High School Planning

Planning for high school (and beyond) starts now.  The best resource is the Atascadero High School Registration Guide, updated annually by AHS counselors. Read through it to learn everything you need to know.

There are a few basics to keep in mind when thinking about high school.  All students need 290 credits, earned over eight semesters, to earn a diploma. Student must pass each class to earn 5 credits.  A failed class earns 0 credits (so it's all-or-nothing).  This means if you don't pass the class, you will have to take it over again.  

In addition to graduation requirements, many students will also strive to become eligible for "four-year college."  Requirements to be eligible may vary, but a very good guideline can be found here.  Also, check out our College and Career page for further info.

A few facts about AHS:

• They have an eight-period block schedule
• Students go to four classes per day, alternating daily (odd and even days).
  • So the schedule would look like this:
    • Monday (odd day), Tuesday (even day), Wednesday (odd day), Thursday (even day), Friday (odd day).  The following Monday would then be an......... EVEN DAY!
• All 9th & 10th graders have a mandatory Study Hall class (a fluid period where students can get extra help from a teacher or complete homework) 
• Classes last for one hour and twenty-five minutes
• It is an Open Campus, meaning students can and do leave for lunch (all grades)
• Middle School grades do matter, in part, because AHS counselors use them to add Support or Honors classes to your 9th grade schedule; Also, if you take a-g classes here, those classes will count on your high school transcript when colleges review your application
• High School counselors visit AMS and speak to all 8th graders about course selection every February
• Your eighth grade counselor is a wealth of knowledge regarding AHS & college!