HSEAF GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS

Courses
Regents Exams
Diplomas
Course Program Examples

General Information:

Each course is worth one (1) high school credit, with the exception of Physical Education and Weill Institute courses. Courses run from September through January (1st term of the school year) or from February through June (2nd term of the school year). Each term is composed of three marking periods, which terminate approximately every six weeks. Report cards are issued to students at the completion of each marking period. Students receive course credit if they receive a final (third marking period) grade of 65 or better.

HSEAF will only grant high school credit for junior high school courses if the student earned a passing grade in the course and a grade of 65 or better on the corresponding Regents exam.

Students must make up failed courses either in summer school. Summer school is mandatory for students who have failed any major subject. Summer school typically runs from early July until mid August. Multiple failing grades may result in a student repeating a year’s coursework.

Students must accumulate a total of 44 credits in order to graduate (37 of these credits must come from the course requirements A–G listed below). Students must also pass several Regents exams in order to meet New York State graduation requirements. Both course and Regents exam requirements must be met in order for a student to receive a diploma.

At the High School of Economics & Finance, students are also expected to complete Finance courses and Weill Institute requirements.

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Required courses by subject area:

A) English
Students must complete a minimum of 8 credits in English (English 1 — English 8). ESL (English as a Second Language) students must complete all levels of ESL (ESL 3 — ESL 8). Seniors must complete a senior thesis in their College Writing class and in Senior English.

B) Social Studies
Students must complete a minimum of 8 credits in Social Studies (Global History 1–4, U.S. History 1 & 2, Participation in Government (H7), and Economics (H8)).

C) Science
Students must complete 6 credits in Science, typically Living Environment 1 & 2, Earth Science 1 & 2, and Chemistry 1 & 2. Students are also encouraged to take an additional year in science, in either Physics, Marine Biology, Advanced Placement (AP) Biology or AP Chemistry, as most competitive colleges prefer students who have taken 4 years of science. All science classes have a mandatory lab component which must be satisfied in order to take the corresponding Regents exam.

D) Mathematics
Students are required to complete 6 credits in Mathematics, typically Algebra I, Geometry, and Algebra II. Students are strongly encouraged to take Pre–Calculus or AP Calculus in their senior year, as many colleges and universities require a 4th year of Mathematics for admission.

Math Lab classes are assigned to students who score lower than 75 on any Math Regents exam or demonstrate difficulty in Math. Math Labs are worth 1 elective credit each but do not count toward the 6 credit Math requirement.

E) Foreign Language
Students are required to complete at least 2 credits of Foreign Language. Students are strongly encouraged to complete 6 credits in Foreign Language so that they may earn an Advanced Regents Diploma. Spanish is the only language offered at HSEAF.

F) Physical Education
Students are required to complete 4 credits of Physical Education. Each term completed is worth a ½ credit. Students must also complete a 1 credit Health course during their senior year. Failed Physical Education courses must be made up in either night school or summer school.

G) Music/Art
Students must complete a 1 credit Music course and a 1 credit Art course.

Finance Courses
Students are required to complete 9 credits of Finance Courses: Welcome to Wall Street I and Advanced Principles of Finance, Computer Applications, College Accounting I and II, World of Finance, International Finance, and Banking & Credit.

Weill Institute
Students must complete 3 credits of Weill Institute Seminars (each seminar is worth ½ a credit), 1 credit of Community Service, and 1 credit of Unpaid Internship.

Required Regents Exams:
Students must pass New York State Regents exams, in addition to required courses, in order to graduate. The five required Regents exams, which all students must pass, are Global History & Geography, US History & Government, English Language Arts, a Math Regents exam (either Math A or B) and a Science Regents exam (Living Environment, Earth Science, Chemistry or Physics). There are four types of diplomas a student can receive. The Regents exam requirements for each are as follows:

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Diplomas:

Local Diploma
Score 65 or above on 2 required Regents exams and score 55 or above on 3 required Regents exams.

Regents Diploma
Score 65 or above on all 5 required Regents exams.

Regents Diploma with Advanced Designation
Score 65 or above on 8 required Regents exams, including 2 Math, 2 Science, and a Foreign Language exam.

Diplomas with Weill Institute Designation
6 Weill Institute Seminars — 3 must be in Economics and Finance category; and 3 additional in a category of choice

100 hours Community Service
120 hours Unpaid Internship

Students who fail Regents exams may retake exams in August, June or January of each school year. Special Regents preparatory courses are offered each summer for the Global History, U.S. History, Math A, Living Environment, and English Language Arts Regents exams.

*Special education students may be entitled to take various RCT exams in place of Regents.

§Order may be reversed

Earning a Regents Diploma, or a Regents Diploma with Advanced Designation, will increase a student’s chances of gaining entrance into some of the more competitive colleges and universities, even outside of New York.

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HSEAF COURSE PROGRAMS BY YEAR:

Below are examples of typical student programs. Accelerated students will carry different programs depending upon which course of study they have been advanced in. Students who excel in a particular subject may be eligible to take Advanced Placement courses in that subject area. Students in the "Ramp Up" program will have two periods of English during the 9th grade, with no foreign language, and will begin taking a foreign language during the 10th grade.

HSEAF COURSE PROGRAMS BY YEAR
Courses listed with an asterisk (*) end in a Regents exam.

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