Graduation Requirements
JUNIOR HIGH
CREDITS NEEDED FOR COMPLETION: 120
To complete GCA Junior High, students must earn a minimum of 120 class credits in grades 7 and 8 combined. Every class taken earns credits. Each 5-day class, for example, earns 5 credits per semester. Students who transfer to Grace Christian Academy in grade 8 are required to earn 60 credits in grade 8 to complete junior high.
“Graduates” are recognized at the end of their 8th grade school year. In general, the day includes breakfast in the morning and a field trip including lunch.
SENIOR HIGH
CREDITS NEEDED FOR GRADUATION: 220
DIPLOMAS
To best meet the needs of students who vary significantly in talents, interests, and learning styles, Grace Christian Academy offers two types of diplomas for students (plus a completion certificate for students with high special needs):
GCA Diploma with Michigan Merit Curriculum (MMC) Endorsement: Students completing this diploma have earned passing grades in the courses designated by the State of Michigan as the “Michigan Merit Curriculum.” To assist students, there are a number of state-approved options and variations to help students fulfill the requirements. This is the curriculum we recommend for most students. It will provide a well-rounded education and, if continuing with further education, prepare students best for the college admission tests, give the best chance for qualifying for academic scholarships, minimize costs for remedial level courses taken in the first year at college, and prepare students for the rigor of most college courses. We also recommend this for students planning to enter a technical field involving significant mathematics and science, whether directly after high school or through a technical education school.
Basic GCA Diploma: This diploma is designed to give more options for fitting a curriculum to future plans that will not require advanced study as prescribed in the MMC. It allows more options for customizing a curriculum to explore personal interests and specialized studies through courses not offered at GCA. Since this diploma has a bit more leeway in fulfilling the requirements, a specific meeting is recommended to clarify the expectations and intentionally make a plan for meeting the graduation requirements. With this option, students and parents must be aware that if pursuing training beyond high school, the student may not qualify for government-based grants or scholarships. A parent-signed plan must be on file.
See variation in credit requirements between the two diploma options HERE.
PERSONAL CURRICULUM
The purpose of a secondary education is to prepare students for life after high school. At times a variation of the requirements may be in the best interest of the student. See the counselor for the description of the requirements for each department.
A Personal Curriculum (PC) is a means to slightly vary the requirements. Any modification of graduation requirements using a PC must be consistent with the purpose of secondary education. A PC may be requested for students to:
- Go beyond the academic credit requirements by adding more math, science, English language arts, or world languages credits.(PE/Arts requirement adjustment).
- Modify the mathematics requirement (of Advanced Algebra).
- Modify, if necessary, the credit requirements of a student with an Individualized Education Plan (IEP/504/ISP).
- Modify credit requirements for a student who transfers from out of state or from a nonpublic school (after grade 10) and is unable to meet the MMC requirements.
A PC must be written by ESSP staff and signed by a parent, ESSP staff member, and administrator. A PC must align with an EDP, IEP, ISP or 504.
OTHER INFORMATION
Passing a regular (5 days per week) course earns 5 credits each semester. Each student must attend (at minimum) the senior year on campus (full-time student) and fulfill all required coursework. Senior students must have at least 24 credits each semester with at least 15 on campus. Any deviation from the requirements must have Administration and/or Education Committee approval. Students coming for only one year (12th grade) to GCA must have 24 credits on campus each semester during that year (rather than 24 credits total with at least 15 on campus) to graduate.
Graduation of seniors will occur after all examinations have been completed. Students may not participate in the graduation ceremony without having completed necessary credits for graduation, including making up final semester incompletes before graduation.
The graduation ceremony normally takes place the day after the last exam. Diplomas will be mailed or may be picked up at the school office after the graduation ceremony.
SERVICE REQUIREMENTS
All students in grades 7 – 12 must complete two units of service (which consist of approximately 2 hours minimum per unit) before final Bible exams are taken each year as part of the Bible credit. A unit consists of one of the particular activities listed below. Students submit “blue cards” to their Bible teachers as they complete service projects. The student and an adult who will verify involvement in a particular activity must sign the blue card. Bible teachers record each unit as part of the requirement to pass the Bible class: then, they pass the blue cards to the counselor for documenting on a school record. Some activities might occur during the school day, but most will not. Please note that these service projects should not include things done around a student’s own household, grandparents’ households, or places where he/she would normally be expected to help without pay. Students should keep track of their participation, as events occur.
The following items are listed as pre-approved, service experiences, but other items could be added, as they are brought to the attention of our Bible Department and/or administration.
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- Helping the elderly at the home of the elderly person
- Helping at a local mission outreach, such as Habitat for Humanity or the Guiding Light Mission
- Delivering Thanksgiving baskets
- Singing for homes/hospitals, including the Veterans’ Facility
- Participating in church choir
- Involvement in mission trips/projects
- Passing out religious literature/tracts
- Helping in tape/tract ministry in a local church
- Volunteering at places of care
- Participation in any school-sponsored Community Involvement activity
- Involvement in Fall/Spring cleanup of school grounds
- Helping at various school functions
Note: Student Council members cannot claim Student Council events for service projects, since these are part of Student Council members’ responsibilities. Student Council School activities (events such as basketball, Fall Fling, football…) do NOT count toward the service requirement.
VALEDICTORIAN & SALUTATORIAN
The valedictorian and salutatorian positions of a graduating class represent students of high academic achievement. Criteria for valedictorian and salutatorian must be fulfilled by the end of the first semester of the senior year. Those fulfilling the requirements must maintain academic excellence to the end of their senior year. Any deviation of the requirements must have the approval of the Education Committee. Students must fulfill the following requirements to achieve one of these two positions:
- Be a full-time student on our campus for at least three years, including the senior year.
- Be a student in “good standing” which is defined as a student who upholds by precept and example the doctrines, policies, and standards of GCA and thus have no suspensions during their last three years at GCA.
- Attain one of the two highest grade point averages (GPAs) in the group of senior students who have fulfilled requirements #1 and #2.
- Attain a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0.
- Take a minimum of 10 semesters of the following college prep classes at GCA:
AP English (one semester)
Algebra II (one or two semesters)
American Literature (one semester)
Anatomy/Physiology (one or two semesters)
British Literature (one semester)
Chemistry (one or two semesters)
Foreign Language II (one or two semesters)
Functions/Statistics/Trigonometry (one or two semesters)
Geometry (one or two semesters)
Physics (one or two semesters)
PreCalculus (one or two semesters)
Psychology (one semester)