IKF - Curriculum Standards and Graduation Requirements: Academic and Citizenship Credit and Grading

1. PURPOSE

The purpose of this policy is to outline the minimum core standards for Nebo School District elementary and secondary schools and students and to establish high school graduation requirements, including academic and citizenship credit and grading. 

2. COURSE DESCRIPTION STANDARDS AND OBJECTIVES

The Utah State Board of Education establishes minimum standards and objectives for course descriptions for each course in the required general core. Course descriptions for required and elective courses are developed cooperatively by the District and the Utah State Board of Education. The descriptions shall contain mastery criteria for the courses and shall stress mastery of the course material rather than completion of predetermined time allotments for courses. Implementation and assessment procedures for approved courses are the responsibility of the Nebo District Curriculum Committee and the professional staff of individual schools. Proposed new courses at a school must first be approved by the school Curriculum Review Committee and then by the District Curriculum Committee, after which they will be submitted to the USBE for approval.

3. GENERAL CORE REQUIREMENTS 

Grades K-6

Students in grades K-6 shall be taught according to the requirements found in Utah Admin. Code R277-700-4, as amended. The requirements are set forth in Exhibit 1 of this policy, which the Superintendent or his/her designee may amend and update in accordance with Utah law. 

The District shall conduct informal assessments on a regular basis to ensure continual student progress.

The District shall assess students for proficiency in keyboarding by grade 5 and report school level results to the State Superintendent.

The District shall use USBE-approved summative adaptive assessments to assess student mastery of the following:

reading;

language arts;

mathematics;

science; and

effectiveness of written expression in grades five and eight.

The District shall provide remediation to elementary students who do not achieve mastery of the subjects described in this section.

Grades 7-8
The core standards and a general core for students in grades 7-8 are described in Utah Admin. Code R277-700-5 and listed in Exhibit 1 of this policy. 

The District shall use evidence-based best practices, technology, and other instructional media in middle school curricula to increase the relevance and quality of instruction.

The District shall use USBE-approved summative adaptive assessments to assess student mastery of the following:

reading;

language arts;

mathematics; and

science.

The District may:

offer additional elective courses;

require a student to complete additional courses; or

set minimum credit requirements.

Upon parental or student request, the District may, with parental consent, substitute a course requirement for a student in grade 7 or 8 as described in Exhibit 1 with a course, extracurricular activity, or experience that is:

similar to the course requirement; or

consistent with the student's plan for college and career readiness.

A parent or student requesting a course substitution under subsection 3.2.4 must make the request to school counselor. Denial by the counselor of a student or parent’s request may be appealed to the school principal. A student or parent may not appeal the school principal’s decision on a course substitution request. 

Grades 9-12

The general core and core standards for students in grades 9-12 are described in Utah Admin. Code R277-700-6 and listed in Exhibit 1 of this policy. 

In addition to the requirements set forth in Exhibit 1, the Board requires that students in grades 9-12 earn sufficient additional elective credits to reach the number listed below to graduate and earn a diploma from their respective high school. 
Landmark High School                                   24 credits

Maple Mountain High School                          26 credits

Nebo Online Learning Summit                         24 credits

Payson High School                                       26 credits

Salem Hills High School
(students who attended Mt. Nebo Junior High) 32 credits

Salem Hills High School
(students who attended Salem Junior High)     33 credits

Spanish Fork High School                               32 credits

Springville High School                                   26 credits

Students taking classes through the Advanced Learning Center (ALC) graduate from their boundary high school if they meet the credit requirements for that school. The ALC is an accredited school, but it does not offer graduation or diplomas. 

The District shall use Board-approved summative adaptive assessments to assess student mastery of the following subjects:

reading;

language arts;

mathematics; and

science.

The District may require a student to earn credits for graduation that exceed the minimum USBE requirements.

The District may establish and offer additional elective course offerings.

The District may modify a student's graduation requirements to meet the unique educational needs of the student if:

the student has a disability; and

the modifications to the student's graduation requirements are made through the student's IEP.

The District shall document the nature and extent of a modification, substitution, or exemption made to a student's graduation requirements in the student's IEP.

The District may modify graduation requirements for an individual student to achieve an appropriate route to student success if the modification:

is consistent with:

the student's IEP; or

SEOP/Plan for College and Career Readiness;

is maintained in the student's file;

includes the parent's signature; and

maintains the integrity and rigor expected for high school graduation, as determined by the USBE.

4. DIPLOMAS 

In accordance with Utah Admin. Code R277-705-4, Nebo School District awards high school diplomas. 

A diploma shall be awarded to a student who has successfully completed all state and district course, credit, and assessment requirements for graduation. 

Diplomas are printed by a third party contractor. The District does not maintain copies of diplomas and does not issue replacement copies. 

A certificate of completion may be awarded to a student as provided in Nebo School District Policy JS, Special Education. 

A student with a disability served by an individualized education program (IEP) shall be awarded a diploma if the student has satisfied the graduation criteria set forth in the student’s IEP consistent with state and federal law and Nebo School District Policy JS, Special Education. 

A diploma, a certificate, credits, or an unofficial transcript may not be withheld from a student for nonpayment of school fees.

Students who have earned a high school diploma may participate in graduation exercises consistent with Nebo School District Policy IKFA, Graduation Ceremonies. 

5. SECONDARY ACADEMIC CREDIT

Credit. A credit or fraction thereof shall be given upon satisfactory completion of a course or learning experience in compliance with state or school course standards. Students may also complete a course on a performance basis, in which case assessment of mastery will be the responsibility of the school administration and of the District Curriculum Committee. Credit may be awarded only once for a specific required core course with the same content during the secondary school experience. Credits are generally awarded in increments of a quarter credit (0.25). A successfully completed one semester course will result in the earning of a half credit (0.50). Passing a two-semester course will result in the granting of a full credit (1.0). An appropriate fraction of the whole credit for a course is granted at the end of each grading period in quarter credit increments.

Students may earn credit by any of the following methods:

Successful completion of secondary school courses (grades 9-12).

Successful completion of concurrent enrollment classes consistent with Section 6.

Demonstrated competency, as determined through use of an assessment instrument approved by the District Curriculum Committee. Credit under this paragraph is awarded on a pass/fail basis. 

Review of student work or projects (portfolio) consistent with procedures and criteria approved by the District Curriculum Committee.

Successful completion of correspondence or electronic course work offered by an accredited education institution.

Transcripts of Credit

All credit earned or attempted through any of the above options will be posted to an official student transcript of credits. The transcript will include the title of the course and grades and credits earned. Failed courses will also be posted to the student transcript even though credit is not earned. Transcripts are issued by a student’s home high school. 

Work-Based Learning Credit. Students may earn credit through Work Based Learning programs as provided in Nebo School District Policy IGADA, Work-Based Learning Experiences for Students. 

Acceptance of Transfer Credit

Nebo School District accepts transfer credit from any accredited public or private school. Nebo School District schools will not change or re-evaluate any credit which has been placed on an official student transcript from an accredited public or private school. Graduation requirements may be adjusted on an individual basis to accommodate the differences in course offerings available in the district or school where the student previously attended. Students who transfer from an accredited school are required to earn 0.8387 of the total number of credits available to the student from 9^th through 12^th grade. Thus, a student who transfers at the beginning of her senior year from a school that offers 10 credits per year to a school that offers 8 credits per year will be required to earn 32 credits (38 X 0.8387).

Nebo School District does not accept previously earned credits from any non-accredited institutions within the United States. Students who enter Nebo District schools after transferring from a public or private non-accredited school or home school must meet the same requirements for graduation as outlined in this policy.  

When a student transfers to the District from outside the United States, the student’s transcript will be evaluated on an individual basis by the school’s counseling department to determine which credits will be accepted by the District.

Nebo students who attend school in a foreign country for one or more years and then return to Nebo District must submit a transcript of courses taken to the counseling department at the school where the student is enrolled for a credit evaluation. Credits may be posted to the student’s official transcript if the assigned counselor and the school principal can confirm the validity of the courses taken.

Other Credit Guidelines

High School Principals Council. The High School Principals Council consists of the Nebo School District high school principals and the Director of Secondary Education, who serves as the chair. This council is empowered to rule upon any high school credit issues not specifically addressed by District policies, by State Board administrative rules or by state law. Notwithstanding the credit requirements outlined in Section 5.1, under exceptional circumstances this council may permit a student who has satisfied the minimum credit requirements of Utah Admin. Code R277-700-6, as amended, to graduate from a District high school without satisfying the District’s normal credit requirement for that high school as set forth in Section 5.1. The council will meet as necessary to address issues as they arise.

Driver Education is offered outside the school day. A half (0.5) credit may be awarded for successful completion of the Driver Education course. See Nebo School District Policy IGAJ, Driver Education. 

The school may grant a half (0.5) credit for participation on a high school athletic team or fine arts program. A student may be awarded no more than one (1.0) credit on the high school transcript for participation on athletic teams or fine arts programs. Except as otherwise provided in this policy, a school may not grant credit for participation in activities or events outside the school program. 

Students who complete a cosmetology program approved by the District CTE Coordinator may earn Career Technology Education credit or elective credit, but the credit may not be used to meet other credit requirements.

Students who successfully complete Utah National Guard summer camp training may be granted one (1.0) credit in physical education and two (2.0) elective credits.

Consistent with Utah Admin. Code R277-700-6(3), in recording credits in a student’s transcript for grades 9-12 for purposes of high school graduation, the District shall recognize high school credits earned before grade 9. However, the District may not use high school courses to replace middle school educational requirements. 

If a student refrains from participation in any portion of a course under Nebo School District Policy IIA, Student Instruction and Materials, the school may require an alternate academic accommodation to allow the student to demonstrate mastery of core standards or an alternate standard, consistent with Utah Admin. Code R277-700-7(4). 

6. CONCURRENT ENROLLMENT

The District may offer a concurrent enrollment program to provide a challenging, college-level experience in high school and to provide transition courses that can be applied to postsecondary education. 

A concurrent enrollment program will comply with applicable state laws, including Utah Admin. Code R277-701. 

A student participating in the concurrent enrollment program shall: 

be enrolled in a Nebo School District high school and counted in average daily membership, as required by Utah Code Ann. § 53E-10-301; 

have a current Plan for College and Career Readiness (CCR Plan), as described in Nebo School District Policy IKA, Elementary and Secondary Student Education Learning Plans, on file at the participating school, as required under Utah Code Ann. § 53E-2-304; 

have completed a concurrent enrollment participation form, including a parent permission form and acknowledgment of program participation requirements, as required under Utah Code Ann. § 53E-10-304;

be enrolled in grade 9, 10, 11, or 12. 

Credit earned through a concurrent enrollment course:

has the same credit hour value as when taught on a college campus;

applies toward graduation on the same basis as a course taught at a USHE institution to which the credits are submitted;

generates higher education credit that becomes a part of a student's permanent college transcript;

generates high school credit that is consistent with the LEA policies for awarding credit for graduation; and

is transferable from one USHE institution to another.

7. ACADEMIC GRADES

Academic grading is a teacher responsibility and should reflect academic progress toward the mastery of the course curriculum. Teachers must honestly and accurately grade the work of each student based upon the standards and objectives established for the course. Academic grades must reflect the actual competency or academic growth of a student, and proficiency at the end of a term or unit should be the major consideration in determining a student’s grade. 

In secondary schools, letter grades are given by teachers to reflect mastery of the subject matter of a course. Credit is granted for letter grades A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, C-, D+, D, D- and for P (pass) grades. 

Credit is not granted for F (fail), NG (no grade), or WF (withdraw failing) grades. 

"P" grades and the resulting credit will not be counted when calculating grade point averages for the District; however, outside entities such as universities or the NCAA might assign a grade point to a “P” grade that alters the entity’s interpretation of the GPA. 

"NG" grades may be given if there is a valid extenuating reason why a student has not completed the course work required for a passing grade by the end of the grading period. "NG" grades may be made up and changed to another grade within one calendar year from the date the grade was issued if the student remains enrolled. A student who graduates or is otherwise no longer enrolled in the district may not make up an “NG” grade. "NG" grades that are not made up within one calendar year will be changed to "F" grades.

In calculating GPA (grade point average), the following scale will be used:

A          4.000                B       3.000                C       2.000                D       1.000

A-         3.667                B-      2.667                C-      1.667                D-      0.667

B+        3.333                C+     2.333                D+     1.333                F       0.000

Monitoring of academic growth is a critical step in the educational process. Student work will be corrected promptly, scores posted to the Student Information System (SIS) grading system, and work returned to students in a timely manner for each grading period and for each course in which a student is enrolled. Teachers and parents have a shared responsibility to monitor student progress. Parents and students may review student academic progress as well as attendance information by accessing SIS. Communication with the parent/guardian will be made when a student is doing D or F work, allowing an opportunity for improvement before the grading period ends.

Attendance and punctuality may be factors in grading only to the extent allowed by Nebo School District Policy JDH, Student Attendance. Academic grades may be impacted by attendance and punctuality in participation-based classes, such as band, choir, orchestra, dance, physical education, etc. Certain academic-based classes may also be structured and taught in such a manner so that the academic grade may be impacted by attendance and punctuality. Before academic grades can be so impacted, the teacher must demonstrate a reasonable and justifiable relationship between attendance and punctuality and the impact on the academic grade and obtain written approval from the school principal. Upon receiving written approval, the teacher shall then provide written disclosure to students and parents that participation, attendance, and punctuality will be considered factors in assessing the student’s grade. The specific percentage of the grade attributable to participation, attendance, and punctuality shall be specified in the written disclosure document. In addition, any negative impact on the student’s grade as a result of lack of participation, absences, and tardies shall be specified in the written disclosure document.

Except as described in subsection 7.7, grades may not be changed for the sole purpose of allowing a student to become eligible for activities or for the sole purpose of earning a diploma.

Grades that have been posted for more than one (1) calendar year cannot be changed. All grade changes must be made by the teacher and approved by the school principal or his/her designee. Once issued, grades may be changed, during a one (1) year time limit from the date the grade was issued, for the following reasons at the teacher’s discretion.

A calculation or other grading error on the part of the teacher was discovered.

Course work was satisfactorily completed following the issuance of an “F” or "NG" grade.

A student demonstrates competency during the next term. 

Academic grades shall not be withheld, reduced, increased, or otherwise affected by a student’s citizenship grade or behavior. Punctuality of assignments and work completion may factor into an academic grade if the teacher provides prior written disclosure to students and parents consistent with this policy. 

Course Grade Forgiveness

Consistent with Utah Admin. Code R277-717, a student may, to improve a course grade received by the student:

repeat the course one or more times; or

enroll in and complete a comparable course.

A grade for an additional credit of a recurring course does not change a student's original course grade.

If a student repeats a course under paragraph 7.9.1.1, the school:

shall adjust, if necessary, the student's course grade and grade point average to reflect the student's highest grade and exclude a lower grade;

shall exclude from the student's permanent record the course grade that is not the highest grade; and

may not otherwise indicate on the student's current record that the student repeated the course.

Comparable Course

A student enrolling in a comparable course under paragraph 7.9.1.2 must first complete and submit the Comparable Course Form to inform the school of the student's intent to enroll in the course for the purpose of improving a course grade.

The school principal shall confirm, at the time the student enrolls in the comparable course, that the comparable course fulfills the same credit requirements as the course that the student intends to replace with the comparable course grade. 

Upon completion of the comparable course, the school shall update the student's current record and grade point average to reflect the highest grade between the course and the comparable course and exclude the lower grade and corresponding course. The school may not otherwise indicate the course or comparable course for which the student did not receive the highest grade on the student's record.

Dropout Prevention and Recovery Services

Schools shall provide remediation services for students in grades 7-12 who do not meet competency levels in a particular class. Students may be required to participate in remediation services before advancing to the next course in a subject sequence. 

Schools shall provide dropout prevention and recovery services for students in grades 9-12 with low academic performance. Services may include the following: 

Engaging with the student;

Developing a learning plan to identify barriers to regular school attendance and achievement, an attainment goal, and a means for achieving the attainment goal;

Monitoring the student’s progress toward reaching the attainment goal; and

Providing tiered interventions for a student who is not making progress toward the student’s attainment goal. 

8. CHARACTER EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP CREDIT

In accordance with Utah Code Ann. § 53G-10-204, students shall, through an integrated curriculum, be taught honesty, integrity, morality, civility, duty, honor, service and obedience to law. Students shall be taught respect for and an understanding of the founding documents of Utah and of the United States, including the Declaration of Independence and the Constitutions of the United States and of the State of Utah, as well as others listed in Utah Code Ann. § 53G-10-302. Likewise, students shall be taught the essentials and benefits of the free enterprise system and other values enumerated in Utah Code Ann. § 53G-10-204. 

Students are expected to be good citizens inside and outside the classroom and are subject to evaluation by the administration and staff. Citizenship grades will be earned in each class in which the student is enrolled. Each student may also receive one citizenship grade from the administration for each grading period. 

9. CIVICS TEST

As required by Utah Code Ann. § 53E-4-205, the District will administer a basic civics test. 

Students must pass the civics test as a condition of receiving a high school diploma. 

Students with disabilities may be administered an alternate assessment consistent with Utah Admin. Code R277-700-8.