Graduating From OSA

Students must complete the courses listed below for an OSA diploma

A. History/Social Science (3 years including Gov/Econ)

B. English (4 years)

C. Mathematics (passing Geometry and Algebra II)

D. Laboratory Science (2 years including Health)

E. Language Other than English (2 years)

F. Arts Elective (1 year)

F. Academic Elective (1 year)

*All courses in their arts sub pathway program

Timeline:

• The majority of OSA students complete this course work in four years. However, some students may take a bit longer or might want to finish in 3. See below for guidelines on graduating outside of the 4 year timeline:

Early Graduation: 

• Students can take extra course work during the school year or over the summer to earn credits. If a student wants to graduate early, they should meet with their academic counselor to draft a plan. 

• Students who are 16 and over have the option of earning a diploma equivalent by passing the California High School Proficiency Exam (HiSET). More information can be found at https://hiset.org/california-proficiency/

• Students who are 18 and over have the option of earning a diploma equivalent by passing the the GED. More information can be found at https://ged.com/policies/california/

*Please note that students who take the HiSet or GED do not participate in graduation ceremonies and do not receive a diploma from OSA. Once their test is passed, they no longer have to attend high school.  

Taking More Time:

• Sometimes students need a bit more time to finish or recover their credits. If a student is not able to finish their coursework in 4 years, they will meet with their academic counselor to come up with a plan. That plan might involve working over the summer of their 12th grade year and maybe into the fall of the next school year. We advise that if students start to fall behind in credits that they work during the summers of their 9th, 10th, and 11th grade year to avoid having to take more than 4 years to graduate. 

Participating in OSA Graduation:

• If a student is graduating early, participation in graduation activities is not guaranteed. Students must meet with an academic counselor to make a plan. 

• If a student fails required credits, they will not be eligible for a diploma until they pass all classes needed via credit recovery. Students must be within 10 credits of finishing to be able to participate in the graduation ceremony.