Alton High School operates on a six-period day, with optional early bird courses available in certain subject areas. A student must take five (5) courses to be considered a full-time student. 

Below are some general guidelines pertaining to student academic load and graduation requirements.

• All students must be enrolled in a minimum of five (5) academic hours. Study Halls and Student Assistant Hours are not considered academic hours. 

• All students must pass 9 semesters of English. 

  • This includes 2 semesters of English 1, 2, and 3, and one semester of Communicating. 

  • The fourth year of English includes one semester from the English Department and the other may come from the English Department or the Speech and Theater Department. 

  • For those who wish to enter the vocational field, College and Technical Writing 3 and 4 is appropriate. 

•  JROTC is an elective credit in science; however, it cannot be used to fulfill the required science for graduation. One year of JROTC will waive one semester of required Physical Development. 

• A maximum of two Physical Development credits may be counted toward the 22 units required for graduation. One and a half Physical Development credits are required for graduation.