Academic Development

Academic Options at DHS

Advanced Programs Info Session

We are pleased to provide the slides and video from the September 25/26 DHS Advanced Content Programs Family Information Session. This presentation covers a range of topics to help families and students navigate their options for advanced coursework in the coming years. You'll find information about:

DHS Advanced Content Programs: An overview of what DHS offers for juniors and seniors, including Dual Enrollment, Work-Based Learning, and AP and IB programs.
College and Career Planning: Information on admissions considerations, earning college credits through AP and IB, and the importance of finding a program that is the right fit for you.
Program-Specific Details: A breakdown of the different IB programs (Diploma and Career) and the new AP Capstone Diploma, including course requirements and prerequisites.
Fees and Accommodations: Important dates and costs for AP and IB exams, as well as information on how to request accommodations for exams

IB MYP

IB DP & CP

International Baccalaureate Diploma and Career Programs:

In the fall of 10th grade, students may express interest in taking part in one of the IB Programs or in individual IB courses.

Options include:
- IB Diploma Program (IB DP)
- IB Career-related Program (IB CP)
- Independent IB Courses (not part of a full program)

To be considered:

Students must select their desired IB courses/program in the campus portal during Course Request Season (October/November).
Once accepted, students must commit to the program or courses to be scheduled.

Students who do not enroll in a full IB program are considered Independent students, crafting a personalized educational path.

Dual Enrollment

Students in grades 10–12 may be eligible to participate in Georgia’s Dual Enrollment program, which allows them to take college-level courses for credit.

Courses may be taken on college campuses, online, or at DHS (if available).
Eligibility requirements vary by college and may include GPA, age, and/or test scores.

For more information contact: Beth Lewis

Advanced Placement Courses

Course Request Season

Each year in October/November, students select courses for the following school year.

A complete list of IB and AP offerings is available on the Course Request Season page .

Graduation Requirements

All students must meet Decatur High School’s graduation requirements to earn a diploma.

All graduates receive the General College Preparatory Diploma, regardless of academic pathway.
Details about graduation requirements, Dual Enrollment, IB Diploma, and IB Career are available in the section below.

Course Descriptions

Click here for course details, including:

Prerequisites
Next course in sequence
Measures of readiness

Graduation Requirements

Decatur High School students must earn 25 units of credit in specific subject areas to receive a diploma.

Credit Breakdown

Subject Area	Required Credits
English / Language Arts	4.0
Humanities / Social Studies	4.0*
Mathematics	4.0
Science	4.0
World Language	2.0
Career Technical / Fine Arts / Additional World Language	3.0
Electives	3.0
Health	0.5
Personal Fitness	0.5
Total	25.0

* Starting with the Class of 2027, only 3.0 credits of Humanities/Social Studies will be required.

Graduation = 25 Credits

Students must earn all 25 required credits as outlined above to meet Decatur High School's graduation requirements.

Annual Credit Review

Each summer, counselors conduct a comprehensive review of student progress to ensure:

All earned credits are correctly recorded on DHS transcripts
Students are scheduled into appropriate courses for promotion, graduation, and/or program eligibility
Students are on track for career exploration and post-secondary planning

Mid-Year Transfers

Students who enroll mid-year will have their transcripts reviewed by a counselor. A customized graduation plan will be developed based on:

Previously earned credits
DHS requirements
The student’s post-secondary goals

Additional Resources

Promotion Requirements

Promotion occurs each year with the cohort regardless of number of credits

High school students progress with their cohort regardless of the number of credits earned each year. Advisement courses will be reflective of the students' cohort. Specific supports will be in place to monitor students who are off track for graduation to remediate and support them back to a path of timely graduation with their 9th grade cohort.

Health and Personal Fitness

Health & Personal Fitness Requirement

To graduate from high school in the state of Georgia, students must complete:

0.5 credit in Health
0.5 credit in Personal Fitness

These courses are typically taken in 9th grade.

Course Options

1. Take at Decatur High School

Both Health and Personal Fitness are offered during the school day.

2. Take Online Over the Summer

Many students choose to take one or both courses online during the summer at their family's expense to allow for more flexibility in their academic-year schedule.

Approved online providers include:

BYU Independent Study
- HLTH 041: Health Education
- FIT 041: Fitness for Living
Georgia Virtual School (GaVS)
- Health: 17.3110010
- Personal Fitness: 36.3510010
Any regionally accredited institution

Before enrolling in any online course, students must first consult with their school counselor to ensure credit will be accepted.

Planning to Take These Courses Outside of DHS?

During course request season, students who plan to meet Health and/or Personal Fitness requirements outside of Decatur High School must complete the following form:

Health/Personal Fitness Alternative Plan Form

Personal Fitness Waiver

Upon completion of the GHSA Sport/Marching Band/JROTC requirement, students may apply for a waiver of the Personal Fitness requirement if they meet criteria:

Personal Fitness Waiver Information & Application
The form should be summited to David Harbin (Athletics), Ira Jenkins (March Band), or Bruce Case (JROTC) upon completion.

Important: There is no waiver for Health.
All students must complete a 0.5 credit Health course, even if they apply for a Personal Fitness waiver. Health is typically paired with Team Sports or Physical Conditioning at DHS.

Dual Enrollment (DE)

Dual Enrollment allows eligible high school students to take college-level courses for credit while still enrolled at Decatur High School. Students can attend classes at a participating college or university, online, or—if available—on the DHS campus. For additional information contact Beth Lewis

See the DHS Dual Enrollment Website for more detailed information.

Additional college enrollment options

Accelerated Career Diploma (often referred to as SB2)

Available to Georgia students who complete certain 9th and 10th grade level classes, all related end-of-course Milestone assessments, and complete requirements related to postsecondary coursework. These students may be awarded both a high school diploma and a college credential, click to see more.

Joint Enrollment Program

High school students enrolled in non-Dual Enrollment participating high schools or home study programs may enroll in postsecondary courses while continuing to pursue a high school diploma. Under the Joint Enrollment Program, DHS will accept post-secondary course work credit completed at regionally accredited post-secondary institutions as credit towards the student’s high school graduation requirements. Joint Enrollment is not state funded and all associated fees are the student's/family's responsibility.

Georgia Virtual School Online Courses

Georgia Virtual School (GAVS)

Students interested in taking a course through Georgia Virtual School must follow a specific process for approval and registration. These courses offer flexible, online learning but follow a structured academic calendar and expectations.

Step 1: Speak With Your Counselor

Before registering for any GAVS course, students must:

Meet with their DHS counselor
Complete the DHS-GAVS Application

Step 2: Register with GAVS

If approved, students must:

Visit the GAVS website to create a student account and register for courses
View important dates on the GAVS Calendar
Browse available classes: GAVS Course Listing
Be sure to meet all GAVS and DHS prerequisites before enrolling.

Helpful Resources

Course Format & Support

GAVS courses are facilitated by GAVS instructors, not DHS teachers
Courses are available 24/7 online, but include:
- Weekly live sessions via Jigsaw (recordings available)
- Instructor email and office hours
GAVS policies apply, not DHS (e.g., late work penalties, attendance expectations)

GAVS Make-Up & Late Work Policy

Assignments turned in 1 day late: Graded with a percentage point deduction
2+ days late: Grade = 0; must move on to the next assignment
No make-up policy like DHS

Drop/Withdrawal Policy

To drop a GAVS course:

Meet with your DHS counselor
If approved, complete the withdrawal process on the GAVS portal

Withdrawal Deadlines:

Term	Last Day to Withdraw
Fall/Spring	By the 13th day of class
Summer	By the 3rd day of class

Important: If a student withdraws after these deadlines, families may be responsible for reimbursing the district if CSD paid for the course.

GAVS Summer Courses

Summer classes run on a condensed 6-week schedule
Students should plan to commit 5–6 hours per day
There is no guarantee CSD will pay for a summer GAVS course
Note: GAVS does not accept American Express (AmEx) for payment

Brigham Young University Online Distance Learning Courses

Understanding your Transcript & GPA Calculation Support

Understanding Your Transcript & GPA

Explore how to read your transcript, understand your GPA, and how grade calculations work at Decatur High School.

Presentations:

Grade Point Averages (GPA)

Class Rank:
Decatur High School and City Schools of Decatur do not calculate or report student rank on transcripts.
Valedictorian & Salutatorian:
These honors are determined using academic data from 18-week (mid-year) grade reports. For more information, click HERE
Transferring to DHS:
If you transfer to DHS from another school, your GPA will be recalculated using the CSD/DHS GPA system.
This may cause your GPA to increase or decrease, depending on the grading scale used at your previous school.

Testing Out for credit

Earning Credit Through Testing-Out

Students at Decatur High School may earn up to 3 units of credit by demonstrating subject area competency through Georgia Milestones End-of-Course (EOC) assessments.

Eligible Courses

Students may attempt to test-out of any course that has an associated EOC. However, they may not be awarded more than three total units of credit through this method.

Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible to test-out of a course, students must:

Not be currently or previously enrolled in the course.
Have earned a grade of B or higher in the most recent course in the same content area.
Receive a teacher recommendation from the most recent course’s teacher or another teacher in the same subject area.
Obtain parent/guardian permission if under 18 years old.

Important Notes

Students may only attempt to test-out of a course once.
Testing must occur during state-approved EOC windows, which include monthly testing opportunities and the summer main administration.
Students must earn a “Distinguished” performance level on the EOC to earn credit. If the course is required for graduation and they do not earn “Distinguished,” they must enroll in the course and take the EOC again.
Credit earned through this option counts toward graduation requirements, including subject area and course sequence requirements.
A $50 fee per EOC may be required for families.
Students are not eligible to test-out of a course if they are already scheduled to take the next level in that subject.
Example: A student enrolled in AP Physics may not test-out of Physical Science.