SUB-SECTION III – ACADEMICS COLLEGE AND CAREER READINESS TRANSITION PLAN Arkansas high schools must determine if high school students are meeting college and career readiness standards and offer a college transition course to better prepare those who do not demonstrate college and career readiness skills. West Fork High School will use the 2023-24 ACT data to identify students who have not yet met the benchmarks for College and Career Readiness as set by the Division of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE). Any student scoring below a 15 on the English portion of the ACT or below a 19 on the mathematics portion of the ACT will be offered the opportunity to enroll in a transition course. The transition course for mathematics will include Algebra III or any course beyond Algebra II. The transition course for literacy will be 12th grade English classes that include two modules from the SREB literacy transition framework. ACADEMIC INTEGRITY West Fork Schools requires academic honesty and integrity by its students. Students must work to be successful in the classroom based on his/her own merit. To this end, academic misconduct of any kind is unacceptable and may result in academic sanctions in addition to other disciplinary actions. Acting with academic integrity means: taking credit only for your own work and giving full credit to others whose work has been incorporated, helped or influenced your work. representing your own work honestly and accurately. collaborating with other students only as specifically directed and authorized. reporting breaches of academic integrity to a teacher or administrator. Conduct that fails to achieve academic integrity includes, but is not limited to: giving, receiving or attempting to give or receive any unauthorized aid relating to an examination or assignment; knowingly misrepresenting the source of any academic work; unauthorized changing of grades; unauthorized use of school approvals or forging of signatures; plagiarizing of another’s work; otherwise acting dishonestly in regards to classroom work or assignments. Specific examples of conduct that fail to achieve academic integrity include, but not limited: Cheating – giving, using, or attempting to see unauthorized materials, information, notes, study aids, or other devices in any academic exercise including unauthorized communication of information. Fabrication and Falsification – unauthorized alteration or invention of any information or citation in an academic exercise. Plagiarism – knowingly presenting the work of another as one’s own (i.e., without proper acknowledgment of the source). This includes the use of internet sources. The sole exception to the requirement of acknowledging sources is when the ideas or information is common knowledge. Facilitating Academic Misconduct – giving or attempting to help another commit an act of academic misconduct; the impersonation of another student, or accessing another student’s school or technology accounts. Tampering with Materials, Grades, or Records – interfering with, altering, or attempting to alter school records, grades or other documents without authorization from an appropriate school official for the purpose of changing, falsifying, or removing the original information found in such records. Copyright Laws – a violation of copyright laws. See the technology policy of the West Fork High School for more information. A first offense or violation of academic integrity will result in the following: the student’s parent or guardian will be notified; the student immediately will be required to demonstrate mastery through an alternative assignment; disciplinary consequences pending administrative verification, could result in the loss of honors. A second offense or violation of academic integrity will result in the following: the student immediately will be required to demonstrate mastery through an alternative assignment; a meeting will be held with the student’s parents; further more severe disciplinary consequences pending administrative verification, will result in the loss of honors. Consequences imposed may be appealed by following the chain of command- parent and affected student meeting with the relevant teacher and principal;. If still not satisfied or in agreement with the decision made at the principal level, the parent can appeal to the superintendent on behalf of their affected child. ADVANCED PLACEMENT, INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE & HONORS COURSES (5.21) Students in grades 7-12 who take advanced placement (AP) courses; International Baccalaureate (IB) courses; honors or concurrent credit college courses; or other courses approved for weighted credit by the Division of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) or the Division of Career and Technical Education (DCTE) shall be graded according to the following schedule: A =100 – 90 B = 89 – 80 C = 79 – 70 D = 69 - 60 F = 59 and below For the purpose of determining grade point averages, the numeric value of each letter grade shall be: A = 5 points B = 4 points C = 3 points D = 2 points F = 0 points For a student to be eligible to receive weighted credit for an AP, or IB course: The course must be taught by an Arkansas licensed teacher who has received the appropriate training required by Arkansas statute and DESE Rule or, for an AP teacher, is in the process of completing an Additional Training Plan; and The student takes the applicable AP or IB examination after completing the entire course. Credit shall be given for each grading period during the course of the year, but shall be retroactively removed from a student’s grade for any course in which the student fails to take the applicable exam. Students who do not take the applicable exam shall receive the same numeric value for the grade he/she receives in the course as if it were a non-AP or IB course. "Honors Courses" are those courses that have been approved by DESE as honors courses. Honors courses must stress higher order learning and be offered in addition to curriculum offerings required by the Standards for Accreditation. For career and technical education courses taken after July 1, 2023, career and technical courses that are eligible for weighted credit are those career and technical education courses that are approved by DCTE to exceed the curriculum standards for a non-weighted class and lead to an approved industry-recognized certification. A student shall receive weighted credit for each approved career and technical education course upon the student: Completing the relevant career and technical pathway; and Earning the high-value industry credential aligned with the career and technical pathway. Students who transfer into the district will be given weighted credit for the AP courses; IB courses; or concurrent credit college courses; and other courses approved by the DESE and DCTE for weighted that were taken for weighted credit at his/her previous school(s) according to the preceding scale. HONOR ROLL AND HONOR GRADUATES (5.17) Honor Roll  Students in grades K-8 who maintain a 3.00-grade point average (GPA) for the grading period will be recognized as honor roll students for that grading period. Semester grades will determine the honor roll at the end of each semester. Students in grades 9-12 and who maintain a 3.30 GPA for the grading period will be recognized as honor roll students for that grading period. Semester grades will determine the honor roll at the end of each semester. Honor Graduates Students who have successfully completed the courses required for graduation from West Fork High School, have taken two years of the same foreign language or two WFHS approved concurrent college classes, and have a cumulative GPA of 3.50-3.79 will be designated as honor students. Those with a GPA of 3.80 or higher and have taken at least one (1) AP or college-level course (maintaining a “C” average through the completion of the course) will be designated as high honors. The GPA shall be derived from courses taken in public schools in grades (8) through twelve (12). VALEDICTORIAN AND SALUTATORIAN The high honor student with the highest GPA and who has been enrolled in a public school in grades 9 through 12 and in West Fork High School for his/her entire senior year shall serve as the valedictorian of his/her graduating class. The high honor student with the second-highest GPA and who has been enrolled in a public school in grades 9 through 12 and in West Fork High School for his/her entire senior year shall serve as the salutatorian of his/her graduating class. Parents or guardians of a student, or a student eighteen (18) years of age or older, who choose to not have the student publicly identified as an honor roll or honor graduate student must submit a written request that the student is not so identified. CONCURRENT CREDIT (5.22WF) A ninth (9th) through twelfth (12th) grade student who successfully completes a college course(s) from an institution approved by the Division of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) shall be given credit toward high school grades and graduation at the rate one high school credit for each three (3) semester hours of college credit. Students who successfully complete any of the courses from the table below may receive both college credit and the equivalent high school replacement credit listed. All other concurrent courses shall be applied toward the student’s graduation requirements as an elective. College Course College Credit Hours High School Equivalent High School Credit (Units) U.S. History to 1877* 3 American History 1 U.S. History from 1877* 3 1 *Note: Students must take BOTH U.S. History courses to receive high school replacement credit. Public Speech 3 Oral Communications 1 Composition I 3 12 th  English 1 Composition II 3 12 th  English 1 College Algebra 3 4 th  Math Course 1 Western Civilizations I 3 World History 1 Western Civilizations II 3 1 *Note: Students must take BOTH Western Civilizations courses to receive high school replacement credit. As permitted by the DESE Rules Governing Grading and Course Credit, a student who takes a three-semester hour remedial/developmental education course shall receive a one-half (1/2) credit for a high school career focus elective. The remedial/developmental education course cannot be used to meet the core subject area/unit requirements. Participation in the concurrent high school and college credit program must be documented by a written agreement between: The student; The student’s parent(s) or legal guardian(s) if the student is under the age of eighteen (18); The District; and The publicly supported community college, technical college, four-year college or university, or private institution of higher education the student attends to take the concurrent credit course. Students are responsible for having the transcript for the concurrent credit course(s) they’ve taken sent to their school in order to receive credit for the course(s). Credit for concurrent credit courses will not be given until a transcript is received. Students may not receive credit for the course(s) they took or the credit may be delayed if the transcripts are not received at all or in a timely manner; this may jeopardize students’ eligibility for extracurricular activities or graduation. Students will retain credit earned through the concurrent credit program that was applied toward a course required for high school graduation from a previously attended, accredited, public school. A student eligible to receive free or reduced-price meals shall not be responsible for any of the costs for the student’s first six (6) concurrent credit hours so long as the concurrent credit courses are taught on the District grounds and by a teacher employed by the District. Any and all costs of concurrent credit courses beyond the six (6) hours permitted, that are not taught on the District’s campus, or are not taught by a teacher employed by the District are the responsibility of the student. Students who are not eligible to receive free or reduced-price meals are responsible for any and all costs associated with concurrent credit courses. CORRESPONDENCE CREDIT Correspondence credit is discouraged; however, if you are a junior or senior you may apply for a total of two units of correspondence credit. This may be counted toward graduation provided the following requirements are met: A formal request is made in writing to the principal and approved. Student and parent (s) must make arrangements with the counselor. The student understands that correspondence courses shall not be taken in lieu of regular courses offered at WFHS, unless the student has previously attempted and failed the course at West Fork High School. Students, who may not graduate otherwise, may be exempted from rule \# 3 with the approval of the principal. All correspondence work final grades must be in the hands of the WFHS counselor no later than the Friday before graduation. The correspondence course can be counted as an Arkansas Department of Education approved course. Correspondence course(s) may not be taken in lieu of the final semester of school. Grades received for correspondence credit (s) will not replace the grades for previously attempted courses. GRADE REPLACEMENT FOR REPEATED COURSES A student may repeat a course at WFHS in order to improve his/her grade if room is available. Upon successful completion of the repeated course of the same title, the higher grade will be retained on the transcript, and the lower grade will be removed. Students cannot receive credit twice for the same course taken. Credit earned in approved college courses taken in lieu of regular high school courses is considered replacement credit. Students are strongly discouraged from retaking courses without the intent of replacing a bad grade. MORNING TUTORING As an additional intervention to help students, morning tutoring for any WFHS student will be available Monday through Friday, 7:30 to 7:55, in Room 4\. National Honor Society students as part of their community service hours will provide the tutoring. The National Honor Society sponsor will supervise the program. Any student needing additional help is strongly encouraged to attend. The student merely needs to show up and ask for help. RENAISSANCE PROGRAM The Renaissance Program is built around the idea of recognizing academic excellence and commitment at West Fork High School. The program places an emphasis on what students are accomplishing in the classroom and gives these students well-deserved recognition for their achievement. Students can be recognized in the following ways: Semester Recognition Superintendent’s Honor Roll (4.0 GPA) Gold Honor Roll (3.99-3.75 GPA) Black Honor Roll (3.74-3.30 GPA) Perfect Attendance 0.5 improvement in GPA from the previous semester Renaissance Rally An academic pep rally is held each semester to honor those meeting the following standards at the high school level: 4.0 GPA for the semester 3.30-3.99 for the semester 0.5 grade improvement from the previous semester Perfect Attendance for the semester Students recognized at the Renaissance Rally will receive varied rewards. Individual Student Quarterly Recognitions by Teachers Tiger Pride Certificate Additional forms or recognition can be awarded from the teachers, staff, or school during the school year. GRADE REPORTING The purpose of formal notification of grades at scheduled times is to inform the parents and students of the progress which the students are making. Parents will be notified by “School Messenger” at the mid- point of each grading period so that they can go on the school website through the “Home Access Center” and view their child’s “Mid-term Progress Report”. Parents will be notified again at the end of each quarter (the school year is divided into four quarters) by the Blackboard system for the purpose of viewing their child’s “End-of-the Quarter” grades, as well as semester grades at completion of the 2nd and 4th quarters. Parents who do not have access to the internet can contact the high school office to make alternate arrangements to receive reporting information on their child. EXAMS Semester tests will be given during the last three days of each semester. All teachers are to give semester tests. Figuring semester grades: (The semester test shall count as one-fourth of the semester grade.) Determine the average of the two nine-week grades and multiply that average by three (3). Add the semester test score. Divide the total by four. Example: 1st nine weeks average: 90 2nd nine weeks average: 70 90 + 70 = 160 divided by 2 = 80 x 3 = 240 Semester test score: 90 240 + 90 = 330 divided by 4 = 82.5 Semester grade is a B SEMESTER TEST EXEMPTIONS (All online classes are not required to follow this policy. If a student is taking an online class, he/she must talk to that particular teacher about what is expected in regards to semester exams.) 9-12 grade students will be eligible for exemption in each class being taken based on the following criteria: have an "A" in the class, not missed more than three days during the spring semester, and not been assigned ISS/OSS (Exception- Students will be allowed to attain ten community service hours, as defined by ESSA, to waive ONE in-school suspension assignment when considering eligibility for fall or spring final exam exemptions for the school year. All other criteria must be met.) or have a "B" in the class, not missed more than two days during the semester, and not been assigned ISS/OSS (Exception- Students will be allowed to attain ten community service hours, as defined by ESSA, to waive ONE in-school suspension assignment when considering eligibility for fall or spring final exam exemptions for the school year. All other criteria must be met.) or have a "C" in the class, not missed more than one day during the spring semester, and not been assigned ISS/OSS (Exception- Students will be allowed to attain ten community service hours, as defined by ESSA, to waive ONE in-school suspension assignment when considering eligibility for fall or spring final exam exemptions for the school year. (All other criteria must be met.). all students who qualify through one of the criteria listed above must also have their textbooks, library books, and all other school property checked out to them returned or paid for and all other financial obligations to the school must be met at least 24 hours prior to the beginning of semester testing. NOTE: Three (3) tardies to any one class will count as an absence in that class for exemption purposes. NOTE: Legitimate doctor, court, &/or dentist notes that indicate specific dates and/or times needed for the absence will not be counted towards the days allowed to be absent and still remain eligible in the above criteria. Students that are exempted from a test(s) may choose to take a test without jeopardizing their current grade. School absences do not count towards a student’s absence total. GRADE CLASSIFICATION Grade classification of students for the entire school year will be determined on the first day of school. Students will attend meetings and have privileges based on the table below. Sophomore – A minimum of 4 units of credit earned Junior – A minimum of 10 units of credit earned Senior – A minimum of 16 units of credit earned. Students with less than 16 units must be able to provide proof of being enrolled in correspondence work and making adequate progress towards its completion as determined by the principal to be considered a senior. CAREER & ACADEMIC PLANNING (CAP) Career and Academic Planning (CAP) is a process of helping students and their parents design and follow a plan to enhance their success both in high school and later on as they transition to careers and college. In the spring, a team lead by the high school principal will work with the students and parents to establish an appropriate program of study. DIGITAL LEARNING COURSES (5.11) Definitions For the purposes of this policy: “Blended Learning” is education in which instruction and content are delivered through supervised instruction in a classroom and online delivery of instruction with some element of student control over time, place, path, or pace. “Digital Learning” means a digital technology or internet-based educational delivery model that does not rely exclusively on compressed interactive video (CIV). Digital learning includes online and blended learning. "Instructional Materials" means: Traditional books, textbooks, and trade books in printed and bound form; Activity-oriented programs that may include: Manipulatives; Hand-held calculators; Other hands-on materials; and Technology-based materials that require the use of electronic equipment in order to be used in the learning process. “Online Learning” is education in which instruction and content are delivered primarily over the Internet. The term does not include print-based correspondence education, broadcast television or radio, videocassettes, compact disks and stand-alone educational software programs that do not have a significant Internet-based instructional component. “Public School Student Accessing Courses at a Distance” means a student who is scheduled for a full course load through the District and attends all classes virtually. Digital Course Offerings The District shall offer one or more digital learning course(s) through one or more District approved provider(s) as either a primary or supplementary method of instruction. The courses may be in a blended learning, online-based, or other technology-based format and shall be tailored to meet the needs of each student. All digitally offered courses shall meet or exceed the State Board of Education's curriculum standards and requirements and be capable of being assessed and measured through standardized or local assessments. Additionally, the District shall ensure there is sufficient infrastructure to handle and facilitate a quality digital learning environment. The District shall annually determine what District created digital learning courses it will provide to our students. The District may also choose to provide digital learning courses by contracting with outside providers of such courses, who have been pre-approved as part of the Arkansas Course Choice Program by the Division of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE). The School Board shall determine the provider method or combination of methods for the District. The Superintendent shall ensure that all digital learning courses provided to District students, regardless of the source of the course, have been approved by DESE. District created digital courses and any digital courses the district purchases from outside providers shall adhere to the guidelines for the use of digitally transmitted copyrighted materials set forth in Policy 5.8-USE OF COPYRIGHTED MATERIALS as well as applicable statutory requirements. The District shall require all outside providers to incorporate Policy 5.8 as a condition of the service contract. Failure of the outside provider to abide by Policy 5.8 shall constitute a breach of contract and the outside provider shall be responsible for any costs resulting from such breach. A student may elect to take any scheduled courses digitally if offered digitally by the District or , if applicable, through the Arkansas Course Choice Program. The student’s attendance in the student’s digital course(s) shall be determined in accordance with Policy 4.7—ABSENCES. The District is responsible for providing all instructional materials for each student who enrolls in a District approved digital learning course. Except as required by Policy 5.19, the District may restrict a student's access to digital courses when the student's building principal determines the student’s participation in such a course would not be academically appropriate based on the student's past performance in digital courses. Furthermore, the student's building principal may revoke a student's eligibility to continue taking a digital learning course if the student's performance during the semester indicates the student is not succeeding in the course.