Upper School Accelerated Pathways
The First Academy is pleased to offer Upper School several advanced and college-level academic opportunities through our Accelerated Pathways.
Concurrent Courses
Students earn university credit while taking select TFA Upper School Courses. The program is offered in conjunction with The College at Southeastern.
The College at Southeastern is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to award associate, baccalaureate, masters, and doctorate degrees.
Through established partnerships with high schools and organizations, high school students can receive college credit concurrently for the work done in their high school classes, under Southeastern-approved high school instructors. Through concurrent enrollment, students gain exposure to the academic challenges of college while remaining in their supportive high school environment. Additionally, concurrent enrollment students who successfully pass their courses will earn college credit on their transcripts.
Concurrent enrollment partnerships differ from other models of dual enrollment because concurrent enrollment classes will be taken on the campus of partnering high schools and will be taught by qualified high school instructors.
*Please keep in mind that this is not a dual enrollment program. These courses will appear on the TFA transcript as high school-level courses.
The following courses are eligible for the 2023 – 2024 school year:
| TFA Courses | College at Southeastern Courses |
|---|---|
| Apologetics (Dr. Toenges) | Western Culture & World Religions (PHI2100) |
| AP US History (Ms. Damron) | American History 1 & 2 (HIS3510 & HIS3520) *To get credit for both courses, you must pay $300 per course. |
| Biblical Formations & Financial Stewardship (Mr. Kavanagh) | Christian Religion (REL1100) |
| Biblical Ethics (Mr. Kavanagh) | Introduction to Christian Ethics (ETH3600) |
| Foundations of Theology (Mr. Kavanagh) | Christian Theology (THE3110) |
| AP Physics II (Mr. Harrison) | Introductory Physics (SCI1610) |
| AP Chemistry (Ms. Florence Perre-Louis) | Natural Science (SCI1610) |
| Algebra II Honors (Mr. McConkey) | College Algebra (MAT1110) |
| 11th Grade AP English Language | English Composition 1 & 2 (ENG1110 & ENG1120) *To get credit for both courses, you must pay $300 per course. |
| 12th Grade AP English Literature (Dr. Scott) | Survey of American Literature (ENG2120) |
| Media Production | Introduction to Computers (CIS1100A) |
| Media Production | Communication (1100A) |
Concurrent Enrollment is not automatic. Students enrolled in the TFA courses offered are notified in December/January to register for Concurrent Enrollment. This is optional and requires an application to The College at Southeastern:
- Cost: $300 per course for The College at Southeastern
- Grades: Student’s grade in the TFA course will be submitted as the university grade for the course. (There is no additional GPA weighting beyond what is listed below)
- Credits: Upon graduating from TFA, students can submit an official transcript to the college they plan on attending. These credits can be transferred based on the college’s credit transfer policy on academic or elective courses.
Dual Enrollment
The First Academy students have an opportunity to get a head start on fulfilling their college credits while completing high school graduation requirements through the Dual Enrollment program.
Students at The First Academy have opportunities at the below post-secondary institutions to participate in their Dual Enrollment Programs. Please be sure to look at the application & admission process for each institution.
Please note that permission to take dual-enrollment classes is limited to classes that TFA does not offer in their current course catalog.
*Students are not limited to just the colleges listed below.
| College | Requirements | Deadline |
| Valencia College* | 9th-11th grade: min. 3.0 Unweighted GPA 12th grade: min. 3.0 Weighted GPA | Spring: Oct 11 |
| University of Central Florida* | 9th-12th grade: min. 3.8 Recalculated Academic GPA, 1330 SAT or 28 ACT | Spring: Nov 1 |
Please feel free to let your College Advisor know if you are interested in Dual Enrolling with a college that is not listed here.
When taking Dual Enrollment courses at The First Academy, the following requirements apply:
- Students can be assigned a study hall to work independently on course assignments, tests, etc. Grades will be given by college professors. Students may attend physical classes at the college campus (if applicable) during the school day as the schedule allows.
- Dual Enrollment final grades will be listed on the transcript as an alphanumeric grade and calculated into the TFA GPA with a weight factor of 1.0 (same as AP level classes). These grades will appear ONLY on the student transcript.
- If a student withdraws from a course, that withdrawal will appear on their TFA transcript. The student must maintain a 3.0 high school GPA and a 2.0 college GPA in order to continue participation in the DE program; Academic Probation, two “W”s/withdrawals, or Academic Warning with less than a 2.0 will result in dismissal from further program participation. (May vary with colleges on GPA requirement for continued participation).
- Students are permitted to register for up to 4 courses/13 credit hours for Fall and Spring terms; and 2 courses/7 credit hours for Summer term (may vary with colleges).
- Courses must be creditable towards successful completion of high school graduation requirements.
- Students will receive .5 credit towards graduation and included in their GPA calculated on their transcript unless specified on the Dual Enrollment Equivalency List by the Florida Department of Education.
- Students may not register for remedial/developmental courses (since they do not receive college credit).
- Students are responsible for the cost of textbooks and additional fees assessed by the college.
- Students/Parents must have signed the Dual Enrollment Student Agreement Form.
- TFA covers tuition for Valencia and the University of Central Florida. Students may be responsible for other additional fees beyond tuition.
- Students may not take classes that TFA offers on campus without approval from their guidance counselor and the Upper School Principal.
Advanced Placement
TFA students enrolled in AP courses experience college-level curriculum and have the opportunity to earn college credit following an end-of-year AP exam.
For more information on the College Board’s Advanced Placement program, click here.
| Science | World Languages |
|---|---|
| AP Biology AP Chemistry AP Computer Science A AP Environmental Science AP Physics 1: Algebra-Based AP Physics 2 | AP Chinese Language AP Latin AP Spanish Language |
| English | Fine Arts |
|---|---|
| AP English Language & Composition AP English Literature & Composition | AP 2D Art & Design AP 3D Art & Design AP Drawing |
| Math | Social Studies |
|---|---|
| AP Calculus AB AP Calculus BC AP Computer Science Principles AP Statistics | AP Art History AP Human Geography AP Psychology AP US Government & Politics AP US History AP World History: Modern |