (PDF, 96KB)
- End of Course Exams
Florida's Guide to High School Graduation
- Graduation Options Brochure - 2011-2012
(For students graduating 2014-15) - Graduation Options Brochure - 2010-2011
(For students graduating 2013-14) - Graduation Options Brochure - 2009-2010
(For students graduating 2012-13)
Resources
FACTS.org is Florida's one-stop statewide student advising system. FACTS.org is an acronym for Florida Academic Counseling and Tracking for Students. The system was designed by the Florida Department of Education to provide maximum access and seamless articulation services in order to help high school and college students make informed choices about their education. Launched in 2000, FACTS.org offers a comprehensive suite of services that gives users the unique ability to get all the information they need in one place for monitoring high school progress, learning about postsecondary opportunities in Florida, deciding career objectives, applying to college online, choosing the right major and evaluating progress towards a degree.
Explore career and education options. Empowers students to build a meaningful plan for college and beyond. Available in both English and Spanish, Choices® Planner is an online career information delivery system that helps students compare, connect and choose from a vast network of work and education options, effortlessly building powerful plans.
The Office of Student Financial Assistance (OSFA) State Programs, within the Florida Department of Education, administers a variety of postsecondary educational state-funded grants and scholarships, and provides information to students, parents, and high school and postsecondary professionals.
Federal Student Aid plays a central and essential role in supporting postsecondary education by providing money for college to eligible students and families. FASFA partners with postsecondary schools, financial institutions and others to deliver services that help students and families who are paying for college.
The College Board is a not-for-profit membership association whose mission is to connect students to college success and opportunity by providing information about college readiness, college admission, guidance, assessment, financial aid, enrollment, and teaching and learning. Among its best-known programs are the SAT®, the PSAT/NMSQT® and the Advanced Placement Program® (AP®).
Graduation FAQ
When will students need to make a decision on the graduation option they will follow?
Students entering the ninth grade would need to make the decision in the spring of the eighth grade year. Students and parents may revisit their selection during the spring of each subsequent year as the student determines his/her schedule for the following year.
Once an option is chosen, can a student change to another option?
Yes, students may change their option in spring of each year.
Will different types of diplomas be issued to students who choose the regular diploma, the 18 credit college prep, or the 18 credit career option?
All students will receive the same Standard Diploma.
If a student selects the 18 credit option, will they be allowed to participate in dual enrollment after graduation takes place?
No. Once a student has officially graduated from a high school or fulfilled all credit requirements, then they are no longer eligible for dual enrollment.
Can students who graduate with the 18 credit option return to play their last year of sports or participate in band or other extracurricular activities?
No. Once a student has officially graduated from a high school or fulfilled all credit requirements, then they are no longer eligible for sports, band or other extra curricular activities.
Will Bright Futures eligibility to be changed from 19 core minimum to accommodate the new 18 credit options?
Yes. The Bright Futures Scholarship eligibility will be changed to reflect the 18 core minimum.
If incoming Juniors have the 18 required credits for either of the two options and the 2.0 GPA and passed the FCAT, will they be able to change to 18 option and graduate now?
No. Students who choose the 18 credit option must remain in high school for 3 years.
Will a student who has chosen one of the eighteen credit options and earned the required credits, but failed to pass one or both sections of the FCAT or maintain a 2.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale, be given a certificate of completion?
No. A student who has not completed all requirements for the 3 year option, including earning passing scores on the FCAT and achieving the required GPA, must be required to meet the 24 credit option and would attend high school for the fourth year.
The awarding of the certificate of completion is limited to students choosing the 24 credit option who have not earned passing scores on the tenth grade FCAT, or completed other district requirements for graduation, or maintained a 2.0 GPA.
In the career preparation option for 18 credits, do the 3 electives have to be a vocational offering?
Yes. The district can designate specific courses as long as they remain within the limits of the 18 credit option. St. Lucie County School District designates that students electives be within a vocational program of study., This is currently under discussion. A definite decision has not been made.
May HS credits awarded before ninth grade be counted among the required credits for the 18 or 24 credit options?
Yes. However for both of the 18 credit options students must be enrolled in High School for 3 years. Also high school credits earned before the ninth grade are not counted by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) towards a students NCAA eligibility.
Can school districts establish regulations or restrictions on which students can exercise the new graduation options?
No. The selection of a graduation option is the exclusive right of the student and his or her parents. School Counselors and Career Specialists must use this opportunity to provide comprehensive information regarding the three graduation options. Th8s will enable students and their parents to consider the educational benefits of students and programs that most appropriately prepare the student for his/her postsecondary education or career plan.
Will twelfth grade students be able to select one of the graduation options?
Yes. All students scheduled to graduate may select any of the three graduation options. Given the impact of this opportunity (early graduation) for twelfth graders, it is important that students and their parents are informed of the critical deadlines for postsecondary admissions, financial assistance, scholarships, housing, and intercollegiate athletic eligibility.
Can twelfth grade students expected to graduate choose one of the eighteen credit options, meet their requirements, and graduate mid-year?
Yes. Students who complete the requirements for their chosen option mid-year may graduate as soon as they complete the requirements. Twelfth grade students returning to school who expect to graduate and who have already met the requirements for graduation through one of the 18 credit options must be given the opportunity to choose from among the 3 options. If the student and his/her parents select one of the 18 credit options, the student should graduate immediately.
Do schools have to provide a mid-year graduation ceremony for students who selected the 18 credit option and graduate at mid-year ?
No. Schools may decide to have a mid-year graduation, but it is not required. Students who graduate at mid-year can return to march with their class in the spring graduation. St. Lucie County High Schools have determined that they will provide a graduation celebration mid-year at their individual schools.
