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Graduation Requirements

Ritenour Board of Education Regulations
Section I: Instruction        Excerpt from IKF-R

Graduation Requirements

English/Language Arts (English I, English II, English III)    4.0
Mathematics    3.0
Science (Biology*)    3.0
Social Studies** (U.S. History, World History, Government)    3.0
Fine Arts    1.0
Practical Arts    1.0
Physical Education    1.0
Health    0.5
Wealth Management/Personal Finance    0.5
Total Specific Requirements    17.0

Electives    7.0

Grand Total    24.0

Courses taken in the following subjects satisfy the fine art requirement:
1. Art
2. Music
3. Theatre

Courses taken in the following subjects could satisfy the practical art requirement:
1. Business Education
2. Family and Consumer Science
3. Project Lead the Way
4. Media Convergence

*Students are required to earn 1.0 credits in Biology.

**Students must pass a U.S. Constitution test and a Missouri Constitution test to meet graduation requirements. Beginning with the graduating class of 2021, students are required to pass the U.S. and Missouri Constitution tests and the American Civics Assessment for graduation as part of the year-long Government course in 11th grade.

Any specific graduation requirement may be waived for a student with a disability if recommended by the Individual Education Program (IEP) team and approved by the principal.

When 12th grade transfer students are unable to meet state or local high school graduation requirements, the principal may permit the student to participate in the graduation ceremony if they would have graduated from the former school had they not transferred.

Administrative Procedures

Vocational Education/North Technical High School
The credits per semester earned from enrollment in applied technology programs offered by North Technical High School will be converted to ensure that students receive the same amount of transfer credit. The Ritenour Board of Education graduation policy will apply to all students enrolled both at Ritenour High School and North Technical High School.

Alternative Programs (ACE/Missouri Option Program)
Students who complete all requirements established by the Ritenour Board of Education in the Missouri Option Program may receive a Ritenour School District diploma. Students attending and completing requirements in the ACE Program will receive an ACE diploma.

Seal of Biliteracy
Students who are awarded the Seal of Biliteracy may receive college or university credit for a foreign  language. Students who are interested in applying for the Seal of Biliteracy should see their counselor for more information. 

College Admission Requirements
Requirements for admission to college will depend on the college to which you are applying, and the kind of program you expect to pursue. The best approach to college planning is to strive to keep options open by taking a good distribution of academic coursework all four years of high school, with as much preparation in each area as possible. You should begin planning early for college so you will have the necessary requirements when it is time to apply to the college of your choice. Many colleges and universities are increasing admission requirements, especially in the area of core courses. Parents and students should check individual institutions for specific requirements and work closely with the College and Career Readiness (CCR) office at the high school.

College Freshman Athletic Eligibility Requirements*
For students considering participation in collegiate sports, it is imperative that they meet the academic requirements of the NCAA or NAIA. The NCAA Eligibility Center evaluates the transcript of every potential athlete who has registered with the Center. Registering with the NCAA Eligibility Center is a first step in becoming eligible for collegiate athletics.

Please contact your high school’s College Specialist and Athletic Director regarding specific questions about athletic eligibility and registering with the Eligibility Center. There have been a number of important changes in eligibility requirements; these individuals can help you with the information that you need.

It is the responsibility of the student athlete to secure the information needed on NCAA eligibility from the following website: www.eligibilitycenter.org.

*PLEASE NOTE: Not all core classes are NCAA approved. To ensure you are taking the correct courses, please check the eligibility website for Ritenour’s list of approved classes and/or work with your counselor.

NCAA Division I Academic Eligibility
To be eligible to compete in NCAA sports during your first year at a Division I school, you must graduate high school and meet ALL the following requirements:

  • Complete 16 core courses:
    • Four years of English
    • Three years of math (Algebra 1 or higher)
    • Two years of natural/physical science (including one year of lab science)
    • One additional year of English, math or natural/physical science
    • Two years of social science
    • Four additional years of English, math, natural/physical science, social science, foreign language, comparative religion or philosophy
  • Complete 10 core courses, including seven in English, math or natural/physical science, before your seventh semester. Once you begin your seventh semester, you may not repeat or replace any of those 10 courses to improve your core-course GPA.
  • Earn at least a 2.3 GPA in your core courses.
  • Earn an SAT combined score or ACT sum score matching your core-course GPA on the Division I sliding scale, which balances your test score and core-course GPA. If you have a low test score, you need a higher core-course GPA to be eligible. If you have a low core-course GPA, you need a higher test score to be eligible.