In order to graduate from Gateway High School, students are required to meet credit and course requirements and pass the California High School Exit Exam. Gateway reserves the right to modify requirements and to award credit for alternative coursework.

DOWNLOAD THE GHS GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS (pdf)

Gateway’s Graduation Requirements and Required Course Load

In order to graduate from Gateway High School, students must meet credit and course
requirements and must pass the California High School Exit Exam. Gateway’s
graduation requirements are rigorous and exceed those of the University of California and
California State University systems. Gateway reserves the right to modify requirements
and to award credit for alternative coursework.

1. Course Requirements:

Humanities: 4 years; 80 credits
Mathematics: 3 years, at least through successful completion of Algebra 2; 30 credits
Sciences: 3 years; 30 credits
Spanish: 3 years, through successful completion of Spanish III or Heritage Speakers 2; 30
credits
Arts: 2 years, most commonly taken during the 9th and 10th grades; 20 credits
Psychology/Human Development:1 semester each taken during 9th grade; 10 credits
College Preparation: 2 semesters, taken during spring of 11th/fall of 12th grades; 5 credits
Physical Education: 2 years, can be earned outside of Gateway; 20 credits
Project Week: One week for each year you are in attendance at Gateway; 10 credits
Other Electives: At least three courses; 15 credits

Total credits required for graduation: 250

2. Course Load

Students must carry the course load required of their grade level, unless exempted or
waived from a course requirement. Students may not drop classes without prior
permission and can only drop classes during the first two weeks of the course. Students
must take at least six classes each semester, except during senior year when they must
take at least 5 classes. In addition, many students will only take six courses over the
course of a semester, even if they request seven courses. We do not expect students to
take seven classes each semester.

Sample Course Loads

9th Grade 9th Grade Humanities: World Cultures I
Mathematics
Physical Science
Spanish
Fundamentals of Art
Psychology/Human Development
(Students might take an academic support class (Learning Skills, Reading
Skills, etc.) in lieu of one or more of these classes)

10th Grade 10th Grade Humanities: World Cultures II
Mathematics
Biology
Spanish
Full Year Arts (Visual Art, Drama, or Music)
(Students might take an academic support class (Learning Skills, Reading
Skills, etc.) in lieu of one or more of these classes)

11th Grade 11th Grade Humanities: The United States Experience
Mathematics
Chemistry
Spanish
College Preparation (2nd semester)
Elective
(Students might take an academic support class (Learning Skills, Reading
Skills, etc.) in lieu of one or more of these classes)

12th Grade 12th grade English
Senior Civics Seminar
College Counseling (one semester)
Electives (but course requirements must be met in all subject areas)
(Students might take an academic support class in lieu of one or more of
these clases)

3. Credit Requirements:

Students are required to meet all course and credit requirements in order to receive a
diploma, unless they have received prior permission through a course waiver or
exemption approved by the Principal. Please check with your advisor or the Assistant
Principal/Principal to check your progress towards graduation.

4. Project Week

At Gateway we offer a unique opportunity for students to take a mini-course of their
choosing between semesters. For a week and a half, they enroll in a class that meets for
the entire day. This schedule allows them to explore the course topic in great detail, and
each class finishes with a culminating project. Students receive 2.5 credits toward
graduation for successful completion of their Project Week courses.

5. Community Service

Gateway holds the belief that part of a well-rounded education includes giving back to
the community at large. To achieve this, every student enrolled in Gateway has the
requirement to fulfill 25 hours per year of community service. Community service hours
may be obtained by participating in pre-approved volunteer work on Gateway’s campus
or within the larger community. The hours must be documented and authorized by the
agency receiving the work. Gateway’s Community Service club will organize group
events where community service hours may be obtained. While a designated faculty
member will coordinate the hours accumulated by the students, it is up to you to make
sure that the community service requirement is completed by the end of the year.

6. Additional Information: University of California/California State University Admissions

One key aspect of Gateway’s mission is to prepare students for admission to college. As
a result, our course requirements exceed those of the University of California and
California State University systems in many ways. However, we want to ensure our
families understand these requirements as well. They are outlined below.

• “a” History: 2 years
• “b” English: 4 years
• “c” Math: 3 years required, 4 recommended
• “d” Science: 2 years required, 3 recommended
• “e” Language other than English: 2 years required, 3 recommended
• “f” Arts: 1 year required
• “g” College Preparatory Electives: 1 year

* Classes in your freshman year count toward the “scholarship requirement” for
college. In other words, freshmen courses are included in GPA and admissions’ requirements.
* Ds do not count as a passing grade for UC or CSU admission and must be
retaken. However, if a student earns a C or better during the second semester of a
math and/or Spanish course, the D will not count against the student for UC
admission.