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Honors Diploma Program
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Students who earn a 3.5 GPA or higher at Valley Southwoods are eligible for participation in the Honors Diploma Program at Valley High School. Students must also complete any prerequisite courses for the required 10th grade courses in the Honors Diploma Program. In order to meet these prerequisites, it is recommended that students take the following courses at Southwoods.
- Biology
- AP Human Geography
- Geometry C
- Literature and Composition
- World Language
Successful completion of the following classes at Valley, including senior exhibition, will result in the Valley High School Honors Designation on the Valley diploma at graduation. Up to 5 elective credits may be transferred in from other institutions if the courses are not offered at Valley High School. To meet the Honors Designation World Language requirement, students must have successfully completed a minimum of four years in the same language. Students must receive a letter grade in all required classes. Students must take the AP exam in all required AP courses. The application process is enrollment in the Honors Diploma Track. A minimum GPA of 3.9 is required to graduate with an Honors Diploma. The requirements are as follows:
10th Grade:
- AP European History (DMACC course = World Civilizations: Ancient to Early Modern and Western Civilization: Early Modern to Present; 6 credits) or AP World History
- AP Chemistry (DMACC course = General Inorganic Chemistry I & II; 8 credits) or AP Biology (DMACC course = Biology I & II; 8 credits) or AP Physics (may take science classes in any order)
- Advanced Composition and Advanced Contemporary Literature or World Literature
- Algebra II and Trigonometry C
- World Language (will continue in same language all 4 years)
- PE/Sophomore Seminar
- Elective
- Elective
11th Grade:
- AP U.S. History (DMACC course = U.S. History to 1877 & U.S. History 1877 to Present; 6 credits)
- AP Literature and Composition (DMACC course = Introduction to Literature and Contemporary Literature; 6 credits) or AP Language and Composition (DMACC course = Composition I & II; 6 credits)
- AP Chemistry (DMACC course = General Inorganic Chemistry I & II; 8 credits) or AP Biology (DMACC course = Biology I & II; 8 credits) or AP Physics (may take science classes in any order)
- AP Calculus AB (DMACC course = Calculus I; 5 credits)
- World Language (will continue in same language all 4 years)
- PE/Junior Seminar
- Elective
- Elective
12th Grade:
- AP U.S. Government and Politics (DMACC course = American National Government; 3 credits) and AP Macroeconomics
- AP Language and Composition (DMACC course = Composition I & II; 6 credits)
- AP Literature and Composition (DMACC course = Introduction to Literature and Contemporary Literature; 6 credits) or AP Language and Composition (DMACC course = Composition I & II; 6 credits)
- AP Chemistry (DMACC course = General Inorganic Chemistry I & II; 8 credits) or AP Biology (DMACC course = Biology I & II; 8 credits) or AP Physics (may take science classes in any order)
- AP Calculus BC (DMACC course = Calculus II; 5 credits) or AP Statistics (DMACC course = Statistics; 4 credits)
- World Language (will continue in same language all 4 years)
- PE/Senior Seminar with Senior Exhibition
- Elective
- Elective
Sophomore, junior, and senior seminars will be an opportunity for students to explore their areas of interest, reflect on their talents/skills, shadow adults in different career pathways, and create a thoughtful plan for the next three to five years to enable them to implement an in-depth project including their “area of concentration.” (This area of concentration can change at any time. It does not lock students into anything, but it provides them with focus or vision and “an end in mind.”)