Grades
The grading policy for Caddo Parish Middle and Secondary Schools will be a percentage-based grade. Middle and secondary teachers will determine the grades (nine-week and semester) according to a percentage of the students’ scores. At the high school level, these scores shall accumulate until the end of the semester, at which time, if the percentage of the scores reflects a passing grade according to the grading scale, the student shall receive the appropriate Carnegie credit. For full year courses, scores accumulate until the end of the course, at which time, if the percentage of the scores reflects a passing grade according to the grading scale, the student shall receive the appropriate Carnegie credit.
Under a percentage-based grading system, grades on the report card ultimately reflect scores earned from the first day of the semester through the last day of the semester or course.
GRADING SCALE FOR HIGH SCHOOLS
A B C D F
100%- 92%- 84%- 74%- 66%-
93% 85% 75% 67% 0%
Weighted Grades
For calculation of the grade point average at the end of each grading period, a student’s grades are weighted. Students earn additional points for the grades received in enriched and honors courses. The weighted points earned for each phase are as follows:
GRADE ENRICHED GENERAL
A 5 4
B 4 3
C 3 2
D 2 1
F 0 0
Not all classes are phased. Any class which is not phased is considered a general class and earns the 4, 3, 2, 1, 0 point values for the A, B, C, D, and F grades.
Classification
Students are classified according to the number of credits that have been earned by the BEGINNING of each school year. Those classification requirements are as follows:
Ninth Grade 0 - 4 ½ credits
Tenth Grade 5 - 10 ½ credits
Eleventh Grade 11 - 16 ½ credits
Twelfth Grade 17 or more credits
It is most important that students understand that a senior does not graduate (receive a diploma or participate in the graduation exercise) unless all requirements, including passing the Graduation Exit Exam, have been met prior to graduation exercises.
Announcements
Announcements are made daily to keep students informed. These announcements are read in homeroom classes, posted in classrooms and available at www.southwoodcowboys.org, and placed on the electronic bulletin board in front of the school.
Credits
Upon successful completion of a semester of instruction in most courses, a student earns one-half unit of credit. It is expected that students who take four courses each term would earn four credits each term and would graduate in four years with 32 credits. In order to earn credit in a term, a student must attend each class for eighty-one days by state law.
Enrollment/Withdrawal
Students enrolling MUST provide the following:
- birth certificate
- health card
- last/current report card when enrolling at the start of the school year,
- official withdrawal form and records from previous school
- proof of address (recent utility statement; legal contract for lease or purchase of apartment/home in the school district
- proof of legal guardianship if applicable.
Evaluation of credit for graduation will be made from a completed, official transcript.
Students withdrawing from school MUST do the following:
- bring letter from a parent verifying withdrawal, have parent make request in person, or call the counselor’s office
- report to Counseling Office between 8:10 a.m. and 8:30 a.m. on day of withdrawal using front entrance
- pick up withdrawal form and get instructions from registrar in Counseling Office,
- drop each class by following regular schedule and returning all books, and
- return completed withdrawal form to registrar at the end of the school day.
Students who withdraw must pay all debts before records are released.
Progress Reports
The Caddo Parish School Board requires that every teacher in the parish send a progress report to parents whose children are making D’s or F’s. That report is given to the student during the third week of each grading period. Progress reports can be expected during the following weeks, although a progress report can be sent whenever deemed appropriate by the teacher.
Report Cards/End of Grading Period
Students will receive report cards on the following dates:
End of Grading Period Report Cards Issued
October 15, 2009 October 22, 2009
January 8, 2010 January 15, 2010
March 12, 2010 March 19, 2010
May 27, 2010 June 6, 2010-mailed
Report cards for the final grading period will be mailed from the school board office. Students who do not receive a report card should notify the school, since failure to receive a report card may indicate an unresolved obligation on the part on the student.
Withholding Report Cards
At the end of each grading period, students who have failed to meet financial obligations or have not cleared their fee/textbook records will not receive report cards or any school records until the debt is satisfied.
Hall Passes
Properly completed hall passes are required of every student who is excused from a class. No pupil is permitted to leave a class without an official time, date, and signed hall pass issued by a teacher.
Before allowing students to leave, teachers will adhere to the following:
- Use only official hall pass.
- Write all hall passes in ink, and fill out the complete hall pass.
- Do not issue permanent hall passes.
- Never permit students to go to another classroom without permission from the office.
Fees
Some courses by their very nature necessitate fees. These fees are used for materials consumed and/or used by the student. It is required that any student paying fines, fees, etc. either sign a money receipt list or receive a receipt indicating payment. A student may request an individual receipt for any payment. Students who fail to pay fees will have their report cards held each nine weeks.
Attendance Zones
Students (by law) must attend the school in which their custodial parent or mother resides. Students who have approved transfers from the Caddo Parish School Board and seniors who move out of the district after school begins are exceptions to this law. Any student seeking a transfer from the home school must apply to the Caddo Parish School Board by April 15th of each year.
Final Exams
Final exams are required in all areas and will be administered as scheduled by Caddo Parish Board policy. These exams will not be administered early. A student not present for an exam will have a zero recorded for that grade until make-up is allowed for legitimate excuses. If the student presents a legitimate excuse for the absence within two days upon return to school*, the exam may be made-up according to the school’s make-up policy. If a student has an excused absence for the day the semester exam is administered, he/she student must contact the assistant principal of instruction within two school days* to make an appointment to take the missed exams. *Late excuses must be submitted to the assistant principal of instruction for evaluation.
Early Out Information
Students are required to attend four classes each term for four years. It is the policy of the Caddo Parish School Board to allow only students who are taking college courses or are participating in School-to-Work activities to take less than a full schedule.
After School Activities
Students must obtain all necessary materials from lockers and report to the location of the school-sponsored activity by 3:45 p.m. At the conclusion of the activity, students are to exit the building immediately. Students waiting to be picked up must wait on the bus ramp from
3:45 - 4:30 p.m. The school will not be responsible for the supervision of students after 4:30 p.m. unless the student is involved in some type of extracurricular or supervised school activity. Unsupervised students will be subject to disciplinary action.
Athletic Drug Testing (LHSAA)
Caddo Parish School Board is conducting a mandatory drug policy program for student athletes as mandated by the Louisiana High School Athletic Association (LHSAA). Adherence to this program is a condition for athletic eligibility.
Mid-Term Graduates
Several conditions and consequences apply to students who plan to graduate at the end of the first term of their senior year:
- Students may participate in the May graduation ceremonies only if proof is provided to the school of enrollment at a college, university, or technical school or enlistment in the armed forces.
- Students may not participate in any school activities. Students will no longer be registered at Southwood High School. Students may not participate in the Beauty Pageant or school sports. Students may attend Prom as a guest of a current Southwood student but not attend by themselves.
- Students who have questions shall contact the senior counselor.
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