1 credit = 1 period class for entire year

• 3 Credits of Math
• 3 Credits of Science
• 4 Credits of Social Studies
• 4 Credits of English
• Driver's Ed (.20 credits)
• 4 years of Physical Education (you must schedule PE every year; 1.8 credits)
• Health I and Health II (1 credit)
• 5.5 Credits of Electives - Note that anything above and beyond the requirements in core subjects counts as elective credit. For instance,if you take math every year, thus earning 4 credits, one of those credits will go to the electives requirement.
• 22.5 Total Credits

Every student is required to complete the Graduation Project in an area of concentrated study under the guidance and direction of a high school faculty member. The purpose of the project, which includes are search and a written component, is to ensure that every student is able together, analyze, synthesize, and apply information and communicate significant knowledge and understanding in both written and oral form. All projects will be assessed on a pass/fail basis. Usually,students complete their graduation projects in their junior or senior years.

The Graduation Project includes the following components:

1. Registration with a Project advisor.
2. A written proposal that outlines the specific goals and activities of the project, the methods and materials to be used to complete the project, the culminating product, and a schedule of deadlines.
3. Checkpoint and deadline requirements mutually agreed to by the student and the teacher or project advisor.
4. Disciplined inquiry as evidenced by a formal bibliography.
5. A written self-evaluation.
6. Written and oral components as parts of the final product
7. A sharing of mastery in which the student finds an appropriate way to make the project public.
8. Be creative! Your graduation project should reflect your interests area(s).

The student may begin the process to meet this requirement in two ways:

1. Register for a project course where the course teacher may become the project advisor. (Please note that all 11th grade and 12th grade English and social studies courses, with the exception of advanced placement courses, are designated project courses.)
2. Contact a teacher or counselor to serve as an independent advisor.

Graduation Project courses are identified in the Course Selection Guide with a graduation cap and diploma.

Community service is a graduation requirement for all students at the State College Area High School. Freshman, sophomore, junior and senior students should plan on participating in at least 20 hours of community service by the end of their senior year.

These hours can be earned at any time during high school. If you take Health 2, you can complete your community service hours there.

Some school activities and organizations such as Key Club, Leo Club,Little Lion Ambassadors, and Green Coalition also count towards community service hours.

Students should record their number of community service hours along with a description of the service activity. Prior to beginning the community service project, students should obtain and complete a Community Service Reflection Form, available in LE, the counseling office, and at the bottom of this page. Both a supervisor signature from where you do your community service and a school staff/faculty signature are required.