High School Course Catalog
The following is an overview of each subject area that high school credits are issued in English, Mathematics, Science, etc.
You may scroll down the page or click on the subject area name to jump directly to that section.
From each section the "Link to Course Descriptions and Publishers" will take you to the list of publishers that meet the content requirements of some of the courses listed, and that are pre-approved by Families of Faith Christian Academy for use by our students. On that page you will also find a link to download the detailed course description for each course listed.
Families are not limited to the listed publishers or even the courses listed. However, it should be noted that all high school courses have specific core requirements that must be met before credits will be issued. If the publisher or course you want is not listed, the administrative staff will conduct a review of the requirements for the course and the material suggested to determine if all of the requirements would be satified. Creating your own curriculum at the high school level is not recommended, as it would take hundreds of hours of planning to teach a legitimate biology course, for example, even for someone with college level training specifically in biology. Time can only be spent once, and, generally, trying to adjust a college level text for high school students, or writing a complete curriculum will not meet all of the requirements, and takes valuable time from other subjects.
English EN
Link to English Course Descriptions and Publishers
FOUR credits required even for students who opt for the three year, eighteen credit option. One from each level I-IV must be taken.
Mathematics MA
Link to Mathematics Course Descriptions and Publishers
FOUR credits required for students entering the ninth grade in 2007-2008 or after using the standard four-year, twenty-four-credit option. Algebra I is required for both the Standard Diploma, and the College Prep Diploma. Students entering high school in 2010-2011 add Geometry as a required course. Students entering high school in 2012-2013 add Algebra II as a required course.
Natural Science
Link to Science Course Descriptions and Publishers
THREE required, TWO must have a LAB component. Students entering high school in 2010-2011 add Physical Science as a required course. Students entering high school in 2011-2012 add Biology as a second required course.
As a rule, you should finish Physical Science and Algebra I before starting Chemistry.
Most college-bound students take Physical Science, Biology I and Chemistry. Students who are not college-bound and did not take Earth Science in the eighth grade may start there, followed by Physical Science and ending with Biology.
Social Science SS
Link to Social Science Course Descriptions and Publishers
Required Courses: World History WH, American History AH, American Gov’t. AG and Economics EC
Note: All of the required courses from Social Science have a Dual Enrollment option that meets the requirement. While the titles may vary by college, the course code number must match the list in the Course Code Directory.
Foreign Language FL
Link to Foreign Language Course Discriptions and Publishers
None required for graduation, but the Florida Bright Futures requires two (2) in the same language.
The following are basic descriptions that generally apply to most languages. All approved languages are listed except Haitian Creole (no known publisher) and Foreign Language Humanities for International Studies (a study of art, history, culture and humanities for those who already speak the language being studied). Most languages have more levels than are listed, but without a specialized AP or International Baccalaureate teacher they could not be completed.
Many companies offer a conversational language for younger students that does not add a quantity or quality of grammar and structure of the language that is required, and, therefore, is not eligible for high school credit.
FOREIGN LANGUAGE CONTENT OVERVIEW BY CREDIT LEVEL
Level I:
Students will develop basic vocabulary and grammatical structure of the language to express themselves concerning immediate conversational needs in the present tense. Stress will be on pronunciation and listening skills. The student will develop an understanding of cultural concepts through geography, history, and customs of the speaking country being studied.
Level II:
Students will expand vocabulary and structure skills to include more situational vocabulary in present and past tenses. Students will develop more reading, writing, listening and speaking skills, as well as continue their overview of the native cultures.
Level III
Students will continue to expand their use of vocabulary and structure to emphasize more writing skills. Selected readings will be used to develop comprehension of an extended vocabulary, and cultures.
Level IV
Develop use of idiomatic expressions with emphasis on reading comprehension and advanced conversational skills, including the ability to translate grade level material.
Performing Fine Arts PF
Link to Performing Fine Arts Course Descriptions and Publishers
One Performing Fine Art is required for the standard four-year, 24-credit graduation program. A short description is provided for a few of the course offerings to help explain the category. When you find a course that you are interested in, the office can provide you with a detailed course description. (A detailed high school section is planned for the web site with every course description at your fingertips.) This will ensure that all requirements of a specific course are being met. The guiding principle here is that a 1/2 credit course has seventy-five hours of instruction, and a full credit course has one hundred fifty hours. If your student takes piano lessons (1301360 Keyboarding I), but only practices for twenty minutes a day, it will take 225 days to earn 1/2 credit. Courses like Art History I (0100330) are based more on the content of the textbook than the actual hours spent dancing, drumming, drawing or debating.
Life Management Skills LM
Link to Life Management Course Descriptions and Publishers
Option One:
Students can meet the requirement by earning one half credit in Health and one half credit in Personal Fitness.
.5 0800300 LM Health/Life Mgmt Skills
.5 1501300 PE Personal Fitness
Option Two
Students can meet the requirement with one course that covers essentially the same material that is covered in Health, but it is intregrated with the Personal Fitness:
3026010 PE Health Opportunities through Physical Education (HOPE)
Personal Fitness PE
Link to Personal Fitness Course Descriptions and Publishers
Personal Fitness combined with Health is required unless the student has elected to meet the requirement by taking the alternate course HOPE.
Electives EL
Link to Electives Course Descriptions and Publishers
The state of Florida has hundreds of elective courses, and that’s before we look at the vocational category. Here is a sampling of some of them to hopefully give you an idea of the category. It should be noted that there is a tremendous difference in someone who is good with computers and has learned how to do amazing things, and someone who has mastered the kinds of programs that are required in the courses listed. That does not mean that the sound tech at your church that has been trained cannot mentor your student so he/she earns a specific credit, but the $300 soundboard the band uses does not meet the requirement. When you find a course you think you want to pursue, the school office can provide you with a detailed course description before you begin a class.
Vocational VO
Link to Vocational Course Descriptions and Publishers
Vocational courses can be taken to meet the number of credits needed for graduation. For a student to qualify for the Bright Futures Gold Seal Vocational Award, he must complete three courses from one vocational program. If all vocational courses were to be listed, it would take dozens of pages, some of which are programs that contain dozens of courses grouped in a cluster. Most of those courses cannot be taken by individual students because they require specialized certification of the instructor and specialized equipment. For example, to obtain credits in the Boat and Yacht Repair/Refinishing Technology cluster (Yes, it's a real vocational course program in Florida.), you need a boat building and repair facility big enough to hold a large boat and/or yacht and the actual yacht to work on, not to mention the thousands of dollars in equipment and tools. (Most public school districts do not offer this cluster either, but there may be one in Miami that does, for all we know.)