Washington Latin uses an academic quarter system. Students in grades 8-12 take cumulative exams at the end of each of their year-long courses; students in grade 7 take cumulative exams in English, Math, and Latin. A full description of the Upper School academic program can be found in the Curriculum Guide and Academic Handbook.
The course requirements shared here represent the minimum number of courses a Washington Latin Upper School student must complete in order to graduate from high school. Some courses in the Middle School can count towards these requirements. Only the Head of Schools can make exceptions to these requirements. The number in parentheses following the requirements represents the Carnegie Units earned.
All students carry a minimum of five academic courses each semester unless specific permission to carry fewer is granted by the Principal. A significant number of our students elect to carry six courses, and some students choose to carry seven courses.
Graduation Requirements
| Inglés | 4.0 | Must include an English course in each of the four years |
| Matemáticas | 4.0 | Must include Algebra I, Geometry, and Algebra II |
| History | 4.0 | Must include World History I (1.0), World History II (1.0), U.S History (1.0), US Government (0.5), and DC History (0.5) |
| Ciencia | 4.0 | Must include Conceptual Physics, Chemistry, and Biology, with preference for the order described above |
| latín | 3.0 | Through level 3 Latin; must include Latin I, II, and III. This requirement satisfies the (2.0) Carnegie Units in World Languages required for DCPS |
| World lang | 2.0 | Through the level 2 of a second language; must include one of the languages offered at the student’s campus (2nd: French, Chinese, or Arabic; Cooper: Spanish, Arabic). A waiver is possible in certain circumstances. |
| Visual Art | 0.5 | Must include a semester of visual arts |
| Music | 0.5 | Must include a semester of music |
| Physical Ed | 1.0 | Must complete four trimesters/seasons of physical activity over four years, either competitive team sport or wellness classes |
| Health | 0.5 | Must include a semester of instruction in health |
| Elective | 3.5 | Any academic class in a given subject above and beyond the requirement |
| Service | 100 hours | Must complete 100 hours of community service |
| Fin. Literacy | 0.25 | Must complete one semester of Financial Literacy |
Total credits needed to graduate: 27.25 (25.25 if granted a world language waiver)
* Note: This information is from the 2nd Street Campus. The Upper School at the Cooper Campus will have similar requirements, although with slightly different course offerings. More information to follow.
Early Graduation
Students who are considering early graduation must discuss the issue with the Principal by the end of the sophomore year. The school reserves the right to decide if a student can graduate early, but only those students who have voiced their wish by the end of their sophomore year will be considered possible candidates for early graduation. Students who graduate early must fulfill all graduation requirements. Students may not substitute a course from another institution for a graduation requirement unless, under exceptional circumstances, they have the permission of the Principal.
Credit Recovery Policy
Students in grades 9-11 who fail a course other than English in any given year can take that course in the subsequent year. Students in grades 9-11 who fail English in any given year will be required to attend summer school in order to make up the credit for the English course.
At the beginning of junior year, students deemed not on track to graduate at the appointed time in their senior year may take online courses in order to recover credits, but no more than two full-year online courses. The online course(s) must be offered by one of the online providers approved by the school and the student must pass the online course(s) with a grade deemed passing by the online provider.
At the end of senior year, students not on track to graduate in June may take one additional full-year online course in order to recover the necessary credits; students who did not take any online courses in junior year may take up to three online courses for credit recovery. The online courses must be offered by one of the online providers approved by the school and the students must pass the online course(s) with a grade deemed passing by the online provider.
Any senior not able to make up all necessary credits for graduation by the end of the summer will need to re-enroll the next school year to complete the necessary graduation requirements.
Transcript and Records Requests
Families have a right to see the contents of their child’s school file. In the Upper School at 2nd Street, we prepare transcripts, the record of the student’s progress toward graduation, annually. Requests for transcripts should be made directly to the Registrar. All other requests for records should be directed to the respective Grade Director. Requests for records must be made at least one day in advance and in writing (email or letter). See the Policies page about Federal privacy rules governing student records (FERPA and HIPAA).
Community Service Requirement
Community service plays an integral role in the Washington Latin experience. Like all other DC public schools and DC Public Charter Schools, we require one hundred (100) hours of service for high school graduation.
Within the 100 hours, we encourage students to both sustain a long-term relationship with a service organization while diversifying their service experience. The goal is to encourage a view that service should be an integral part of life, in keeping with our motto. Students can begin accumulating service hours toward graduation after their last day of school as 8th graders.
2nd Street Campus students must complete the Washington Latin Community Service Form, which includes information about the organization and is signed by student, parent/guardian, and service organization supervisor. Students then upload their completed and signed forms through a Google Form. The links are below:
- Washington Latin Community Service Form
- Submit through Community Service Hours Submission Google Form
Email us with any questions about requirements.
