Credit Policies/Procedures

Board Policy 2195: Academic Acceleration: “The district will automatically enroll students who meet or exceed the state standard on the eighth grade or high school ELA or Math SBA in the next most rigorous level of advanced courses or programs offered by the high school.

The subject matter of courses or program in which students are automatically enrolled will be determined by the areas of statewide assessment in which the students met state standards. Students who meet or exceed state standards on the ELA SBA are eligible for enrollment in ELA, social studies, humanities, and other related subjects. Students who meet or exceed the state standard on the math statewide student assessment are eligible for enrollment in advanced math courses. Beginning in the 2021-22 school year, students who meet or exceed the state standards on the WCAS are eligible for enrollment in advanced courses in science. 

Students who successfully complete the advanced courses will then be enrolled in the next most rigorous level of advanced courses, with the ultimate goal being the student’s automatic enrollment in dual credit courses. 

The district will notify students and parents/guardians regarding the academic acceleration policy and the advanced courses available to students. The district will provide the parent/guardian with an opportunity for the student to opt out of participation in the academic acceleration process via an Opt Out Form provided during Registration. Students may enroll in an alternative course or program that aligns with the student’s HSBP.”

Skyward Auto Enrollment : Screeners:

• English/Social Studies: Students who passed 8th/10th SBA ELA or Math
• Math: Students who passed 8th/11th WCAS beginning in 2021-22.

ELA Trajectory: SBA Level 3/4:

• 9th Honors English
• 10th Honors English
• 11th AP Lang
• 12th AP Lit

SOCIAL STUDIES Trajectory: SBA ELA Level 3/4:

• 10th AP World History
• 11th AP US History or AP European History
• 12th .5 Civics (TBD)

MATH Trajectory: SBA Math Level 3/4:

• 9th Algebra I
• 10th Geometry
• 11th: Algebra 2
• 12th: Pre-Calculus

The YHS Honor Roll is determined at the conclusion of each semester.  The First Honor roll is a list of all students achieving a grade point average of 3.7 based on semester grades.  The Second Honor Roll is a list of all students achieving a grade point average of 3.0—3.69 based on semester grades.  Grade point average is calculated from the numerical value of letter grades, as determined by the State Board of Education.

The first honor roll is an alphabetically arranged list of all students achieving a grade point average of 3.67 or above. The second honor roll is a list of students achieving a grade point average of at least 3.17 to 3.66. Academic courses are defined as those in the department of English, world language, mathematics, science, social studies, and other courses.

The State Board of Education determines the numerical value of letter grades:

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
F = 0.0

Full time YHS students enroll in six (6) credits of coursework each year. There are limited opportunities for students to make up credits if classes are not passed. Yelm High School offers two different opportunities to retrieve credit lost. These options include:

1. Summer school
2. Edgenuity or other district online credit program
3. Some courses can be repeated with permission (See section on repeating courses)

It is important to note that YHS students will only be enrolled in one (1) additional credit per year beyond full time status for the purpose of credit retrieval.  Students can also earn credits outside the school district through an accredited school or provider.  YHS counselors can provide resources to students and families looking for credit retrieval options. 

Most graduation course requirements are met by successfully completing specified courses; however, some requirements may be met by successfully completing equivalency courses.

Important points to remember:

• An equivalency course must be completed in its entirety in order for “equivalency credit” to be granted.
• No course shall be worth more than the credit it has been assigned. For instance, a semester course which is .5 credits may not be worth more than .5 credits.
• Equivalencies may not satisfy college admission requirements. Please check with the individual colleges for clarification.

The following list indicates the approved courses that may be used to meet graduation requirements:

All students are required to take six courses per semester.  Schedule changes will be done only under extreme circumstances and require the use of a required form must meet specific criteria to be considered:  

• Incorrect Placement
• Student already completed course
• Student failed a course and needs to retake for graduation
• Missing a class for graduation
• Missing a class from the schedule

Careful consideration will be given to any student who requests the ability to complete a course via an Independent Study agreement.

The following criteria will guide the decision-making process:

1.  The class proposed for Independent Study is an existing class taught at Yelm High School.
2. The student is not able to be enrolled in the regular class due to a scheduling conflict.
3. The proposal is not a matter of personal preference, but rather as a last resort to resolve a scheduling conflict
4. An Independent Study class will only be arranged with instructor, counselor, and administrator prior approval.

Examples of State-Approved Independent Study Providers:

Red Comet

Carone Learning

Any student seeking to play interscholastic athletics at an NCAA Division I or II school needs to thoroughly research NCAA requirements for eligibility to compete, and to receive scholarship money.  Potential NCAA Division I or II student athletes must:

1. Complete the minimum number of credits and specific classes in Language Arts, Social Studies, Math and Science.
2. Register for and receive approval from the NCAA Clearinghouse.  Students are responsible for registering with the NCAA.

Because of the complexity of the NCAA Clearinghouse regulations, it is recommended that prospective student athletes work with their counselor to create a plan that meets NCAA requirements well in advance of the college admission process.

Credits are assigned to transcripts at the end of each semester for classes completed with passing grades.  Credits attempted for courses taken more than once to improve a grade may count only once toward the number of credits required for graduation. 

Credits may count toward the number of credits required for graduation on the condition that the letter grades earned for all attempts are included in the calculation of the grade point average (GPA). 

Students must submit a written request to their counselor to have a repeated course count only with the higher grade achieved.

Repeating a Course for Continued Study and Additional Credit:  Students may choose to repeat a course to increase their knowledge and/or skills in a particular area only if the course indicates "repeatable" in the course catalog.

Once student schedules are finalized prior to each semester, there will be limited opportunities to make schedule changes.  An administrator has the final approval for a schedule change if necessary.  Priorities for making schedule changes are:

1. Academic misplacement
2. Fulfillment of graduation requirements
3. Resolve scheduling conflicts

Parent and student requests for schedule changes outside these priorities will be considered based on class availability and balance.  Students request changes by turning in a completed Schedule Change Form to the counseling office.  Changes are not final until a counselor makes the change in the student management system.

Students who need to drop a class due to medical reasons, as verified by a Medical Professional, may do so. Students need to work with their counselor.

Students who receive services through Special Education and English Language Learner programs may drop a class if a change of placement is being made by their teacher manager. This change requires counselor/school psychologist approval.

A student may apply to waive a subject requirement, and can obtain an application in the counseling center.  Included in the application will be an updated 4 year education plan which includes courses completed and courses to be taken in the future. The counselor will review the recommendation with the student and make a recommendation for approval/disapproval to the principal who will make the final determination. RCW 28A. 230 details waiver requirements.

Rules for waiver of Physical Education are outlined in RCW 28A.230.050.  Students who repeat courses in the arts and who can demonstrate the inability to fit all the physical education requirements into their 4 year educational plan may go through the waiver requested process.