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Academics » Academic Programming and Graduation Requirements

Academic Programming and Graduation Requirements

Academic Program and Expectations

Harbor City International School operates on a seven period day, offering a flexible and rigorous academic experience. Students may be scheduled into study hall periods based on academic needs, and all students participate in a daily advisory period- a time to build community and receive support and guidance from an assigned teacher advisor.

For an overview of class times and important dates, visit our:

Graduation Requirements

To earn a diploma from Harbor City International School, students must complete a minimum of 25.5 credits in the following areas:

Mathematics – 3.0 credits (4.0 possible)
Required:

  • 1.0 Geometry

  • 1.0 Algebra II
    Additional offerings:

  • Precalculus

  • AP Calculus

  • Algebra Skill Builder

  • Coding / Statistics

Science – 4.0 credits

  • 0.5 Physics A

  • 0.5 Earth and Space Science

  • 1.0 Biology

  • 1.0 Chemistry

  • 0.5 Physics B

  • 0.5 Science Elective

Social Studies – 4.0 credits

  • 1.0 American History

  • 1.0 US Government / Personal Finance

  • 1.0 Western Civilization / Economics

  • 1.0 World History / Geography

Language Arts – 4.0 credits

  • 1.0 World Literature

  • 1.0 American Literature

  • 1.0 Composition and Rhetoric

  • 1.0 Literary Analysis

World Language – 2.0 credits

  • 1.0 Spanish I

  • 1.0 Spanish II

Creative Arts – 1.0 credit

  • 0.5 Visual Arts

  • 0.5 Music

Health and Fitness – 0.5 credits

Service Learning – 0.5 credits (Two Symposium courses)

General Electives – 6.5 credits (up to 8.5 possible)

  • Includes 0.75 credits per year in Symposium, Harbor City’s week-long, single-subject immersive learning experience

Credit Requirements by Grade Level
In order to begin a school year in any grade, students need to have earned the minimum credits listed below:

  • 10th Grade (Sophomore): 6.25 credits

  • 11th Grade (Junior): 12.5 credits

  • 12th Grade (Senior): 19.0 credits

Attendance Expectations

Daily attendance is essential to student success. Students are expected to attend all scheduled classes and arrive on time each day. For full details, please see Chapter 4 of our Student Handbook.

Important policies include:

  • Students who accumulate 15 or more absences in any course during a semester, whether excused or unexcused, are at risk of losing credit for that course.

  • Harbor City staff will make every effort to notify families before credit loss occurs.

  • Families are encouraged to work with teachers and the Student Support Team to address attendance issues.

  • Students may appeal a loss of credit through the process outlined in Appendix B of our Course Supplement.

We work proactively with students and families to prevent attendance related issues and ensure all students stay on track toward graduation.