Course Guidelines
- College Prep Guidelines
- Advanced / Honors Guidelines
- UC-Honors Guidelines
- Advanced Placement Guidelines
What does A - G Mean?
Our courses are “a-g approved” by the University of California (UC) and the California State University (CSU)--the most rigorous approval process for high-school courses. Courses approved by the UC and CSU are internationally respected, and fulfill high-school-graduation and college-entrance requirements.
From the University of California website:
The intent of the "a-g" Subject Requirement is to ensure that students can participate fully in the first-year program at the University. UC faculty consider the Subject Requirement to be effective preparation, on many levels, for undergraduate work at the University. This pattern of study assures the faculty that the student has attained a body of general knowledge that will provide breadth and perspective to new, more advanced study. Fulfillment of the "a-g" pattern also demonstrates that the student has attained essential critical thinking and study skills.
College Prep Guidelines
Our UC-approved college-prep courses are broad, and expose students to all the concepts and themes central to a subject. Courses at the college-prep level are structured to meet or exceed California education standards.
A college-prep course challenges, but does not overwhelm, a high-school student who has fulfilled the prerequisites.
College-prep courses award a 4.0 for an A grade.
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Advanced / Honors Guidelines
Our UC-approved advanced and honors courses are broad and deep, and expose students to the concepts and themes, as well as the central details, of a subject. Courses at the advanced and honors level are crafted to exceed California education standards.
An advanced or honors course is more challenging than a college-prep course, yet less rigorous than a UC-honors or AP course. Please note the distinction between an "honors" course and a "UC-honors" course. The UC does not allow any high school to offer more than one "UC-honors" course per a-g category.
Advanced and honors courses, like our college-prep courses, award a 4.0 for an A grade.
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UC-Honors Guidelines
Our UC-approved UC-honors courses emphasize research and writing, as well as the in-depth analysis of more challenging material. The material covered in a UC-honors course is a superset of the material covered in the corresponding college-prep course. If a concept is discussed in a college-prep course, the same concept is explored with greater depth in the UC-honors version of the course. As a result of greater depth, UC-honors students develop a nuanced understanding of the subject.
Every UC-honors course culminates in a ten-page essay or research project, chosen by the student. This project affords the student an opportunity to mine a narrow topic, of their choosing. In addition to mastering course material, this culminating project helps students learn how to interpret and synthesize source materials, a necessary skill for collegiate success.
The rigor of a UC-honors course is comparable to that of an AP course: it presents college-level material, and expects college-level student work. As such, UC-honors courses, like AP courses, award a 5.0 for an A grade.
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Advanced Placement Guidelines
Although we adhere closely to the College Board guidelines, our AP courses are individualized for each student. For more information about the AP mission, please visit the College Board website. To explore how we may personalize an AP course to meet your needs, please contact Richard, our AP Coordinator, at 650.941.4350 or rgowers@sileducation.com.
As the rigor of an AP course is equal to that of a college course, AP courses award a 5.0 for an A grade.
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