The Foundation Pathway
This Foundation Pathway if formerly the General/Regular Pathway. By completing this pathway, learners take the 26 credits that are required for entrance into universities and colleges across the United States and around the world. The 26 credits, also called the Recommended High School Program, in many states, prepares learners for the rigors of colleges and universities.
Requirements of this Pathway
| Content Area | Required Courses | Substitutions Allowed? |
| English Language Arts/Reading (4 credits are required) |
English I English II English III English IV |
Yes. Learners may substitute dual credit for English III and IV. Dual Credit Courses are an additional fee, and require advisor approval. |
| Mathematics (4 credits are required) | Algebra I, Algebra II, Geometry, and Math Models, Algebraic Reasoning, or Personal Financial Literacy | Yes. Learners may substitute College Algebra for the 4th credit. Dual Credit Courses are an additional fee, and require advisor approval. |
| Science (4 credits are required) | Biology, Physics, Chemistry and Astronomy or Aquatic Science | Yes. Learners may substitute Biology and Physics, and labs for each. Dual Credit Courses are an additional fee, and require advisor approval. |
| Social Studies ( 4 credits are required) | World Geography, World History, US History, US Government, and Economics | Yes. Learners may substitute US History, Economics, and Government for Dual Credit, for an additional fee for each. |
| World Languages (2 credits are required) | Spanish 1 and Spanish 2 | None |
| Other Electives | Learners may select 8 electives from Endorsement Areas, and must visit with advisor during planning, to declare endorsement areas. | Yes. See advising. There is an additional fee. |
| Total Credits: 26 credits to graduate |
Any Limitations?
No. The only thing that is limited on this Pathway is that a learner takes 'regular' non-honors courses, and is not eligible to take Advanced Placement courses. Otherwise, the courses are our regular, rigorous curriculum focusing on the the 4x4 - meaning four courses required in the core areas, along with endorsement electives and world languages.
Coming In From Another Accredited School?
If you are coming in from another accredited high school, we do accept those incoming credits. Courses taken at other accredited schools will count toward the requirements listed above, even though some courses may have a different name at the sending school. If that occurs, we will attempt to match them to our requirements, and in the instance that we cannot, they will not count toward our requirements, but may count as elective credit. Your advisor will visit with you about that upon enrollment. Students coming from states such as California, those credits translate to 1.0 credit here, where they may be calculated differently there. A .5 credit here, is one semester of a successfully completed course elsewhere, whereas two semesters is 1.0 credit.
Students who took a course but failed it at the sending school may qualify for Credit Recovery at Orion High School.
Are You Ready to Apply?
There are two steps to admissions: Step 1, fill out and submit the admissions application. Then, come right back here to Step 2, to check out with the tuition.
Make sure to come back here for Step 2, below