NSU University School Student/Parent Handbook 2016-2017

Page 35 A student’s normal load consists of 6 course credits per year. Any exceptions to this policy must have the approval of the associate director of academic affairs or the director of the Upper School. Students must earn a total of 100 community service hours to graduate from NSU University School. To graduate from NSU University School, students must complete 24 credits from the recommended course of study. Students must pass all courses enrolled at NSU University School to graduate. AP courses follow a college curriculum and are paced more rigorously. Given the demands of the AP curriculum and the demands of life outside of the classroom at NSU University School, students may be limited in the number of AP courses they can take in a given year. Freshman may take a maximum of one AP course, sophomores may take a maximum of three AP courses, juniors may take a maximum of five AP courses, and seniors may take a maximum of six AP courses. These restrictions will be mentioned in our school profile so colleges and universities understand the limits placed on our students. Additionally, the ability to take up to a certain number of AP classes does not guarantee that number to students. Prerequisite requirements and instructor recommendations are still required for admittance into an AP course. REQUIRED CREDITS Department: Required (minimum) English 4 Mathematics 4 Science* 4 Social Studies 4 World Language** 3 Physical Education 1/2 Personal Fitness 1/2 Fine Arts 1 Elective courses 3 *Must include biology and chemistry. **Two consecutive years of the same language must be completed during grades 9–12. GRADE REPORTING (Upper School) Each semester, students will have an interim progress report posted for parent review. At the end of the school year, the numeric average of the two semesters, which includes semester and final exams, will be converted and recorded as a letter grade on the student’s transcript. The grading scale is listed below. Letter Grade Q.P. Value A+ 4.3 A 4.0 A- 3.7 B+ 3.3 B 3.0 B- 2.7 C+ 2.3 C 2.0 C- 1.7 D+ 1.3 D 1.0 D- 0.7 F 0.0 Advanced Placement and Advanced Topics courses receive a quality point increase of 1.0. Honors level courses receive a quality point increase of 0.5. Incomplete: Coursework has not been completed. A student has seven calendar days at the end of the term to complete course requirements. If work is not completed within that time, or if an extension is not requested from, and granted by, the director, the incomplete becomes an F. Students with incompletes are not permitted to participate in extracurricular or co-curricular activities.