Graduation Requirements

Prepared for life

When a student graduates from City Charter High School, they leave prepared for life – academically, technologically, personally, and socially.  We want our students to be as prepared as possible for their future… whether it’s college or trade school, a job, an apprenticeship, the military…  

With our career focus, students know that what they do at City Charter High School impacts their future. Not only do we help students see the real-life applications of their studies, but they also gain valuable skills that will serve them well, wherever life leads them.   

Graduation Requirements

In order to graduate from City Charter High School students must: 

  • Successfully complete all course requirements 
  • Successfully complete the City High Internship 
  • Successfully complete the Graduation Project 
  • Achieve PDE standards as measured by the state of Pennsylvania

Learn more about the City High Curriculum

Mentored Internship

At City Charter High School, every student gets to try out a career, with a business professional as their mentor.   A career-focused experience shows students that what they do at City High impacts their future. We work with various businesses, professionals, and organizations in the community to offer every student a 13-week mentored internship to explore a potential career. This requirement allows them to get a taste of the real work environment and get first-hand exposure before committing to a career direction.

To prepare you for their 13-week internship, students learn essential professional skills in their required Career classes: skills like resume building, interviewing techniques, time management, and collaboration.
Students must successfully complete their Internship in order to graduate from City High.

Learn More About the City High Internship Program

Graduation Project

City Charter High School students are required to take the Graduation Project class during their 11th and 12th grades. Their Graduation Project weaves together a deep exploration of an area of student interest with in-depth research and active engagement in a real-world project.

Students are able to research a topic of choice, interview experts, and design a final project.  The course culminates in an oral presentation before an outside panel of volunteers from area community organizations and businesses.

This project provides students an opportunity to exhibit their initiative as well as the numerous developed skills of problem-solving, decision-making, and independent research as they investigate a self-selected specific area of interest.   This culminating project allows students a chance to demonstrate their ability to apply, analyze, synthesize, and evaluate information and communicate significant knowledge and understanding.

Requirements: 

  • Literature Review 
  • Tangible Action Project 
  • Oral Presentation 


 

Testing

Keystone Exams

Algebra I - January of 10th grade

Literature - May of 10th grade

Biology - May of 11th Grade

The Keystone Exams are end-of-course assessments designed to assess proficiency in the subject areas of Algebra I, Algebra II, Geometry, Literature, English Composition, Biology, Chemistry, U.S. History, World History, and Civics and Government. Beginning in the 2012-2013 school year, Keystone Exams in the following subjects were developed by the Department and made available for use by school districts, AVTSs and charter schools, including cyber charter schools.

The Keystone Exams are one component of Pennsylvania’s statewide high school graduation requirements. Keystone Exams will help school districts guide students toward meeting state standards.

PSAT/SAT Testing

PSAT - March of 10th Grade

SAT - March of 11th Grade

The PSAT and SAT are nationally recognized standardized tests and a common admission requirement for schools in the United States. The PSAT is given to all students in 10th grade. The SAT is primarily for high school juniors and seniors which measures the students’ proficiency in critical skill areas — such as problem-solving and reading comprehension — that are necessary for a student to have college success.

STAR Exams

9th Grade - September, March

10th Grade - September and March

11th Grade - September, March and June

The STAR exam, developed by Renaissance Educational Software Solutions, are computer adapted exams used nationwide to provide benchmark and growth data in mathematics and reading.    City High administers the both exams three times in ninth grade and once in the middle of tenth.  We use the data to help determine each students strengths and challenges coming into the school, to make instructional choices early in that student’s journey at CCHS and to help determine the effectiveness of our 9th and 10th grade programs.