Academics

English Language Arts courses at FLACS High School foster critical thinking, reading and writing skills, and empathy in students by exposing them to diverse voices and perspectives with a focus on social justice. Through the study of literature, students will explore themes of equity, identity, and systematic injustice, encouraging them to reflect on their own roles within society. By engaging with texts that highlight traditionally marginalized experiences, students will develop a deeper understanding of social issues and the importance of advocacy. Ultimately, ELA courses empower students to become informed and active citizens who contribute to a more just and equitable world. 

Requirements
Students are required to earn 8 credits (the equivalent of four year-long courses).

 

Additionally, all students must sit for and pass the ELA Regents exam with a score of 65 or above, which is typically taken in junior year. A score of 3 or above on the AP Language and Composition or AP Literature and Composition exam will also fulfill the requirement for the Regents exam.

 

Students are required to take the sequence of courses below:

In Grade 11, the approved alternatives are:

In Grade 12, the approved alternatives are:

Note: Courses with a (*) will not be offered until 2025-26. Courses with a (**) will not be offered until 2026-27. 

 

Click here to access the course catalog to see more information about ELA courses. 

Mathematics and computer science courses at FLACS High School build problem-solving and critical thinking skills. Throughout all of the courses, there is an emphasis on modeling which links classroom mathematics and statistics to everyday life, work, and decision-making. Modeling is the process of choosing and using appropriate mathematics and statistics to analyze empirical situations, to understand them better, and to improve decisions.

Requirements
Students are required to earn 6 credits (the equivalent of three year-long courses). FLACS recommends students take 2 additional credits to demonstrate college readiness. 

 

Additionally, all students must pass at least one math Regents to graduate. Students who wish to pursue an Advanced Regents Diploma must pass all three math Regents exams (Algebra I, Geometry, & Algebra II).

For students who took and passed Algebra I in 8th grade:

Grade 09 - Geometry
Grade 10 - Algebra II

Grade 11 - Precalculus
Grade 12 - AP Statistics or AP Calculus AB

 

Note: In Grade 11, students can choose to take AP Statistics if they are also enrolled in Precalculus. 

For students who did not take and/or pass Algebra I in 8th grade:

Grade 09 - Algebra I
Grade 10 - Geometry
Grade 11 - Algebra II
Grade 12 - AP Statistics or Precalculus

 

Note: In Grade 10, students can choose to take Geometry and Algebra II to accelerate their math learning.

 

For students who are in need of extra support in mathematics, FLACS offers a three-semester course of Algebra I and Geometry.

Grade 09 - Algebra I 
Grade 10 - Algebra I and Geometry
Grade 11 - Geometry 
Grade 12 - Algebra II

 

Click here to access the course catalog to see more information about Mathematics courses.

At FLACS High School, the goal of the science program is to ensure that students are scientifically literate and that students can reason abstractly and solve problems that do not have a single correct answer. Students learn content through dialog, collaboration, and working through real-world problems. 

 

Requirements
Students are required to earn 6 credits (the equivalent of three year-long courses) in science. FLACS recommends students take 2 additional credits to demonstrate college readiness. 

Grade 09 - Biology or Earth Science*
Grade 10 - Earth Science or Chemistry
Grade 11 - Earth Science or Chemistry or Physics** or College Biology
Grade 12 - Chemistry or Physics or College Biology

 

* Students may only take Earth Science if they already earned credit for Biology
** This course will not be offered until 2025-26
*** Students in grades 10, 11, and 12 may choose to take a second science course as one of their electives

 

Click here to access the course catalog to see more details about each of these courses.

In order to be productive members and change agents in their local and global communities, students must understand the context of these communities. The study of history, geography, and civics helps students build an understanding for the structures and systems of their world. A major focus of the social studies department is helping students build an understanding of perspectives (whose perspective is shared and whose perspectives are not), learn to evaluate sources for bias and validity and construct arguments using these sources. 

 

Students are required to earn 10 credits in social studies to graduate from FLACS High School. 

 

Courses
All students are required to take the following courses:

Grade 09 - Global History and Geography I (full-year)
Grade 10 - Global History and Geography II (full-year)
Grade 11 - US History (full-year) OR AP US History (full-year) 
Grade 12 - Civics Capstone Seminar (full-year) AND Economics and Financial Literacy (full-year)

 

Students may also choose to take additional social studies elective offerings 

Descriptions of each course are listed in the course catalog.

At FLACS HS, art courses allow students the opportunity to participate in visual arts and music learning. In these courses, students explore the four artistic processes (creating, performing/presenting/ producing, responding, and connecting). Throughout all courses, students are exposed to art from diverse cultures and individuals and are encouraged to understand how artistic expression is used to reinforce and challenge societal norms and expectations. 

Students are required to earn at least two credits (two semesters) in the arts to graduate, but no specific course is required.
 
Arts Courses

 Click here to access the course catalog.

At FLACS HS, there is a one-credit required health course, which students take in Grade 9. As required by the NYS Education Department, all students must take Physical Education (PE) every semester for a total of four credits by graduation. 

 

Click here to access the course catalog to see course descriptions.

Knowing another language is an important skill to function in a multicultural society. FLACS offers instruction in the Spanish language. Students learn to listen, speak, read and write in Spanish and gain an appreciation for the diverse groups of peoples around the world who speak the language. 

Students are required to earn 2 credits to graduate with a Regents Diploma, and 6 credits to graduate with an Advanced Regents diploma. Students may be placed into higher level courses based on a proficiency exam or other evidence. 

Students may choose to take the Checkpoint B exam, typically taken at the end of Spanish III, which fulfills the +1 requirement for the Regents 

Spanish I 
Spanish II*
Spanish III*
Spanish IV or AP Spanish Language & Composition 
AP Spanish Literature

* Students may take Spanish II/III, which is an accelerated one-year course covering the content in Spanish II/III

 

Click here to access the course catalog to see course offerings in World Language.

Students at FLACS HS have access to two types of college-level opportunities - AP Courses and Dual Enrollment courses. These are excellent opportunities for students to experience college-level work, demonstrate to colleges that they are ready for college-level work, and potentially earn college credit. 

 

AP Courses - Advanced Placement classes (or AP classes, for short) are high school courses with college-level curricula and examinations created by the College Board. In some cases, students can earn college credit by taking and successfully completing an AP class. AP classes are taught in high schools by high school teachers. In addition to passing an AP class, students must typically pass the AP test with a score of 3, 4, or 5 to earn college credit. Some colleges only accept 4 and 5 scores. 

 

Dual Enrollment Courses - FLACS HS has a partnership with Syracuse University. Dual enrollment means taking a college course taught by a FLACS instructor who has been certified to deliver college-level coursework through Syracuse University to earn both college credit and high school credit. Students enrolled in and who pass these courses will receive a college transcript from Syracuse University that shows they received credit from Syracuse University. Many colleges will accept these credits as transfer credits.

In 2024-2025, FLACS HS will offer the following college-level courses:

In 2025-2026, FLACS will offer the following college-level courses:

Click here to access the course catalog to see planned course offerings for future years.