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General Course Selection Information

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Graduation Requirements

Students must earn twenty-two credits during grades nine through twelve to qualify for graduation. The following fourteen and one-half credits are mandated: 4 English, 3 Social Studies, 3 Math, 3 Science, .4 Health, 1.6 Physical Education, and .5 Graduation Project. A minimum of 6.5 additional credits are required for graduation

Scheduling

Each senior high school day has seven class periods and one lunch period. Of the forty-two class periods, each student is required to schedule at least thirty-six periods of classes, including five major subjects. The minimum number of periods is permitted only in special situations. Most students are expected to carry 37 or 38 periods. Major subjects meet at least six class periods a cycle for a full year and earn 1.0 credit. Some courses are state mandated; others are elective. The availability of elective courses depends entirely on the feasibility of scheduling of individual students, teachers, and classrooms without conflict. Also, an elective course cannot be offered unless at least fifteen students select it.

Quick Summation of the Course Selection Process

1. End of January/beginning of February – counselors go into Social Studies classes to explain the process, detail new courses, and answer questions.

2. February – students confer with teachers, talk over selections with parents, and after all of the above, sign the course selection sheet, and return it to Social Studies teacher.

3. Specified date in February – students must return completed course selection sheet to Social Studies teacher on or before this date.

4. March – students receive a computerized list of classes. On this sheet they may designate to see their counselor if they want to change classes or if there is a mistake.

5. April/May – counselors meet with students who indicated they want to discuss their courses for next year. Counselors may also meet with students who were not recommended for classes that they chose. A letter of exception may be sent home.

6. June – schedules are sent home with report cards. At this time, parents and students should carefully check the scheduled classes relative to grades on the report card. This is VERY IMPORTANT since classes were chosen in February and the student’s academic performance may have improved or declined in the 3^rd and 4^th marking periods. If a change is warranted, a call to Guidance should occur immediately since classes may reach maximum capacity. Not all changes may be accommodated.

Summer School

Students who fail are encouraged to make up the work in summer school, provided the summer school enrollment criteria are met. The criteria are as follows:

A student must have earned a 60% or better in the subject.

A student must have been absent less than 25 total days that year.

A failed course, which is a prerequisite to another course, may not be made up in summer school.

Counselors will answer questions about summer school and any inquiries about credits.

Early College Admission Program

Students in the top twenty-five percent of the eleventh or twelfth grade, who have been at Spring-Ford for at least one year, may wish to pursue college level courses on a full-time or part-time basis. These students must confer with their counselors and receive approval of the high school principal, the superintendent, and the Board of Education. All college costs must be borne by the student and his/her parents. The high school diploma is awarded after the student has completed all state required subjects accumulated their college credits, and maintained at least a "C" average. Copies of the complete policy governing this program are available from the counselors.

Program for the Gifted

Identified gifted students with active IEPs may choose to participate in the high school’s Gifted Program. Students in this program must participate during three out of the four years, and earn at least 1 course credit by taking AT courses. Participation may take the form of a 9^th grade gifted alternative in social studies or English. These classes will replace social studies or English at the 9^th grade level, are considered major classes, earn 1 credit and will be included in the calculation of class rank. Participation may mean taking one of the AT classes which have traditionally been offered as minors. These earn .5 credits and meet 3 out of 6 days in a cycle. Finally, participation includes involvement in Gifted Support Resource Periods, for which no credit is given. Students unwilling to commit to this level of participation will be asked to exit the program. Participation requirements for students from other than the class of 2005 vary slightly. Students in the class of 2004 must also complete one course credit but participate only two years. For the classes of 2002 and 2003 there will be no credit requirement, but students must participate in the program at least one year.