Academic Policies
Dick Robinson
Associate Principal
Any student who attains an Academic-Grade-Point-Average of 2.00 or lower, receives an “F,” or has multiple “D’s” at the end of a quarter or semester will be placed on academic monitoring. It should be noted that the Academic-Grade-Point-Average does not include P.E. grades. Students on monitoring are reviewed at the end of each semester. Students who continue to maintain low grades are dismissed for academic reasons at the end of each semester. In particular, serious, situations students on Academic Monitoring can be moved to Academic Probation.
Archbishop Mitty allows students to receive credit for educational work that is not part of the schedule of classes for a particular year. Students receive credit for being a teacher assistant (3 units) each semester they work as a teacher assistant. Students also receive credit each semester for working on the newspaper (5 units), working on the yearbook (5 units) and participating in student government (5 units). Grades for these activities appear on a student’s report card for each semester a student participates in one of these programs, but these grades are not computed in a student’s total or state mark-point-average.
Each teacher specifies in the printed course expectations the course grading policy. This policy includes the proportion of the grade, which will be influenced by class participation. Class participation may include the coming to class with materials, promptness to class, preparation for class by homework, attentiveness, attendance, as well as verbal participation.
Directed study credit is only given in the Visual Arts Department. A contract is required detailing the amount of work the student will be expected to complete, the units to be received, and grading procedures. A copy of this contract must be given to the department chair and the Associate Principal. Approval by the Associate Principal is necessary for directed study. Students may earn up to five units for a semester directed study course.
Dismissal for Academic Reasons
Students who receive a grade of “D” or “F” as a final grade for a semester are reviewed at the end of each semester. Normally, students who do not achieve a semester Academic-Grade-Point-Average of 2.00 or higher, receive an “F” as a semester grade, or receive multiple “D’s” as semester grades are dismissed for academic reasons at the end of a semester. The administration at times will dismiss a student during a semester for academic reasons related to low grades. A student does not need to be currently on academic monitoring to be dismissed for academic reasons. Parent Reports sent home indicating a student is receiving a “D” or “F” in a class should be taken most seriously as these grades indicate the student is not learning and these low grades jeopardize the student’s enrollment at Archbishop Mitty.
Final examinations are administered the last week of each semester. Students who fail to take the final examination without an excused absence will receive an “F” grade on that examination.
Correction of an inaccurately reported semester grade is made by the teacher requesting a grade change form from the Associate Principal’s office. The teacher must sign the form and submit the form to the Associate Principal for approval. Students who believe a grade is incorrect should contact the teacher directly.
The following school grading scale is used in classes:
Percentage |
Letter Grade |
Transcript Value |
93-100 |
A |
4.0 |
90-92 |
A- |
3.7 |
87-89 |
B+ |
3.3 |
83-86 |
B |
3.0 |
80-82 |
B- |
2.7 |
77-79 |
C+ |
2.3 |
73-76 |
C |
2.0 |
70-72 |
C- |
1.7 |
67-69 |
D+ |
1.3 |
63-66 |
D |
1.0 |
60-62 |
D- |
0.7 |
59 and below |
F |
0.0 |
Students enrolled in sophomore or higher honors or A.P. classes earn a higher grade point average based on different point values assigned for grades. This system mirrors the University of California admissions grade point system.
Percentage |
Letter Grade |
Transcript Value |
93-100 |
A |
5.0 |
90-92 |
A- |
4.7 |
87-89 |
B+ |
4.3 |
83-86 |
B |
4.0 |
80-82 |
B- |
3.7 |
77-79 |
C+ |
3.3 |
73-76 |
C |
3.0 |
70-72 |
C- |
2.7 |
67-69 |
D+ |
1.3 |
63-66 |
D |
1.0 |
60-62 |
D- |
0.7 |
59 and below |
F |
0.0 |
Internet-based courses offered by accredited high schools and universities are accepted for enrichment in study areas not offered at AMHS. Internet-based course units are not accepted for acceleration in a study area, remediation of low grades, or qualification for athletic eligibility.
Letter grades indicate a student’s level of achievement on a particular assignment, test, or activity. On the report card, letter grades indicate a student’s overall achievement in a particular subject. Each letter grade indicates a specific level of achievement.
A |
Outstanding, a strong college recommending grade |
|
B |
Good, a college recommending grade |
|
C |
Satisfactory |
|
D |
Unsatisfactory |
|
F |
Fail, no credit (0 units) |
|
I |
Incomplete (only for exceptional circumstances) |
A grade of “I” (incomplete) given at the semester report can only be made up to a passing grade within three (3) weeks after the end of the semester. The Incomplete (I) will be changed to an “F” if work is not satisfactorily completed in this time period.
Note: The grade of “F” (Failure) will be given whenever a student fails to meet the minimum objectives of the course.
Courses that a student has passed with a grade of “D” or higher may not be repeated during the regular school year at Archbishop Mitty. Courses that a student fails with a grade of “F” must be made up the ensuing summer in summer school. A student who has received an “F” during the regular academic year and does not make up the “F in the ensuing summer may not enroll at Archbishop Mitty for the next academic year. A student who receives a “D” in a course required by the California State University system must repeat the course and earn a grade of “C” or he or she may not enroll at Archbishop Mitty for the next academic year.
Norms Governing Student Course Load
- All courses at Archbishop Mitty are academic courses with the exception of Physical Development courses, Student Government, Newspaper, and Yearbook. Students must enroll in the required number of academic courses each semester and the required total number of courses each semester. Student Government, Newspaper, and Yearbook may not count toward the total number of required courses in a semester.
- In a given semester a student may count only one Visual Arts or Performing Arts Department course as one of the required number of academic courses.
- All students must be enrolled in a mathematics course during freshman, sophomore and junior year. All students must be enrolled in a modern language course freshman and sophomore year. All students must be enrolled in a science course freshman, sophomore, and junior year.
Report cards are posted on the AMHS WEBsite at the conclusion of each semester and each quarter. Grades on the second and fourth report cards are the semester grades and are the basis on which credit for the semester’s work is determined. Only semester grades appear on the transcripts. Transcripts are also posted on the WEBsite. The first and third quarter report cards are considered formal student progress reports.
Report cards and transcripts may be printed from the WEBsite. They may only be accessed using the parent/student password assigned during September. This password will be mailed home to parents with the dates when report cards will be posted.
Each student earns a grade-point-average in relation to the letter grades given on the student’s report card. A student’s report card indicates a student’s Total-Grade-Point-Average. This average is calculated by summing all the points a student earned in a grading period and dividing that total by the total number of classes in which the student was enrolled. This average has only one use. It is used in calculating a student’s eligibility for athletic participation.
In addition, each student earns an Academic-Grade-Point-Average that is calculated on the student’s transcript in the Registrar’s Office. This Academic-Grade-Point-Average is an academic average that excludes Physical Development, student government, newspaper, music performance, and yearbook grades. This average is calculated by summing all the points from individual courses a student earned in a grading period, excluding non-academic course points, and dividing that total by the total number of classes, excluding non-academic courses, in which the student was enrolled. This average is used in calculating a student’s academic rank in the student’s class at Archbishop Mitty. Students at or beneath a 2.0 average are placed on academic monitoring as a warning. Colleges and universities also use the Academic-Grade-Point-Average in the admissions process.
At times, a student who is excelling academically in a particular subject may wish to accelerate in that subject area. Archbishop Mitty allows for acceleration in mathematics. A student who is performing at the “A” level in mathematics, e.g., geometry, may wish to accelerate so as to make it possible to take calculus in high school. A student wishing to do this must receive approval from the appropriate department chair. After receiving approval from the department chair, the student submits an approval form to the Associate Principal. This form can be obtained from a counselor or the Main Office. Students who have completed their graduation requirement in mathematics, 3 years, do not need any approval for summer classes in this subject. Acceleration in a subject does not alter the year or graduation requirements published in the Student-Parent Handbook.
Again, students seeking acceleration in mathematics may pick up an approval form from Mrs. Janice Pedersen in the Main Office.
Internet based courses are not accepted for acceleration.
Summer School and Athletic Eligibility
When computing a student’s 4th quarter mark point average for purposes of athletic eligibility for the coming fall quarter, grades earned in summer may replace grades in the same course taken the previous quarter, e.g., a “D” in second semester sophomore geometry may be replaced with a “B” earned in a summer school course.
Internet based courses are not accepted for qualification for athletic eligibility.
The grades of “D” and “F” are low grades. A “D” indicates a lack of competence in the subject area and is a very damaging grade for admission to a four-year college. An “F” indicates a failure in the subject area and loss of credit for the course.
1. If a student receives an “F” as a final grade at the end of the first or second semester during the regular academic year and the student is not dismissed from AMHS, the student is required to retake the course immediately in the ensuing summer or the student will not be allowed to return to Archbishop Mitty for the next academic year. Archbishop Mitty will give the student credit for the summer course if the student passes the course with a “C” or higher and if the summer school forwards an official transcript to AMHS.
If the student cannot find the same course offered in a summer school program, the student must request permission for the Associate Principal for approval of an alternate course.
2. Students who received a “D” in a class as a final grade at the end of the first or second semester and were not dismissed from AMHS are strongly encouraged to retake the course in summer school in the ensuing summer. Failure to raise a “D” will endanger admission to a four-year college. Courses retaken after receiving a “D” are added to transcripts though they are not given credit. Students receiving a final grade of “D” in a course required by the California State University system must repeat the course and earn a grade of “C.”
Internet based courses are normally not accepted for remediation of low grades.
1. Students may take courses not required at AMHS for enrichment during summer school and transfer the credits to AMHS. Units are added to transcripts when the transcript from the summer school is received by Archbishop Mitty.
2. Students may not take a course required at AMHS in summer school in lieu of taking the course during the regular year at AMHS. All students attending AMHS must carry a full course load each semester. Exceptions to these norms require direct personal permission prior to summer from the Associate Principal. Courses and their respective units approved by the Associate Principal are added to transcripts when the transcript from the summer school is received by Archbishop Mitty.
Internet based courses offered by accredited high schools and universities are accepted for enrichment in study areas not offered at AMHS.
Students may register to assist teachers and office personnel as teacher assistants. A student may have no more than one teacher assistantship at any time. Teachers with assistants are responsible for grading their T.A.’s. T.A.’s receive a grade of pass or fail.
