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PM_Mama: With Michigan's new graduation requirements, it would not be possible for someone to graduate in 3 years. Requirements and opportunities clearly vary by state.
My daughter's class has to have:
4 credits Math including at least Algebra I, Algebra II, Geometry and a math class your senior year
4 credits Language Arts, specified : 9th grade, 10th grade, 11th grade, and 12th grade
3 credits Science: Biology, Chemistry or Physics and one additional class
3 credits Social Studies: US History and Geography, World History and Geography, .5 Civics, .5 Economics
1 credit: Phys Ed & Health
1 credit: Visual and Performing Arts
2 credits: Other language
In the past, you could take 6 credits per year, so that would leave 6 credits of elective work or (obviously for college bound kids) another credit of science and social studies and 4 electives. They are moving to trimesters to allow more elective space so they can get up to 7.5 credits per year in many districts. If a child is in band, they must take it all 3 trimesters so they will have 1.5 credits in band per year.
My daughter's high school schedule will look like this each year:
1.5 credits band
1 credit language
1 credit math
1 credit science
1 credit social studies
1 credit language
1 credit elective (which will be Phys Ed/Health in 9th grade)
If it weren't for the trimester thing, college bound kids had no opportunity to take any electives.
However, the way the requirements are worded, you must take 4 years of math and English and there is no budging on that. They also don't allow you to do summer school unless you've failed a class and night classes aren't available either. Therefore, in our area, graduating in 3 years is, in fact, impossible. In fact, since my daughter had Algebra I in 8th grade, she will not get high school credit for it as they did in the past because the requirements clearly say she has to take 4 years IN high school. I am thankful for the trimesters because it will allow her to take some of the electives that she is interested in like Journalism, which is her intended career right now.
Our schools also do not adjust GPA for AP or Honors classes starting with the class of 2011 (my daughter is class of 2012).
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