To graduate from high school in Florida, students must earn a total of 24 credits distributed across specific subjects, along with meeting state assessment and GPA requirements. Here are the key credit requirements:
- 4 credits in English Language Arts (English I, II, III, IV)
- 4 credits in Mathematics, including Algebra I and Geometry
- 3 credits in Science, with Biology required
- 3 credits in Social Studies, including World History (1), US History (1), American Government (0.5), and Economics (0.5)
- 2 credits in World Language (sequential courses in the same language)
- 1 credit in Health & Physical Education
- 1 credit in Fine and Performing Arts, Speech and Debate, or Practical Arts
- 6 elective credits
Additional requirements include:
- Passing the Grade 10 English Language Arts (ELA) state assessment or earning a concordant score
- Passing the Algebra 1 end-of-course (EOC) assessment or earning a comparative score
- Maintaining a cumulative GPA of at least 2.0 on a 4.0 scale
- Completing an online course
Failure to meet the state assessment requirements results in receiving a Certificate of Completion instead of a High School Diploma. There are also diploma options such as the 18-credit ACCEL option, Career and Technical Education Pathway, International Baccalaureate (IB) curriculum, and Advanced International Certificate of Education (AICE) curriculum which have their own criteria. This framework applies to students entering 9th grade in recent years and onwards, with some legislative changes being discussed to modify certain test requirements. This summary covers the core graduation credits and requirements for high school students in Florida to earn a standard diploma. If you need more details on specific diploma pathways or changes in legislation, I can provide that as well. Let me know if you want a detailed breakdown of each subject's credits or more on assessment requirements.
