High School 9-12
COURSE INCOMPLETES
Students who receive an “Incomplete” grade at the end of a quarter must make up the work within 2 weeks unless additional time has been granted by the teacher and assistant principal.
COURSE STRUCTURE A full year course awards 1 credit. A semester course awards 1/2 credit for successful completion. If a student fails one semester, they need to repeat that failed semester. The grade of record is the final semester grade. This is the grade that is entered on the student’s transcript and is used to determine cumulative grade point average and class rank. For a full-year course there are two grades of record, one for the first semester and one for the second semester. We offer different credit recovery options at NHS. Through the credit recovery process (Edgenuity or summer school) students may be able to make up failed classes. The way credit recovery is recorded on a transcript varies, so students will need to meet with their counselor for more information.
COURSE DROP/ADD POLICY Course requests in early spring lead to schedules that are very difficult to adjust – especially when it comes to electives. If a scheduling conflict occurs, one or more student-selected alternate courses will be added to student schedules as necessary. If a schedule change is necessary for graduation or in order to carry at least six classes, students can initiate these changes on the designated schedule change day the week before school begins. Once the school year begins, the only allowed changes will be to drop a class for a study hall if there are seven classes in place or to add a class that is for required graduation credits. Students who have seven classes on their schedule and drop one in order to take a study hall must do so via a Drop/Add form before the midquarter point of the semester, which is approximately four weeks into the semester. Students who have six classes and wish to drop one must also add a replacement course via a Drop/Add form by the end of the fifth day of the semester. Students may not have two study halls/open hours (Senior Transition, TA) in the same semester. Dropping a course after the deadline results in a failing semester grade for the class.
FINAL EXAMS Final examinations will count no more than 20% of the final semester grade. Any exam changes must be approved by an administrator prior to exams beginning.
GRADING SYSTEM Student grade point averages and ranks are calculated by two possible methods. Under the “Normal” system, all courses are equally weighted according to the following system:
A+/A =4.0 B+=3.333 C+=2.333 D+=1.333 F=0
A- =3.667 B=3.0 C=2.0. D=1.0
B-=2.667 C-=1.667 D-=0.667
Under the “Weighted” system, all Advanced Placement course grades are weighted an additional 25% in GPA points as follows:
A=5.0 B=3.75 C=2.5
MID-YEAR GRADUATES Students who can meet the necessary state and local requirements are eligible to graduate after the first semester of their senior year. Students desiring to graduate early must receive permission from the principal when registering for their senior year. Students are not eligible to participate in any school activities once they graduate. However, mid-year graduates may participate in the end-of-the-year commencement program.
MINIMUM CLASS LOAD Students in grades 9-11 are required to be in school seven periods each day. Seniors may arrange to have senior transition period 1 or 7 but must have six classes and be on track for graduation to be eligible.
PASS-FAIL Under special circumstances, a course may be taken under a pass-fail grading system where the final semester grade is reported as a “pass” or “fail” rather than a standard letter grade. Course credit is earned with a passing grade, and there is no impact on G.P.A. A pass-fail grading system must be arranged through an agreement between student, teacher, school counselor and assistant principal.
POST-SECONDARY ENROLLMENT OPTIONS (PSEO) Postsecondary Enrollment Options (PSEO) is a program that allows 10th-, 11th- and 12th-grade students to earn both high school and college credit while still in high school, through enrollment in and successful completion of college nonsectarian courses at eligible participating postsecondary institutions. Most PSEO courses are offered on the campus of the postsecondary institution; some courses are offered online. Each participating college or university sets its own admissions requirements for enrollment into the PSEO courses. Eleventh and 12th-grade students may take PSEO courses on a full- or part-time basis; 10th graders are eligible to enroll in PSEO on a more limited basis. Students must meet the PSEO residency and eligibility requirements and abide by participation limits specified in Minnesota Statutes, section 124D.09. If a school district determines a pupil is not on track to graduate, they may continue to participate in PSEO on a term by term basis. For current information about the PSEO program, visit the Minnesota Department of Education’s Postsecondary Enrollment Options (PSEO) webpage.
REPORT CARDS Report cards are posted in Family Access four (4) times each year. Students and parents/guardians will be able to access their report cards via Family Access electronically after grades are posted each marking period. Posting dates will be published in school announcements and newsletters.
SCHEDULE CHANGES Students must meet with a school counselor to initiate any change in their class schedule. Schedule changes are made only in exceptional circumstances. Refer to Course/Teacher Change Resolution Procedure. This document is available from our counselors.
SENIOR HONORS PROGRAM Through an agreement with St. Olaf College and Carleton College, Northfield High School seniors have the opportunity to enroll in lower-level college courses at no cost to the student. Each college has a specific application process. Application forms are available to students in late spring of their junior year. During the summer, students will be informed of the college’s decision and given instructions on how to register for classes. If you intend to use a Senior Honors course to meet a graduation requirement (i.e. Economics), please check with your counselor in advance to ensure that the class is applicable. Administrative approval is required prior to the start of these courses. Information may be obtained from the counselors for obtaining high school and/or college credits upon successful completion of the course. A senior in the Senior Honors Program who wishes to access the media center or computer lab during their work time must arrive at the beginning of an hour and stay the entire hour. All media center rules apply.
SPECIAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS
Special Education programs are an educational service provided to students who are having difficulty achieving in the regular school program and who meet state eligibility requirements that are verified through an assessment made by qualified personnel. The difficulties a student may encounter could be academic or emotional/behavioral. The student or parent/guardian may contact a guidance counselor, administrator or teacher for information about referrals. At that point, the child study procedure will begin and parents/guardians will be informed of the procedure and their rights, which are contained in State and Federal laws.
Last modified: June 14, 2023