Academic
Standard Secondary School Degree
According to the Virginia State graduation requirements, to graduate from a Virginia high school with a Standard Diploma, a student must earn at least 22 standard credits and 5 verified credits. Standard credits are earned by successfully completing required and elective courses; verified credits are earned by successfully completing required courses and passing associated end-of-course SOL tests or other assessments approved by the state Board of Education.
| Subject Area | Standard Credits | Verified Credits |
|---|---|---|
| English | 4 | 2 |
| Mathematics | 3 | 1 |
| Laboratory Science | 3 | 1 |
| History and Social Sciences | 3 | 1 |
| Health and Physical Education | 2 | 0 |
| World Language, Fine Arts or Career and Technical Education | 2 | 0 |
| Economics & Personal Finance | 1 | 0 |
| Electives | 4 | 0 |
| Total | 22 | 5 |
Advanced Degree
To qualify for the Advanced Secondary School Degree, the student must earn at least 25 credits as well complete their community service obligation. The table below indicates the credits required per subject area in order to qualify for the Advanced Degree.
| Subject Area | Standard Credits | Verified Credits |
|---|---|---|
| English | 4.5 | 2 |
| Mathematics | 4.5 | 1 |
| Laboratory Science | 4.5 | 1 |
| History and Social Sciences | 4.5 | 1 |
| Health and Physical Education | 2 | 0 |
| World Language, Fine Arts or Career and Technical Education | 2 | 0 |
| Economics & Personal Finance | 1 | 0 |
| Electives | 2 | 0 |
| Total | 25 | 5 |
Scheduling
Ronald Reagan Secondary School’s curriculum emphasizes the mastery of four core subjects, English, history/social sciences, laboratory sciences, and mathematics. Thus, these core courses are allotted more time than elective courses in the daily schedule and are, correspondingly, worth more academic credits.
Each day, students will report to homeroom where they will receive announcements, information, and have their attendance taken. The daily schedule consists of two core courses and two electives. Core courses run for 120 minutes each and elective courses run for 80 minutes each. This allows each teacher to continuously conduct core class sessions for longer periods. There are three minutes between each period for getting to and from classes and lunch breaks are 40 minutes long. There are two daily schedules that rotate every other day to ensure that time among the courses is distributed evenly. The days are distinguished as “Blue” and “Gold” days. Below is an example of the timetable. In the event of a late opening, refer to the RRSS website to view the one-hour or two-hour delay schedules.
Timetable Example
Observed Holidays and Breaks
- Labor Day – first Monday of September
- Native American Day – second Monday of October
- Veterans Day – November 11th, or the preceding Friday, if November 11th falls on a weekend
- Thanksgiving Break – no school starting from Thanksgiving Eve until the return to school that following Monday
- Winter Break – no school starting from Christmas Eve until the return to school on January 3rd of the next year. If January 3rd falls on a weekend, the return to school will be on the following Monday.
- Martin Luther King, Jr. Day – third Monday of January
- Washington’s Birthday – third Monday of February
- Spring Break – The last Monday through Friday week of March
- Memorial Day – last Monday of May
- Independence Day – July 4th, or the preceding Friday, if July 4th falls on a weekend
Academic Calendar
Every school year will have an academic calendar published on the school’s website. Such calendars will indicate all holidays and breaks as well as the quarterly start and end dates.
AP Courses
Advanced Placement (AP) is a program in the United States and Canada created by the College Board which offers college-level curricula and examinations to high school students. American colleges and universities may grant placement and course credit to students who obtain high scores on the examinations. The AP curriculum for each of the various subjects (38 subjects) is created for the College Board in that field of study.
RRSS is authorized by the College Board to offer 32 AP courses, including Psychology, Computer Science A, Computer Science Principles, Human Geography, Biology, Chemistry, Statistics, Calculus AB, Calculus BC, World History, Environmental Science, Macroeconomics, Microeconomics, and Chinese Language and Culture.
2024 – 2026 Catalog
The “2024-26 School Catalog” provides you with information about available courses and support services, and serves as a resource to you throughout the school year. Please take the time to carefully review the “Catalog” with your family. This will begin the process of selecting courses for the next school year that are meaningful to you and will help you meet your personal goals.
College Preparatory Program
A college preparatory program is designed to ready students for future college coursework while they are still in high school. By combining traditional high school classes with higher academic standards, it aims to build a strong foundation for teens as they prepare for their college careers.
RRSS allows students to earn real college credit in high school. Our curriculum is centered around sustainability and teaching students the importance of making responsible choices in areas like the economy, society, and nature.
Ronald Reagan Secondary School 