FBCLPEM MEMBER RESOURCES
Honors Coursework
Plan meaningful academic rigor and document it clearly.
What makes a course Honors?
Honors coursework represents a meaningful increase in academic rigor beyond standard College Preparatory coursework. The difference is qualitative: greater depth, complexity, independence, and academic challenge—not simply additional assignments, instructional hours, or workload.
Characteristics of Honors coursework
Depth & Complexity
Study content at a more sophisticated, advanced, or conceptually demanding level.
Higher-Order Thinking
Regularly analyze, synthesize, evaluate, interpret, defend, or independently apply ideas.
Student Independence
Assume greater responsibility for inquiry, research, problem solving, and academic decisions.
Advanced Assessment
Complete major assessments requiring substantial analysis, reasoning, research, application, or original work.
Advanced Resources
Engage with challenging literature, primary sources, scientific materials, data, or other advanced resources appropriate to the discipline.
Research & Inquiry
Conduct sustained investigation and evaluate or synthesize multiple sources or bodies of evidence.
Advanced Application / Problem Solving
Apply knowledge to unfamiliar, complex, authentic, or interdisciplinary problems.
Substantial Academic Product
Create a significant paper, investigation, laboratory study, portfolio, technical project, presentation, oral defense, or comparable demonstration of advanced learning.
Honors courses and the Honors diploma designation
An individual Honors course is a course-level designation. The Honors designation for a College Preparatory diploma requires all College Preparatory requirements plus:
• Minimum 3.5 weighted cumulative GPA.
• At least 6 credits of Honors, AP, or College / Dual Enrollment coursework.
• At least 4 advanced credits in core academic subjects.
• Advanced coursework in at least 3 academic disciplines.
Core academic subjects include English, mathematics, science, social studies, world language, and advanced computer science.
Course levels & GPA weighting
College Preparatory (CP): maximum 4.0
Honors (H): maximum 4.5
Advanced Placement (AP): maximum 5.0
College / Dual Enrollment (DE): maximum 5.0
Planning and documentation
Families determine the appropriate course designation. A curriculum labeled “Honors” may provide a foundation, but consider the full course: resources, depth, assignments, assessments, independence, and expectations.
Retain a course description or syllabus, resource list, representative assessments, advanced student work, laboratory records where applicable, and any final project, paper, or portfolio. The checklist is a planning and documentation tool, not an approval form.
Questions?
For help with True Bearing, transcripts, or this website, email transcripts@fbclpem.org.
