Middle and High School Curriculum Handbook 2024-25
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CCSD Secondary Schools
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High Schools (9-12) |
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Cherokee High School |
Creekview High School |
Etowah High School |
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River Ridge High School |
Sequoyah High School |
Woodstock High School |
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i-Grad Virtual Academy |
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Middle Schools (6-8) |
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Creekland Middle School |
Dean Rusk Middle School |
E.T. Booth Middle School |
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Freedom Middle School |
Mill Creek Middle School |
Teasley Middle School |
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Woodstock Middle School |
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Additional Secondary Programs |
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Tippens Education Center |
C3 Academy |
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ACE Academy |
Transition Academy |
Georgia Graduation Requirements
Below are the current graduation requirements for Georgia public high school students who enter ninth grade for the first time in the 2008-2009 and subsequent school years. In order to meet graduation requirements, it is important to seek guidance from counselors, advisors and instructors regarding course selection and sequencing on an annual basis.
Areas of Study |
Credits |
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I. English/Language Arts |
4 |
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II. Math |
4 |
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III. *Science |
4 |
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IV. Social Studies |
3 |
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V. **Career, Technical and Agricultural Education (CTAE), and/or Modern Language/Latin, and/or Fine Arts |
3 |
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VI. Health & Physical Education |
1 |
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Electives (4 units) |
4 |
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TOTAL UNITS |
23 |
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* The 4th science unit may be used to meet both the science and elective requirement. ** Students must complete three units in a pathway to complete a CTAE pathway and take an end of pathway assessment. Students interested in attending a University System of Georgia college/university must complete two years of the same foreign language to be admissible as a freshman. |
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Georgia High School Diploma Options
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Diploma Type |
Who Is Eligible? |
Requirements |
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High School Diploma |
All Students |
Students must complete attendance requirements, unit requirements and state assessment requirements
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State-Defined Alternate Diploma |
Students with significant cognitive disabilities |
Students who are assessed under the Georgia Alternate Assessment (GAA 2.0) and meet other State Board Rule requirements
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Special Education Diploma |
Students with disabilities assigned to a special education program |
Students with disabilities who have not met the High School Diploma requirements and do not qualify for the State-Defined Alternate Diploma but have completed their IEP goals
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High School Certificate |
All Students |
Students who have not met the requirements of a diploma but have earned 23 units
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Grading System
High School
The Cherokee County School District (CCSD) awards high school credits on a semester-based system. Students earn one half (.5) credit for each semester course they complete and pass. In general, students take six courses per semester, each worth one half (.5) credit, earning a total of three (3) credits. The minimum required score to earn credit is 70.
High school students receive grades each nine-week quarter. Unlike in elementary and middle school, grades only reset at the end of each 18-week semester. High School grades for quarters one and three are used as midpoint grades to show student progress.
Furthermore, quarter and semester grades are not averaged to create a yearly grade. Only final grades at the end of semester one and semester two, as well as any summer course grades, will show on a student’s transcript.
Middle School
Grading at the middle school level is similar to what students experience in elementary school. Final quarter grades are awarded at the end of each nine weeks after which grades reset for the next quarter. Students receive semester averages based on their quarter grades and then an overall yearly average for each course.
Students participating in high school credit courses while in middle school follow the high school grading system which is based on semesters, not quarters, and does not include a yearly grade average.
Grade Level Progression
Students in middle school progress from grade level to grade level just as they do in elementary school. Middle school students will be promoted, placed or retained dependent upon their ability to meet the student performance standards and core curricular competencies of the School District and State Board of Education Rules 160-4-2-.11, Promotion, Placement, and Retention and 160-3-1-.07, Testing Programs-Student Assessment, and State law.
Unlike grades K-8, students in high school progress through grade levels based on the number of credits earned in specific course areas as follows:
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To be in… |
Minimum core credit requirement |
Minimum # total credits |
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10th grade |
1 ELA, 1 Math, 1 Sci |
5 |
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11th grade |
2 ELA, 2 Math, 1 Sci |
11 |
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12th grade |
3 ELA, 3 Math, 2 Sci, 1 SS |
17 |
More information on grading policies and grade level progression can be found in CCSD School Board Policy IHE – Promotion, Placement and Retention.
Course Placement and Selection Guidelines
High School
CCSD believes that every high school student should be informed prior to making course selection decisions. For this reason, a list of CCSD course offerings and standard sequencing is provided to assist students and parents/guardians in making the high school experience pleasant, informative and, most importantly, successful.
Initial placements for rising 9th grade students are determined using a data-based rubric tied to grades, Milestone assessment data and current middle school course placement. Schools are able to make adjustments to the data-based rubric results, but all placement decisions are at the final discretion of the school administration.
Teachers of pre-requisite core courses (English, Mathematics, Science and Social Studies) are responsible for making appropriate course recommendations for the next school year. Teachers in World Languages, CTAE, Fine Arts and Physical Education courses are also able to make recommendations for courses within those elective areas. In making recommendations, teachers are encouraged to consider student interests, overall course load and placement guidelines. Schools should review and share data with students and parents/guardians regarding student performance and student behaviors that indicate overall student success in advanced courses.
In determining placement for students who fall short of the criteria, overall aptitude demonstrated by the preponderance of evidence from past academic performance and teacher feedback should be considered, always bearing in mind what is in the best interest of the student.
Middle School
Initial placements for rising 6th grade students are determined using a data-based rubric tied to grades, Milestone assessment data, reading levels and math diagnostic information. Schools can make adjustments to the data-based rubric results, but all placement decisions are at the final discretion of the school administration. In subsequent school years, middle school students are “rolled” to the next course with recommendations for adjustment made as needed based on classroom performance and assessment data.
Middle school students experience a variety of Connections courses each year typically consisting of yearlong PE and a rotation through four other areas. Some Connections courses, such as Band and Chorus, must be specifically selected by students in order to participate. Opportunities to earn high school credit in math, science and select elective areas are offered in 8th grade.
CCSD Course Offerings
- English/Language Arts
- Mathematics
- Science
- Social Studies
- World Language/Latin
- Health and Physical Education
- Fine Arts
- Career, Technical and Agricultural Education (CTAE)
