The Course Selection Process

The interest, effort, and work ethic of the student all have a significant bearing on academic performance. In classes such as English, Mathematics, Social Studies, Science, and World Languages, students will be assigned to the class in which the professional staff feels they can best succeed and maximize their potential. All students have the opportunity to select courses based on individual abilities, interests, talents, and career goals. The counseling department and the administration reserve the right to change a student’s schedule based on the student’s past academic performance and standardized testing results in order to accommodate the needs of the student body.

NOTE: Course offerings are always subject to enrollment number and board approval of the school budget.

• • Students select their courses and note them on the course selection sheet. Generally speaking, courses may be taken only one year for credit. Exceptions are noted.
  • Teachers will initial their recommendations of the courses students select.
  • Each student must select 6 credits (minimum).
  • Each student will be expected to maintain a minimum of 6 credits throughout the school year.  Exceptions to this can occur for students taking Dual Enrollment or seniors with Open Campus.
  • Guardians and students are encouraged to discuss course selections prior to the students’ scheduling courses with their counselors.
  • Counselors will meet with students to review course selection, course prerequisites, course load, graduation requirements, and students’ career educational goals.
  • Scheduling conflicts may prohibit placement in electives. Counselors will ask students to identify an alternate elective which will be substituted for a conflicting course.
  • Requests for changes in course selection must be made during the “drop/add” time frame and will be based upon course availability. The completed course request represents final course selection and requests for changes will not be honored except as outlined in the next section.

Honors and AP Course Criteria

Enrollment in all Honors and Advanced Placement courses will be based upon the recommendation of the student’s current teacher in the same subject area. If a student is not recommended by the area teacher to take an Honors or Advanced Placement course, he or she may still enroll in the desired course, with the following stipulations:

• 1. The student and parents/guardians must sign a waiver form (available from the student’s counselor) acknowledging that the course is being taken without the endorsement of the school. By signing the waiver, the student promises to complete the required summer assignments and remain committed to the Honors or Advanced Placement course for the entire school year (see Schedule Change Procedures).
  2. Students who enroll in Honors or Advanced Placement courses which require completion of summer assignments, and who fail to complete those assignments, may be dropped from the course.
  3. Many Advanced Placement courses require summer assignments to be completed. It is the responsibility of the student to seek out all summer assignments, adhere to all deadlines, and complete work as assigned.
  4. When a student is moved from an honors or an AP course to a CP course, the course weighting will not follow. Course weighting is only awarded at the completion of the course with earned credit.

Courses Requiring Summer Assignments

Many Advanced Placement and Honors courses require summer work. Please see the high school website for specific course requirements and/or contact your counselor for more information. It is the students’ responsibility to seek out all Advanced Placement and Honors summer assignments.

Schedule Change Procedures

We expect students to retain the courses they selected with the advice and consent of their guardians, teachers, and counselors. There are, however, circumstances which arise that necessitate a change in the course selected. When valid reason is presented and the principal or assistant principal, teacher, counselor, guardian, and student agree, adjustments may be made.

Valid Reasons for Schedule Change

1. Scheduling error – The counselors will make these changes as soon as possible at the beginning of the school year.
2. Resolution of insufficient credits for graduation – The counselors will make these changes as soon as possible during the summer or at the beginning of the school year.
3. In the case of English, Math, Science, Social Studies, and World Language courses, the following guidelines will apply:
   1. If the student is not meeting success at the level of understanding that the course requires, the counselor will make the change only after:
      • A student meets with a counselor to obtain a Course Change Request Form. The student is then responsible to gather information using the guidelines provided on this form for the class change procedure.
   2. This information includes:
      • A written request and reason for the class change from the student and written approval from a guardian.
      • Written notification from the teacher documenting the student’s efforts to pass the course (these efforts must include homework completion, test retakes, and after-school tutoring), as well as the teacher’s recommendation for the change.
      • Written approval for the change from the principal or grade level principal will be the final requirement above all other requirements.

In order to preserve the continuity of the student’s education, multiple schedule change requests will not be granted. Electives can be added only if they meet during the same period as the elective to be dropped.  Requests for teacher switches, period switches, and/or lunch period switches will not be granted.

Grading Policy with Regard to Schedule Changes

• Students withdrawing from a course with guardian, teacher, and grade level principal approval, will transfer the grade to the new course, except in the case of transferring to an AP or Honors course. In this case, students will have the completed course reflected on the transcript. When a student is moved from an honors or an AP course to a lower level course, the course weighting will not follow. Course weighting is only awarded at the completion of the course with earned credit.
• A withdrawal from a class after the accepted window will result in the course appearing on a student transcript with a notation designating they were withdrawn from the course.