My question is how many more hours does [my son] need for Latin with 66 hours from last semester in addition to the last two years?
To determine how many more credit hours your student needs in a subject like Latin, please explore his Private Student Folder to review the latest ‘quarter report.’ To access it, sign into the STAA Student Zone as your student, click on his profile, and select the Private Student Folder link. This opens a BOX folder with subfolders for each year your student has been enrolled in the Transcript Option. No separate BOX login or account is required to view or download documents, as these folders are maintained by St. Thomas Aquinas Academy on behalf of your family.
Next, locate the most recent ‘quarter report’ document. Once open, look at the ‘Summary of Progress Towards High School Diploma’ section in the bottom left corner. This table provides a clear breakdown: required credits, completed credits, credits waived (e.g., from another institution like a college), credits still needed to meet requirements, and credits currently on the official transcript for each subject. The ‘needed’ column specifically indicates the remaining credit hours required for each subject area.
To calculate how many hours your student still needs in Latin, review the ‘needed’ column, subtract any hours you’ve just reported or plan to report in upcoming periods, and the remaining balance will guide your planning for the next semester or few semesters. Alternatively, if the course your student just finished or is about to complete carries a specific credit value (regardless of hours), deduct that credit amount from the ‘needed’ column’s total credits, not its ‘hours needed’ total.
About High School Credits
Since its establishment in 1906, the Carnegie Unit, often referred to as the ‘credit hour’ in higher education, has served as an essential standard for measuring student involvement, focusing on the time dedicated to mastering a subject. In a brick-and-mortar high school, a single Carnegie Unit generally corresponds to 120 hours of classroom learning, typically involving 4 to 5 sessions per week, each lasting 40 to 60 minutes, over the course of a school year, not including homework.
For homeschooling, consider 10.0 credits (a year-long course) as 150-175 hours of academic activity and instruction, roughly 5 hour-long sessions per week for 36 weeks. In California, a year-long course (150-175 hours) earns 10.0 credits, a semester course (75+ hours) earns 5.0 credits, and a quarter course (37.5+ hours) earns 2.5 credits. To align with other states, divide these credits by 10: a year-long course earns 1.0 credit, a semester course earns 0.5 credits, and a quarter course earns 0.25 credits.
At STAA, some courses earn credit based on documented and reported course hours, while others, especially math and STAA Study Guide courses, are credited based on completed course plan progress. Please refer to your Academic Packet for details on how the specific course earns credits—whether by hours or progress.