Senior Graduation Requirements

Maryland state graduation requirements stipulate that a student must have earned 21 credits in order to graduate. Rosedale Christian Academy requires an additional 4 credits of Bible.  One credit is earned for every 50-minute class that is completed satisfactorily during the school year, a minimum of 170 days.    

Upon graduation from Rosedale, a student will exceed the state graduation requirements. A student who stays at Rosedale for his/her entire senior high course of study will earn at least 24 credits. The total number of credits required of transfer students may require adjustment by the administration; however, a student cannot graduate with less than the minimum number of credits required by the state of Maryland.

Required by Maryland and Rosedale Christian Academy

Bible 4 (1 credit for each year in attendance) 

English 4 4

Math 3 4

Science 3 4

History 3 3

Foreign Language 2 2

Fine Arts 1 1

Technology 1 1

Electives 3 4 (including 4 Bible credits)

Physical Education ½ ½

Health                              ½                             ½_

TOTAL 21 24

Please note the required and optional course offering for the categories below:

  • Mathematics: Students are required to complete Algebra I and Geometry. The other two credits may be earned by successfully completing two of the following courses: Algebra II, Pre-Calculus, Consumer Math, or Business Math.
  • Science: Students are scheduled to take Physical Science, Biology, Chemistry, and either Physics or Anatomy & Physiology. Transfer students may need to take a different path depending on their previous credit in this area.
  • History: Students are scheduled to take World History, United States History, and Government & Economics.
  • Foreign Language: Spanish I, Spanish II, and French II are offered. Students may select which foreign language class to take.
  • Fine Arts: Students are required to complete one semester of speech. The other ½ credit is earned by successfully completing one semester of the following course choices: choir, drama, art, and/or band. 
  • Technology: Rosedale students are required to complete one full credit of technology. Computer Science meets this requirement. 
  • Electives: Rosedale students are required to complete one full credit of Bible for each year that they are enrolled. These credits count toward this category. Other electives are also available for students who would like to earn additional credits. 

High school students may have a maximum of one study hall during the same school day, and all students are required to stay for the duration of the full school day. 

Online electives for high school credit are also available. There is an additional fee associated with all online electives. Online electives may not replace the standard classroom offerings.

Students transferring into Rosedale Christian Academy who have earned high school credits for classes taken in middle school will receive recognition for credits awarded in eighth grade; however, these students will still be required to follow their grade level’s regular course of study.  This may result in the repetition of a class for which credit has already been earned.

Rosedale Christian Academy partners with the Community College of Baltimore County (CCBC) in Essex, MD, to offer dual enrollment classes to junior and senior students during the fall and spring semesters. Approved classes taken through the dual enrollment program will fulfill high school requirements for graduation while also gaining credits for college classes. Students must provide Rosedale with an official transcript upon completion of class to receive credit. 

All seniors are required to take the SAT or ACT in order to graduate.  Seniors must register and present a testing admission ticket prior to Christmas break.  Failure to register before Christmas break will result in the student’s automatic registration in the SAT School Day program administered on campus during the spring semester.

VALEDICTORIAN / SALUTATORIAN (Graduating Seniors)

Students who meet Rosedale’s highest academic, behavioral, and ethical standards are eligible for selection as valedictorian or salutatorian of their graduating class. These top graduates must be students in good standing who have been continuously enrolled at Rosedale Christian Academy for a minimum of three semesters, starting no later than the first day of school of their junior year. During a student’s junior and senior year, two math options will be offered each year – Consumer Math (junior year) and Business Math (senior year), or Algebra II (junior year) and Advanced Math (senior year).  Only students who take the Algebra II and Advanced Math track will be eligible for Valedictorian or Salutatorian. Only transfer credits from administrative-approved traditional schools are used for determining class rank.

Although the grade point average is calculated at the end of the first semester of the senior year, the positions of valedictorian and salutatorian are contingent upon successful completion of the final (spring) semester of the student’s senior year.  Students will not be honored with that title at graduation if the student commits an infraction that would bring dishonor to the office of valedictorian/salutatorian or to the school, or if the student’s grades drop during the last semester of high school. 

The grade point average will be calculated as a cumulative, weighted GPA of all high school courses including any online, honors classes, AP, and dual enrollment courses. The GPA will be computed to the thousandths place (three digits past the decimal point), and the student with the highest grade point average will receive the title of valedictorian, and the student with the second highest grade point average will receive the title of salutatorian. In the event of a tie in the grade point average as calculated, multiple valedictorians/salutatorians will represent the school.  In order for a student to be eligible for either one of these honors, a minimum GPA of 3.5 must be earned.

Transcripts

Official transcripts will be sent to other educational institutions upon request.  Transcripts cannot be released until all student obligations are fulfilled and the finance office clears financial accounts.  The transcript will be mailed in a sealed envelope to be opened only by the institution receiving the transcript.