Legal Structuring and MO Graduation Requirements 

Family Partnership Private School: The Daniel Academy is registered with the State of Missouri as a non-accredited private school. We have limited guidelines that we must follow, including the hours spent on each area of instruction. With this form of state registration, we are working together with the parents, in the Family Partnership Private School model (similar to the University Model NAUMS), to complete the necessary hour requirements for our high school students to fulfill their credit hours and receive a diploma through The Daniel Academy. 

Since we meet together only 3 ••• days/week instead of the typical 5 days per week, we require parents to oversee the other required hours of study per when students are not in school, and also have their high school student attend one conference each semester and participate in 4 more hours per week of prayer room time or youth activities (to fulfill the Daniel Tracks hours requirement).

If a student attends TDA full time, their state hourly requirement will be met through the TDA classroom hours and their home-study hours. If a student attends part time, the burden is on the parents to ensure that the hourly requirement is being met- see requirements online on sites such as: 

http://www.hslda.org/laws/analysis/Missouri.pdf. 

The Daniel Academy is not an official IHOP-KC school. We have no legal affiliation with IHOPKC, but we completely share the vision and values of IHOP-KC and believe we are called to support IHOP-KC schooling families. Many of our teachers and leaders are IHOP-KC staff members. 

Graduation and College Opportunities: When a high school student graduates and applies to colleges and universities, these institutions will base their acceptance on a number of factors: the student’s SAT or ACT scores, high school GPA, classes taken, diploma, and other extracurricular activities. The Daniel Academy will offer transcripts for all full-time four year students. TDA will provide diplomas for all students who graduate with TDA.

For all part-time students, as well as those who attend less than four full years, the parents will need to create the student’s transcripts and monitor all graduation requirements. For further information on creating a transcript go to: 

http://backdoorhomeschooltools.com/how-to-make-atranscript or 

http://www.hslda.org/highschool/academics.asp#TR 

The final choice beyond high school, as well as the responsibilities for any other preparation (including taking the ACT or SAT tests) is on each individual family.

2011 High School Graduation Requirements Set by State Board of Education: The State of Missouri has raised their graduation requirements, starting with the graduating class of 2010. These new requirements are what we build our classes around at The Daniel Academy, in addition to our spiritual goals.

Also note that while Missouri law does not require any foreign language to graduate, most colleges require at least 2 consecutive years of one language and many now require 3 years.

Students who are planning to follow a college preparatory schedule should include a 4th year of math and at least 2 consecutive years in the same foreign language. (We offer Spanish 1 and 2 at TDA, and Spanish 3 can be taken at a local junior college.) The State Board of Education established minimum graduation requirements that are designed to ensure that graduates have taken courses in several different subject areas and that should result in students having mastered essential knowledge, skills and competencies. 

The State minimum high school graduation requirements comprise 24 units of credit that must be earned prior to graduation. The requirements are stated in terms of the numbers of units of credit that must be earned in each of several subject areas. To earn one unit of credit, a student must meet all the course requirements and earn a passing grade in a course that meets for a least 7,830 minutes a year.

Half and quarter units of credit may be earned for courses meeting proportionately fewer minutes. (Also note that 1 of the science credits must include a lab. Math credits are counted starting at Algebra 1 and beyond. Pre-Algebra does not fulfill the 3 credit requirement. If a 7th or 8th grader takes Algebra 1 and continues taking math each subsequent year, they can count that toward their graduation requirement.) For further graduation requirements go to: 

www.dese.mo.gov/divimprove/sia/Graduation_Handbook_2010.pdf 

State of Missouri Graduation Requirements for 2011: 1 credit = 1 year

Communication Arts (English) 4 credits (or 4 years): English 1, 2, 3/4 (2 year class)

Social Studies 3 credits: US History, World History, Economics/ Government 

Mathematics 3 credits: Algebra 1, Geometry, Algebra 2 

Science 3 credits: Biology, Physical Science, Chemistry or Anatomy & Physiology

Practical Arts ½ credit: Yearbook, Web Design/ Broadcasting 

Fine Arts 1 credit: Drama, Choir, Art 

PE 1 credit: PE (offered in fall only) 

Personal Finance ½ credit: Personal Finance

Health ½ credit: Health

Electives 7 ½ credits: Daniel Track Course (2 credits/ year), Spanish, Internships, other