GCSD District Mission Statement
To inspire all students to be active life-long learners, able to achieve their highest potential in a demanding and ever-changing global community.
Table of Contents
- Directory
- Course Descriptions
- Timeline for Planning
- Graduation and Testing Requirements
- Course Levels
- Examinations
- Policies
Download and print the 2025-26 GHS Curriculum Guide
Course Descriptions
Art and Design
Business
Career & Tech Education
English
Mathematics
Miscellaneous
Music
Physical Education
Health
Reading & Library Information
Science
Social Studies
Technology Education
World Languages & Cultures
Timeline for Planning
- December 2024: Guilderland High School Curriculum Handbook is available online. Teachers at the high school begin recommending students for classes for the 2024 – 2025 school year.
- Jan. 3 – 8, 2025: Grade 11 scheduling begins
- Jan. 6 – Feb. 14: 2025: Grade 8 scheduling begins
- Jan. 9 – 12, 2025: Grades 9 and 10 scheduling begins
- Jan. 31, 2025: Last day to request a level change
- Mar. 31, 2025: Teachers finalize level change recommendations
- May & June 2025: Class conflict resolutions are made
- June 6, 2025: Last day to submit course change requests for students entering ninth grade
- Add/drop period: Course changes must be made by the end of two ABCD cycles
Graduation and Testing Requirements
Course Requirements
Each student must earn at least 22 credits to graduate from Guilderland High School. This consists of getting a grade of 65 or higher in all of the following:
- 4 units of English
- 4 units of Social Studies
- 3 units of Math
- 3 units of Science
- 1 unit of World Languages and Cultures
- 1 unit of Fine Arts
- ½ unit of health
- 2 units of Physical Education
- 3 ½ units of electives to total 22 units
Additionally, each student must pass 5 Regents exams with a score of 65 or higher in order to earn a Regents diploma. This includes:
- Algebra
- Science (typically either Biology or Earth Science)
- Global History
- English
- US History
In order to earn an Advanced Regents diploma, students must pass all of the above exams plus the following additional exams:
- Geometry
- Algebra 2
- Another science
- World Languages and Culture (or replace this with a five-unit sequence in art, music or career and technical education)
Course Levels
College Level Courses and Advanced Placement through the College Board
Guilderland High School offers courses for college credit through a variety of colleges including Albany College of Pharmacy, Hudson Valley Community College, Rochester Institute of Technology, Siena, SUNY Schenectady, Syracuse, and the University at Albany. Students are able to earn college credit upon successful completion of the course (including any final exams), and payment of tuition fees by the student. Students may be able to transfer these credits to the college which the student ultimately attends after graduation from high school. Financial Aid may be available for students who qualify.
Advanced Placement classes work toward preparation for that subject’s AP exam in May. The tests are open to any college bound student for the exam fee. Students must register for these exams in the fall of the school year in which the exam will be taken. Many colleges will grant credit or advanced standing to students who earn a score of 4 or 5 on the AP exam.
Honors Courses (H)
Honors level courses are designed to challenge students by providing enrichment through in-depth study. Emphasis is placed on the quality of achievement. Students in Honors level courses will take Regents examinations whenever they are offered in that subject.
Regents Courses (R)
Courses at this level meet the New York State Regents standards. Average to above average students successfully completing these courses are well prepared to pursue higher education.
Examinations
Advanced Placement Examinations
These college-level tests are given in May and are open to all students; however, there are AP classes for most students who take these tests. Test results are generally received by the school in July and therefore are not computed into a student’s final class average. Depending on the respective college policy, students may receive college credit for successful completion of an AP course and a higher score on the AP exam. There is a student fee payable to the College Board (2024-2025 fee – $99 per exam).
Regents Examinations
All students enrolled in classes which culminate in a Regents exam take these tests, which are prepared by the New York State Department of Education.
Local Examinations
These tests are locally prepared examinations, which are approved by the curriculum supervisor in the respective department and are used whenever Regents examinations are not specifically offered.
Policies
Auditing a course
A course audited is listed on the permanent record card as an “Audit” with no credit issued. Students may audit courses under special circumstances. The audit request must be approved by the School Counselor, Instructional Administrator, teacher and parent prior to the beginning of each course. Students requesting to audit a course are expected to complete all of the work assigned.
Doubling
In grades 9-11, students may not take two courses simultaneously in the same academic area where one is the prerequisite for the other. An exception is made for the “bona fide” accelerated student and for physical education make-up.
Course Drop/Add
All the underclassmen may drop a course only if it is replaced by another course. Course changes must be made by the end of two ABCD cycles. This policy will also apply to seniors carrying a six-class load.
NCAA Eligibility
The NCAA has strict academic eligibility requirements for prospective students/athletes to participate in Division I and II intercollegiate athletics. It is the responsibility of the student and parent to check https://web3.ncaa.org/ecwr3/, for up-to-date course eligibility requirements.
The following courses WILL NOT meet the NCAA requirements for English:
- Acting and Directing I
- Acting and Directing II
- Cinema as Literature
- Digital Broadcasting: News and Sports
- Screenwriting
The following courses WILL NOT meet the NCAA requirements for Math:
- Accounting/College Accounting
- Applied Math 1
- Applied Algebra 2 & Trig.
- Applied Geometry
- Real Life Math
- Intro to Game Design
- Algebra 2 Two Year, Year 1 & Algebra 2 Two Year, Year 2 each count for .5 credit toward NCAA requirements
The following courses WILL NOT meet the NCAA requirements for Science:
- Health Sciences
- Nursing
- Physical Therapy
- Bioethics and Clean Energy