The add/drop deadline for courses is May 1st of the previous school year. Students are able to make changes to AP classes until May 1st of the previous school year.
For AP courses, students have the same deadline of May 1st of the previous school year to make any changes to their course requests for the following school year.
No, students are not able to request a specific teacher.
Schedule corrections are made by the School Counselor based ONLY on these criteria: (1) incorrect placement, (2) graduation status, (3) a "hole" in the schedule or (4) double courses during a single period. Other types of requests for schedule changes, (i.e. want to take a harder/easier course, elective change, want to change teachers, want to have classes with friends) will not be fulfilled.
If your student is struggling, discuss the issue directly with them. What does the student think is the problem? Identifying areas for improvement (such as homework completion or test preparation) can help tremendously to improve grades and comprehension of the course material.
If the student needs help in specific areas or cannot identify specific difficulties in the class, it is important to contact the teacher directly. We encourage students to try this on their own first, in order to build skills of self-advocacy and independence. If this does not improve the situation, parents can contact teachers by email or voicemail. Teachers are an invaluable resource in helping students achieve growth and success in their subject matter.
Students are always welcome to schedule appointments with their counselor via email or student services for additional support.
Grades and classes can be monitored via Canvas and Aeries. Canvas grades are updated regularly and Aeries is updated at the end of every 6-week grading period.
The A-G / College Entrance Requirements are a sequence of high school courses that students must complete (with a grade of C or better) to be minimally eligible for admission to the University of California (UC) and California State University (CSU). These requirements are discussed with students and families at Parent Nights, in class presentations, and in individual meetings counselors have with students throughout the year.
If a student earns an F in a course required to graduate, the course must be repeated (or a different course that fulfills the same requirement must be taken if available). A grade of D- is considered passing for graduation, but colleges generally do not accept D's for admission. Students who plan to apply to four-year colleges should repeat D/F grades in courses that will be evaluated by colleges for admission.
Students can make up certain courses in CUHSD Summer School. When a student earns a D/F grade, that original grade will always remain on the transcript. However, if the student repeats the course within the district, the credits from the original low grade will be "zeroed out" on the transcript, which removes the value of the low grade from the GPA. The grade and credits from the repeated course will then be factored into the GPA in place of the original. In some cases students can make up courses outside of the district, but the original credits will not be zeroed out. Students should see their counselor for more specific information.
What do the different GPA's on the CUHSD transcript mean?
CUHSD calculates GPA in a variety of ways, which are used for different purposes:
Total (cumulative) GPA: Includes every single credit earned by the student in grades 9-12.
Academic 9-12 GPA: Includes all coursework in grades 9-12 except PE, athletics, S.A., and a few other non-academic courses.
Academic 10-12 GPA: Includes all coursework in grades 10-12 except PE, athletics, S.A., and a few other non-academic courses.
Weighted GPA: Calculated using the weighted value of Honors and AP courses (i.e. A = 5, B = 4, etc).
Unweighted GPA: Calculated using the standard value of all grades on a 4.0 GPA scale, regardless of Honors or AP designation.
No single GPA on the CUHSD transcript is used by all universities for admission. Each college has its own practice for evaluating transcripts and GPA.
Our college prep classes are also referred to as our on-level courses. These courses cover material at a typical pace. Advanced Placement classes have to prepare for the AP exam at the end of the year. This requires these classes to cover the curriculum at a quicker and more advanced pace. For the honors level, students feel that they are graded the same as college prep class. However, the expectations are greater, and the honors level classes go at a faster pace, but the material is the same.