College & Online Credits

Advanced Placement Credit

Some of the upper level courses we offer are designated Advanced Placement (AP) classes. This means that the curriculum parallels the content tested on the Advanced Placement exams offered each May by the College Board (a national testing agency).

AP courses are offered at SMHS for the following subjects: Biology, Calculus, Chemistry, English Language, English Composition, Environmental Science, Human Geography, Macroeconomics, Physics, Psychology, Spanish (Heritage), Spanish Literature, Statistics, Studio Art, US History and US Government & Politics. Note: Some courses are offered every other year.

If you take an AP class, it is recorded on your high school transcript and counts as credit toward graduation. To receive college credit, you must take and pass the AP exam for that subject. If you are interested in taking an AP course, you should talk with your counselor. It is possible to take an AP exam even if you are not enrolled in an AP class. Additionally, while some advanced level classes may not have the AP designation, their content may still provide excellent preparation for the exam. You can read more information about Advanced Placement exams at the CollegeBoard website. 

Southern Oregon University and Rogue Community College Credit

Rogue Community College (RCC) offers college credit for many courses taken as part of a student’s regular schedule at SMHS.

Students may earn college credit at Southern Oregon University (SOU) for some of the advanced courses offered at SMHS – this is generally referred to as “Advanced Southern Credit”. Usually these courses are identified in the course description; however, since we are continuing to add this option to more classes, you should ask your classroom instructor. There is a fee per credit charged by SOU. Check with the classroom instructor for the current cost. Students who qualify for free/reduced lunch may receive a scholarship to pay for SOU Advanced Southern Credit.

SOU credit is also available to high school students through the Early College program. Students can take lower division college classes on the SOU campus at a significantly reduced cost for tuition.

Classes taken at SOU or RCC may be counted as one of the classes on your high school schedule for eligibility purposes.

For more information about how you can receive Southern Oregon University or Rogue Community College credit, please talk with your instructors, your school counselor or the Panther Future Center.

Edgenuity / Online Coursework

Medford School District has partnered with Edgenuity, a leading provider of online courses to provide original credit and credit retrieval courses to supplement the educational program at SMHS. These courses offer flexible options to address a variety of student needs such as scheduling conflicts, health concerns, work, athletic or extracurricular commitments. Online courses are not a good fit for every student. See your counselor to discuss online course options at your school and to view a current list of Medford approved online courses. All students requesting an online course must complete the “Online Learning Contract”.  Edgenuity courses may not be NCAA approved.  If you are a trending college athlete, please work with your counselor to make sure the courses you take meet the necessary college requirements.

Online Courses for High School Credit

On occasion, SMHS students may wish to enroll in online courses or wish to receive high school credit for classes not taken in the Medford School District. In order for these courses to be counted for credit, they must be earned from a school that is accredited by the Northwest Association of Accredited Schools (NAAS) or an organization that is formally affiliated with NAAS. Go to www.cognia.org for more information and a listing of accredited institutions. To ensure that credits will count toward graduation please have all coursework approved in advance.