 They are required 4 credits of English, 4 credits of mathematics, 3 credits of science, 3 credits of history (often referred to as social studies), a half-credit of health, a half-credit of physical education (which is two .25 credit hour classes), and a half-credit of Life Planning (all seniors are required to take this class except those who take at least 3 years of Agricultural Science).Students planning on going to college after graduation are highly encouraged to take 4 credits of English (with emphasis on composition), 3 credits of mathematics (Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II), 3 credits of science (including Physical Science, Biology and Chemistry), 3 credits of history, 2 credits of foreign language (some schools now recommend 3), and one credit of art.River Valley does have a long list of academic classes offered regularly, including Advanced Placement courses that allow obtaining of college credit by taking a test at the end of the school year, and are a weighted grade for your high school GPA.