• Class of 2019 Commencement Exercises will be held on Saturday, June 8 at 11:00 am in the Highland School of Technology Auditorium. 

    Graduation Requirements

    NC Course of Study Requirements:  
    Students entering the ninth grade in 2009-2010 or later must follow the Future Ready Course of Study to receive a NC high school diploma.  
     
    End of Course (EOC) Test Requirements: 
    Students must earn passing scores on three essential end of course tests: Biology, English 10, and Algebra I (Math I).

    Earn 28 credits as required by local standards set forth by the аæèßäapp County Board of Education.  HST students are required to take four Math courses while at Highland.  

     

    NC Academic Scholars Program

    Students who seek the Future Ready Course of Study may also earn NC Academic Scholars Distinction. This distinction requires additional coursework and a final unweighted cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher. Students who qualify for this honor receive an honor sticker on their diploma.  

    Click here for details about the NC Academic Scholars Program. 
     

    UNC Minimum Admission Requirements

    To enroll in any of the 16 public Universities in NC you must meet the NC graduation requirements and meet the UNC Minimum Admission Requirements for GPA and SAT/ACT score.  The minimum high school cumulative weighted GPA is 2.5.  The minimum SAT score is 800(OLD)/880(NEW) and the minimum ACT composite score is 17.  
     
     

    Academic Information

    High School Grades 
    GCS high school grades are as follows: The new 10 point grading scale began in the school year (2015-2016) and will be used for each grade level 9-12.  No historical grades in classes taken before the new grade scale begins will be changed or adjusted.
     
     2014-15 School Year                2015-16 School Year & Beyond
    A = 93 – 100    A = 90 – 100
    B = 85 – 92    B = 80 – 89
    C = 77 – 84    C = 70 – 79
    D = 70 - 76    D = 60 - 69
    F = 69 - 0    F = 59 - 0         
    Lowest passing grade is 70    Lowest passing grade is 60
     

    GCS high school grading will be based on:

    Tests/Major Projects

    60%

    Daily/Class Grades

    20%

    Homework

    20%

     

    Rank In Class
    Each student is ranked by grade level at the end of each semester.  A student's grade point average is calculated using a weighted 4.0 scale.  The Valedictorian and Salutatorian will be determined by the final rank based on cumulative weighted GPA at the end of the senior year.  Junior Marshals will be selected on class rank using the cumulative weighted GPA calculated during the 5th 6-week grading period of the junior year. 
     
    Weighted Grade Point Average (GPA) Scale 
    (Students entering 9th grade before 2015-16)
    Regular Courses  Honors, AP Prep,
    & College Courses    		  Advanced Placement
    A = 4  A = 5  A = 6
     B = 3   B = 4  B = 5
     C = 2 
    		  C = 3  C = 4
    D = 1  D = 2  D = 3
    F = 0  F = 0  F = 0

    Weighted Grade Point Average (GPA) Scale 
    (Students entering 9th grade 2015-16 and beyond)

    Regular Courses    Honors & AP Prep    Advanced Placement 
    & College Courses
    A = 4  A = 4.5  A = 5
     B = 3   B = 3.5  B = 4
     C = 2 
    		  C = 2.5  C = 3
    D = 1     D = 1.5     D = 2
    F = 0  F = 0     F = 0

    NC State Board of Education Policy - GPA/Grading Scale - Policy ID #
     
     
    Honor Graduates
    GCS seniors are eligible for graduation honors based on their final cumulative weighted GPA:

    Summa cum laude – 4.3+ 

    Magna cum laude – 4.0 – 4.299 

    Cum laude – 3.7 – 3.99 

     

    аæèßäapp Curriculum Guide

    This curriculum website was developed to assist students and their parents in planning the high school curriculum. All students and parents should read this information carefully and give deliberate thought to the student's aptitude, interests, and plans for the future as he/she selects courses.

    GCS Curriculum Guide Website -