Special Programs

Students may enroll in DCO during their 11th and/or 12th grade years. Those students who are in good standing academically and on track for graduation may be released from school for half days to work. Students are required to work a total of 15 hours per week. The DCO program allows participants to split their time between academic courses and part-time work in career fields that interest them. Students are required to meet weekly with a certified, professional school-to-career coordinator from LCTI who helps them develop 21st century skills such as collaboration, critical thinking and problem solving. Weekly competency-based instruction takes place at SLHS with the LCTI coordinator and students are formally evaluated by both the LCTI coordinator and the employer each marking period. Students who participate in DCO receive credit towards graduation. Background checks are required for employer mentors who hire minors in the DCO program.

The Emerging Health Professional Program approved by PDE and offered through Lehigh Career & Technical Institute, Penn State University, and Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network, provides highly motivated high school seniors with an opportunity to experience a variety of health care careers. Students take Anatomy and Physiology in the fall and spring semesters at Penn State University, Lehigh Valley campus or at LCCC two days per week and spend the remaining three days per week rotating among the various departments in the hospital and receiving health care instruction at LCTI. Students have the opportunity to work and interact with staff from all departments of the hospital, including: critical care units, radiology, respiratory care, pharmacy, physical therapy, clinical laboratories, emergency unit, medical and surgical units, general medicine and more. The classroom portion of the program provides students with instruction in a variety of patient care skills and hospital procedures to enable them to participate in patient care activities during the clinical portion of the program. In addition to these basic skills, students are given an overview of the healthcare profession, different healthcare systems, health insurance, and other health-related issues.

Interested students should see their school counselor for more information.

The Animal Sciences program provides high school seniors with the opportunity to explore a variety of veterinary and animal-centric careers in a professional setting while taking Lehigh Carbon Community College science courses for college credit.

In a typical school week, students split their time between immersion in the program curriculum at LCTI, dual enrollment courses (Fundamentals of Biology, Introduction to Veterinary Technology, and Veterinary Terminology) at LCCC and shadowing professionals or participating in other activities at Lehigh Valley Zoo and local veterinary clinics.

Successful participants complete the program with at least seven readily-transferable college credits. Students also get the chance to earn industry credentials that signal their readiness for higher learning to college admissions officers. This program is only available to senior students.

Interested students should see their school counselor for more information.

Through partnerships with local community colleges, the local volunteer fire departments, and ambulance corps, students will be able to earn graduation credit for taking firefighting and EMT courses. Students, ages 16 and older, can register for the Junior Fire Fighting Course and/or the EMT Course to gain credit toward high school graduation. The Fire Fighting course involves attending class and hands-on training at the local fire department. The EMT Course involves approximately 160 hours of education. Students should contact their local fire companies or the Ambulance Corps for additional information before registering for either of these courses. Upon successful completion of these programs, students are eligible to receive 1 credit towards high school graduation.

The High School Scholars Program is a highly selective program that enables a limited number of students to take tuition-free courses during their senior year at local colleges such as DeSales University and Lehigh University. Acceptance into the program is based on the following: GPA/Class Rank, strength of schedule, SAT/PSAT scores, application essay and teacher/counselor recommendation letter. In the spring, applications for these programs are available in the guidance office for current juniors. Completed applications are then sent to the colleges for review. For more information please click here to visit the Dual Enrollment section of the Program of Studies.

Spartan Academy is the SLSD full-time remote learning program for students seeking a remote learning instructional model for the 2022-2023 school year.

Students interested in Spartan Academy should contact their School Counselor. Spartan Academy is available based on individual student needs and not all students may qualify.

The curriculum and instruction for Spartan Academy will be provided by the EdOptions Academy through Edmentum. While the instruction in the Spartan Academy will be completed via a fully remote platform, any Southern Lehigh School District student who enrolls in Spartan Academy will continue to remain an enrolled student in the Southern Lehigh School District and as such will continue to be able to maintain the opportunity to take advantage of all of the supports, activities, and athletic opportunities afforded to all Southern Lehigh School District students. Additionally, all Southern Lehigh School District students who enroll in the Spartan Academy will complete all coursework via SLSD issued instructional technology with access to the comprehensive SLSD technology support.

Please visit SLSD.org for more information and registration procedures.

The Southern Lehigh School District offers a Spanish Immersion program in which students are taught all of their core subjects (except for English) in Spanish throughout elementary school. At the high school level, immersion students take Spanish Culture & Communication, Honors Spanish Communication & Literature, AP Spanish Language, and AP Spanish Literature.

Southern Lehigh students are able to further or enhance their educational experiences during the summer months by enrolling in pre-approved coursework. After successful completion, courses will be noted on the student's transcript with a “P” for the final grade and the appropriate credit earned, with no impact to grade point average.

Guidelines for Course Credit and Acceleration:

• Students must complete the green Enrichment or Acceleration Form with their parents. Please note: courses taken through eLearn-21 do not require completion of this form.

• Approval must be granted in writing by the SLSD curriculum director and high school principal prior to the student enrolling in the course

• Students who take enrichment or acceleration courses must satisfy Southern Lehigh course prerequisites for acceleration when standards and curriculum are comparable and the minimum grade is attained.

• Students may not have a study hall in their schedule the following year after summer acceleration.

• Summer acceleration registration forms will be available in the guidance office in May.

For students moving on to the next level in mathematics or science:

• Students are required to take Southern Lehigh High School’s final exam in addition to the completion of the approved course.

• The grade that the student earns in the requested course will account for 80% of the final grade, with the SLHS final exam counting as 20% of the final course grade.

• The final grade must meet the prerequisite requirements of the subsequent course in order to accelerate on to the next desired course.

• The student is responsible for providing an official transcript of his/her performance to Southern Lehigh High School for verification.