• Class Loads – Dropping and Adding Classes

• Grading System, Progress Reports and Report Cards

• Required Units for High School Grade Placement

• Graduation Requirements

• Honor Roll and Merit Roll

• National Honor Society and National Junior Honor Society

• International Baccalaureate Diploma Program of Studies (IB)

• Academic Probation

• Homework at EBV

Class Loads – Dropping and Adding Classes

A. The normal class load is eight courses equivalent to (4) block periods per day with a two day rotation.

B. A student may change schedules within the first two weeks of a semester with approval of parents, class teacher and counselor. (In some cases consultation with IB coordinator and or principal may be necessary).

C. Students enroll in required courses automatically. For IB courses or advanced courses in a grade level, approval of the teacher and/or IB Coordinator and Guidance Counselor.

D. Dropping Courses.

1. Normal timeline for dropping courses is before the end of the first two weeks, in which case, the course will not appear on the student's record.

2. Courses dropped at the request of the school after the two week period will not penalize the GPA.

3.a. Courses dropped at the request of the student after 2 weeks and before 4 weeks, will appear on a student's record as either Dropped- Passing or Dropped-Failing, and will not count in calculating a student's Grade Point Average.
b. Courses dropped at the request of the student after 4 weeks, will appear as a Failing grade on a student's transcript and will be calculated in the student's Grade Point Average.

 

Grading System, Progress Reports and Report Cards

The school year is divided into four quarters each of approximately 9 weeks duration for the purposes of grading students for their permanent records. Our school does not use letter grades to describe student achievement, but rather, uses the percentage grade which the student received which equates to one of the following descriptors as seen on the chart below:

Excellent : demonstrates superior level of achievement.
Good : demonstrates sound level of achievement.
Satisfactory : demonstrates adequate level of achievement.
Poor : demonstrates basic level of achievement.
Failing: demonstrates an unacceptable level of achievement.(see Academic Probation ).

Progress Reports are issued for all students at mid-quarter to advise parents of student progress in time for improvements to be made during the last half of the quarter. Teachers may also issue Progress Reports at any time, when they observe that a student is not performing as expected or has made notable improvement.

Report Cards are issued following the close of each 9 week grading period. The grade point average for each student is calculated by equating the percentage range to a 4 point system, as shown in the chart below.

Grade Descriptor	Percentage Range	Grade Points for GPA
Excellent / superior	98 - 100	4.3
Excellent / superior	94 - 97	4.0
Excellent / superior	91 - 93	3.7
Good / Sound	88 - 90	3.3
Good / Sound	84 - 87	3.0
Good / Sound	81 - 83	2.7
Satisfactory / adequate	78 - 80	2.3
Satisfactory / adequate	74 - 77	2.0
Satisfactory / adequate	71 - 73	1.7
Poor / Basic	69 - 70	1.3
Poor / Basic	67 - 68	1.0
Poor / Basic	65 - 66	0.7
Failing / unacceptable	0 - 64	0.0

Grade Point average is calculated for transcript purposes on a semester basis. EBV does not do class rank.

National Honor Society and National Junior Honor Society

Membership in the National Honor Society and National Junior Honor Society is recognized as one of the highest honors that can be bestowed upon a high school student. Membership is both an honor and an obligation and is not merely the successful culmination of an effort to achieve academic recognition. Once selected for membership, a student must continue to exhibit those outstanding qualities which brought about selection. Additionally, students in NHS or NJHS should exert their influence to improve school climate and conditions and to promote the four general qualities for initial selection: Scholarship, Character, Service, and Leadership. Members are “tapped” twice annually for admission to this group. Application does not guarantee admission. The qualifications for membership are as follows:

• Scholarship: The student must have a grade point average of 3.5 for the year in progress.
• Faculty evaluations in the areas of Character, Leadership, Scholarship, and Service.
• A documented record of participation and leadership in school and community activities.
• Student status at EBV for at least one semester.

Academic Probation

The concept of Academic Probation is based on a High School student's inability to accumulate enough credits to graduate in a 4 year period of time, or, for a Middle School student to be successful at EBV. When a student receives two or more grades below a 65% level at any Quarter marking period, or, receives a GPA of 1.9 0 or below for that quarterly marking period, they are placed on Academic Probation for the next Quarter of the school year.

When a student is on Academic Probation, they may not participate in athletic or extra-curricular activities at EBV for the next quarter, with one exception. The exception to the afore-mentioned rule is: if an athletic or extra-curricular activity begins in the middle of a quarter (such as try-outs for a play or soccer season), then a student on their first quarter of academic probation may take around a progress report sheet to show that they are currently receiving grades above the Academic Probation level. This same student would also have to complete a progress report showing grades above academic probation before being selected for a tournament team, if that selection is while they are on Academic Probation. Students on a second or higher Academic Probation level will not be allowed this opportunity to participate in sports or extra-curricular activities.

cademic probation requires a parental conference each quarter that the student is on Academic Probation. High School students on repeated Academic Probation face the consequences of loss of graduation credits, delayed graduation and the need to makeup required credits. This latter may require parents to pay additional fees for correspondence or Virtual School classes. Middle School students on repeated Academic Probation, or , who have a failing average in two or more core subjects(Math, Science, English, Social Studies or Spanish), at the end of the school year, will be required to: repeat the academic year; withdraw from EBV; or do fully accredited summer school makeup work, at the parents expense, to pass the academic year.

International Baccalaureate Diploma Program of Studies (IB)

Students in Grades 11 and 12 at EBV follow a program of studies known as the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program. The IB diploma is an internationally recognized, academically challenging program for university preparation. Students usually take six subjects, chosen from the subject groups listed below. All subjects are studied for a period of two years. Students choose from the following subject groups:

• First Language Group - English A1 or Spanish A1,
• Second Language Group - English A2, Spanish A2 and French B,
• Individuals and Societies - History, Social and Cultural Anthropology and ITGS; Experimental Sciences - Biology, Chemistry,
• Mathematics - Math Studies, Math Methods and Math Higher Level,
• Arts – SL and HL IB Art may be taken as one of the required 6 subjects.
If a student studies three of the above subjects at higher level, they are known as diploma candidates; otherwise they are classified as certificate candidates. Diploma candidates must also complete three other tasks:
• Study the course known as Theory of Knowledge,
• Complete a piece of individual research called an Extended Essay,
• Engage in activities known as CAS (Creativity, Action, Service).

The IB Diploma incorporates the best elements of different national educational systems without being based on any one. The IB Office states that their goal is to "provide students with the values and opportunities that will enable them to develop sound judgment, make wise choices and respect others in the global community." The IB Diploma equips students with the skills and attitudes necessary for success in higher education and employment.

Homework at EBV

We believe at EBV that homework which reinforces concepts already taught, parallels current classroom instruction or is of a long term guided project nature, is of benefit to student learning and the development of both study and organizational skills for future university and employment success. Long term guided projects such as research papers and essays will be completed over a longer period than those listed below*. Students are expected to complete written assignments in a neat, orderly, and timely manner. Parents desiring specific homework information in a subject area should contact the subject teacher directly. Parents should note that it is important for serious study to have a quiet place, suitably lighted and free from distractions such as TV, cell phones, computer games or noisy siblings. The actual time needed for study will vary according to a student's schedule, subjects, and study skills.

• Middle School, Grades 6-8: 60-75 minutes per day*
• High School, Grades 9-12: 90-120 minutes per day*