High School Graduation Requirements

San Francisco Unified School District and County Office of Education

Administrative Regulation 6146.1

High School Graduation Requirements

This Administrative Regulation applies to the San Francisco Unified School District and the County Office of Education.

These Administrative Regulations describe the implementation of Board Policy 6146.1 (High School Graduation Requirements). Board Policy 6146.1 required the Superintendent to develop Administrative Regulations in the following subject areas:

1. Counseling Process to Utilize Plan 1
2. Counseling and Waiver Process to Utilize Plan 2
3. Counseling and Waiver Process to Utilize Plan 3
4. Counseling Process to Utilize Plan 4
5. Alternative Means for Meeting the Prescribed Course of Study

SECTION A: CREDIT AND COURSE REQUIREMENTS

Part One: Eligibility, Counseling and Waiver Process

Plan 1:  a–g Graduation Requirements

To earn a high school diploma, all students must complete the credit and course requirements outlined for Plan 1.

1. Students who are 14 by September 1st of their entering year will be placed in 9th grade, and will be required to meet Plan 1 graduation requirements.
2. Students aged 14 or older by September 1st of their entering year who have less than 8 years of schooling will be placed in the 9th grade.

Plan 2:  Foreign Born Students Ages 15 or Older

The District provides eligible foreign–born youth with a waiver for the full Plan 1 graduation requirements.

Eligibility Requirements

A student is eligible to meet Plan 2 graduation requirements instead of Plan 1 if s/he meets the following criteria:

1. The student is born outside of the United States.
2. The student is age 15 or older, based on the student’s age as of September 1st of the year entering school.
3. The student has not earned any credits in a school in the United States.
4. The District determines the student is not reasonably able to complete the District’s Plan 1 graduation requirements in time to graduate from high school.

Counseling and Waiver Process:

Parents/Guardians and students who obtain a waiver to use Plan 2 will sign a written waiver notifying them that Plan 2 requirements will not satisfy the UC/CSU course requirements for admission, and will receive information about transfer opportunities through the California Community Colleges. The counseling and waiver process will be facilitated by the assigned counselor of the student and approved by the principal or designee.  The student and the parent/guardian must sign the waiver.

In determining whether the student is not “reasonably able” to complete Plan 1, the following will be considered:

1. Student proficiency and literacy in English and primary language
2. Student and guardian expectation of length of time student plans to remain in high school beyond the age of 18
3. Student and guardian’s description of student’s school performance history
4. Student and guardian’s desire to obtain a waiver
    

These requirements apply to students enrolled and graduating from Woodside Learning Center, Hilltop Special Services Center, Log Cabin Ranch, and Civic Center Secondary School.

Part Two: Course and Credit Completion

1. Credits
   1. Five semester credits are granted for the successful completion of one period of course work daily for one semester, or its equivalent, approximately 60 hours of instruction
   2. Semester credit toward graduation may be counted only once for each course in grades 9, 10, 11 and 12. Courses may be repeated to improve a grade, but students will not be awarded credit twice for the same course.
   3. Students may repeat a course when space is available and they have previously earned a “D” or an “F”. When a student retakes the course, the new grade will replace the “D” or “F”

2. Grade Level Promotion Requirements

For students in Plan 1 to advance to the next grade, they must complete the required credits:

< 50 credits:  9th grade

50 credits:    10th grade

110 credits:  11th grade

170 credits:  12th grade

3. Grades
   1. Students may receive final semester grades of A, B, C, or D for a 5–credit semester course, as well as for variable credit courses.
   2. A grade of “D” earns 5 credits and denotes that students have met the minimum knowledge for that course in terms of graduation, but UC/CSU does not recognize “D” as a passing grade for meeting admissions requirements.
   3. A grade of “F” can be issued for any course after the teacher has communicated with the student and informed the parent/guardian regarding student’s academic progress during the semester. A grade of “F” will earn 0 credits.
   4. If a student experiences a major life event that prevents completion of class assignments necessary to complete course requirements, the teacher may issue an Incomplete (“I”), after consultation with the counselor and principal. The teacher and student must draft a plan for completion of the missed assignments to be signed by all parties listed above and the parent, to be maintained in the student’s cumulative file. Assignments must be completed within the following semester or the grade will be calculated without the missed assignments.

4. Variable Credits

Students may earn variable credits in a course if the course requirements have been partially satisfied due to interrupted attendance in the course (i.e., mid semester enrollment, transfer, significant absences). Variable credits are determined by the course teacher, in collaboration with the school counselor, using the CA Partial Credit Model Policy formula for awarding variable credit.

Part Three: Alternative Means for Meeting the Prescribed Course of Study

This Section outlines the various alternative means to meet the SFUSD credit and course requirements.

1. High School Credit Recovery through Office of Extended Learning and Support
   1. Evening School
   2. Summer School
   3. Saturday School
   4. Online Learning

      Students must obtain advance written permission from their parent and school principal, or his/her designee, to take an online course. Online courses are subject to space limitations. Applications are then referred to the Office of Extended Learning and Support for approval.

For more information on course options through evening, summer, and Saturday school please contact The Office of Extended Learning and Support at 415–379–7760. The online learning program funded through high school credit recovery is approved by the SFUSD’s Curriculum and Instruction Office to ensure that the course meets California Common Core State Standards and is a-g approved on CMP: Course Management Portal.

Students are eligible for credit recovery/earning online courses as follows:

1. Grade of F in original course which is an ‘a–g’ requirement or additional SFUSD graduation requirement.
2. 12th and 11th graders who have not had the opportunity to complete graduation requirements.
3. English Learner students in need of remediation or who have not had the opportunity to complete graduation requirements.
4. Grade of D in original course which is an ‘a–g’ requirement or additional SFUSD graduation requirement.

Please Note: Students with a “C” or above in the original course are not eligible to repeat the course for credit recovery.

Students may receive a maximum of 5 credits per high school credit recovery course on their transcript. For SFUSD online course(s) being used for credit recovery, the higher grade will be calculated in the GPA. (Refer to the Online Reference Guide for further information concerning grades and credits for SFUSD credit recovery online courses.)

2. Coursework Outside SFUSD/Non–SFUSD Coursework

Current SFUSD students may access non–SFUSD courses either online, at a private school or program, college, or university for enrichment, college preparation/exploration, advancement, or credit recovery. These courses can count toward high school credits if student enrolls and completes the course during grades 9–12 and the course meets the following criteria:

1. The school, program, college, or university is accredited;
2. The high school course work meets instructional hours (12 instructional hours = 1 HS credit; 60 instructional hours = 5 HS credits) (College Level coursework on a college campus has a credit equivalency 1 college unit = 3.3 HS credits, 2 college units = 6.6 HS credits, 3 college units = 10 HS credits)
3. The school or program issues an official transcript upon completion of course;
4. Course is a–g approved on CMP: Course Management Portal.

In order to obtain credit, students must complete the Non–SFUSD Coursework Permissions/Consent Form and approval must be granted by the school principal or counselor prior to enrolling in the course. Courses taken outside SFUSD during the school year (not summer) should not be used for supplanting a high school graduation requirement the student has access at their school site unless there are special circumstances as determined by the principal or principal designee.

If course meets the first three criteria above and not the fourth, the course may be considered for NON- a–g elective credit. Transcripts from accredited institutions must be submitted to counselor at the completion of the course.

Students and parents are advised to contact their school counselor to learn about the school District’s credit recovery options, as well as City College of San Francisco Transitional Studies, Dual and/or Concurrent Enrollment options, prior to seeking outside coursework.

​​​​​Please Note: SFUSD cannot be liable or responsible for fees charged by non–SFUSD programs, and courses may not fulfill “a–g” UC/CSU requirements and/or SFUSD graduation requirements. For non–SFUSD course(s) being used for credit recovery, both the original grade and the non–SFUSD grade will be calculated in the GPA.

3. Independent Study

A student is eligible to take an independent study course if:

1.  they have earned an “I”; or
2. they need to complete a course where they earned variable (less than 5) credits; or
3. they are in the 12th grade needing a single course to graduate; or
4. they meet other criteria outlined in Board Policy.

A student may only take independent study with the mutual agreement of the principal, supervising teacher, and a counselor.

An independent study course may be used only to replace an existing SFUSD course.

For students who have earned an “I” or variable credit, the independent study will be coordinated through the counselor and the teacher who awarded the “I” or variable credit. The student will comply with Board Policy on Independent Study requirements.

Please Note: Independent Study under conditions listed in (a)–(c) above shall not be available until Board Policy is revised to allow these options.

4. Middle School Courses (Grades 6–8)

World Language taken in an SFUSD middle school is considered a high school course and will be included on the high school transcript if the following condition is met: the student earned a “C” or higher. Middle school World Language credits earned during 7th or 8th grade with grades of “C” or higher, will be transferred to the high school transcript.

1. Each middle school year of introductory language is equivalent to one semester (5 credits) of high school language for a maximum of 10 credits on the high school transcript.
2. Each semester of a middle school Primary Language Arts course will count for 5 credits for a maximum of 20 credits on the high school transcript.
3. These courses will satisfy world language requirements for graduation and for UC eligibility.

Newcomer students who completed 2 years of formal instruction in a school where a language other than English was used as a medium of instruction beginning at equivalent of grade 6 or later, may have a maximum of 2 years or 20 credits of homeland language added to the high school transcript if the grade earned was a C or better.

No other courses taken prior to entering the 9th grade will be added to the high school transcript.

5. Career Technical Education

Students will earn credits toward graduation for Career Technical Education (CTE) courses. Students must consult course catalog for specific SFUSD and UC eligibility of particular CTE  courses.

6. Practical Demonstration of Skills and Competencies

Students who can demonstrate proficiency in a language other than English that is equal to or exceeding what is expected of students after two years of classroom world language study may be exempted from the World Language requirement for graduation. Given this provision, some students may graduate with 210 credits.

World Language proficiency may be demonstrated as follows:

1. A student may satisfy the UC/CSU LOTE admission requirement and SFUSD graduation requirement by earning a score of 3, 4, or 5 on the Advanced Placement test in French, German, Spanish or Latin (Chinese, Italian and Japanese are pending UC/CSU faculty approval. 
   Please Note: SFUSD will accept these for the graduation requirement) or a score of 5, 6 or 7 the International Baccalaureate A2 HL exam.
    
2. A student may satisfy all or part the UC/CSU LOTE admission requirement and SFUSD graduation requirement by successful completion (grade of “C” or higher) of a Subject Matter course taught in a language other than English in grades 7 or higher in SFUSD (e.g., Biology taught in Chinese, US History taught in Spanish).
    

3. Exemption of World Language requirement for transferring 12th graders and second semester 11th graders. If a student transfers into SFUSD as a senior or second semester junior (150 credits or more) and s/he does not already have two years of a World Language s/he may have the World Language requirement waived by the principal. However, if the student has 150–230 credits and one year of World Language credit and the school offers the second year of the same language, then the student shall take the second year of the World Language. If waived, students should substitute the 20 credit world language requirement with other courses to meet the 230 credit graduation requirement.

7. Additional Options

Any additional credit earning options that are not discussed above must be discussed with and approved by counselor and principal and/or designee and the Chief Academic Officer.

SECTION B: CALIFORNIA HIGH SCHOOL EXIT EXAM (CAHSEE)

The California High School Exit Exam has been repealed from law per Assembly Bill (AB) 830 and signed by the Governor of California, therefore the CAHSEE is no longer a graduation requirement.