Scheduling Policies and Procedures

Auditing Courses/Non-Credit Earning Options

All academic courses must be taken for credit; auditing of courses is not permitted.  Study hall, Teacher Aide positions, and/or Office Aide positions are scheduled as classes, but are not classified as courses because students do not earn credit. Students are limited to one (1) aide position or study hall per semester. 

Retaking Courses

Students have the option to retake classes and have their lowest mark removed from the cumulative GPA calculation.  A record of each separate enrollment of a course will be maintained (along with the earned mark) on the student’s official transcript; however, the lowest-scoring mark will not be calculated into the final cumulative GPA.  Students who wish to retake a course for which they have already received credit must notify their counselor during the scheduling process.    A few courses are available to take multiple times (for credit each time) including Instrumental Music, Vocal Music, Yearbook, and Physical Education.  Please contact your counselor with any questions about which courses are eligible for retakes or multiple credits.

Schedule Changes

(All student-initiated course changes must be completed before the 1st day of school)

All staffing decisions for the following year are based on the number of students selecting each course; therefore, students and their parents or guardians are expected to make scheduling decisions carefully and accurately.  Counselors have the responsibility to make schedule change decisions that are in the best interests of students.  Any adjustment in a student’s schedule will be handled on an individual basis.  Students who wish to drop a class must first confer with their parents and the teachers involved prior to meeting with the school counselor.  The only acceptable reasons for changes are listed below:

• Student's initially requested courses are in conflict or are not being offered.

• Student has not completed the prerequisite(s) for the scheduled course.

• Student passed a summer school class or needs to retake a failed course.

• Student needs a specific course for graduation.

• Student has medical reasons documented by a physician.

• Student has an aide position/study hall and wants to add a course.

Dropping Courses

1. Students are limited to one (1) aide position/study hall per semester. No course may be dropped to add an aide position/study hall if the student already has a scheduled aide position/study hall within that semester.  

2. If a student is removed from a class for alternate placement by the administration and/or because the student failed to abide by an established program requirement, then the course will be recorded as W/F on the student’s transcript.

3. Courses with administrative approval to be dropped after the midterm of the first grading period of the course will be recorded as a W/F (withdraw/fail) on the transcript.

Scheduling Process for Baker Middle School 8th Graders and Newly Enrolled FHS Students

Fairborn Baker 8th graders make course requests at Baker with the help of the BMS counselors and the FHS counselors after a class-wide meeting.  A scheduling meeting for parents is also held in the evening, typically in January.  Contact your counselor if you have any questions about course options.  Please be sure to select alternate course requests should your first choices be closed.  Students in grades 8 through 11 who enroll in Fairborn City Schools between the months of March and August should schedule an appointment with their counselor to request courses for the following year.  

Scheduling Process for Current FHS Students

Step 1: Students will be provided with scheduling and course information, typically in early February.  Students should consult with teachers and parents to select appropriate courses for the upcoming school year.  Parents will sign off for approval on the student’s course selections.  

Step 2: Once their course requests have been finalized, students will review their course selections with their counselor.  The student’s counselor will double-check to make sure that the student is meeting all requirements for graduation.  Students who fail to complete the course request verification may have their schedule set by a counselor, and any requests for changes must fall within the Schedule Changes guidelines outlined above. 

Credit Recovery

Credit Recovery is an alternative scheduling program available for significantly credit-deficient students for whom participation is deemed to be the most appropriate scheduling placement.  FHS has oversight of the online program with support which provides an opportunity for students to earn credits in a different learning format.  

Admission into the program is determined by the student’s counselor, teachers, parents, and FHS administration on a case-by-case basis; minimally, to be considered for placement, a student must have:    

• Attended high school for a minimum of 2 years

• Earned less than 10 credits

• Be significantly credit-deficient in the core academic areas of English, Math, Science, and Social Studies

Students will be put on a probationary period or dismissed from the placement for the following:

• Not meeting the pacing expectation for course completion

• Failure to complete courses by the established due dates/deadlines

• Poor attendance based on daily login and work completion during class time

Students placed on probation for one of the above reasons will have one quarter to make adequate progress to avoid removal.  Academic dishonesty will result in immediate dismissal from Credit Recovery. 

Credit recovery coursework is taken online at the student’s individual pace; however, courses need to be successfully completed by the established deadlines in order for the student to receive credit on a pass/fail basis.  A list of the limited number of available courses that can be taken through this option is available from the FHS counselors.  Students may only take courses that they have previously attempted and not completed successfully.

Credit recovery courses are graded on a Pass/Fail basis.  Any course not completed by the end of the term will result in a grade of “Fail.”  

Physical Education Waiver 

A student may be excused from the high school physical education requirement if, during high school, the student has participated in interscholastic athletics, fall marching band, winter marching groups (color guard, winter guard/drumline), or cheerleading for at least two full seasons or an approved Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC) program for two years. These options focus on 1) physical fitness, 2) motor skill development, 3) participation and 4) adherence to the Athletic, Music, and/or Student Code with no infractions.   

Students qualifying for the PE waiver must earn ½-credit in some other way in place of the waived PE credit.  

Ohio statute requires participation “for at least two full seasons” in two different school years. Seasons are determined by the official starting date of the activity and conclude with the final, formal activity of the group.  Should a student be “cut” or quit the activity, the season will not be used to meet the two-season requirement. Fairborn City Schools defines a “full season” as daily participation paralleling the official sport season, completed at a 90% attendance level. 

The State of Ohio does not permit a combination of PE Waiver and PE Class to earn the PE requirement. If a student participates in only one full season of an approved activity, there is no provision in the law that would permit any type of partial excuse.   Student records will indicate the completion of one season of an approved activity by one PE waiver entry; in other words, two completed PE Waiver entries will be required on student records for a student’s PE requirement to be excused for graduation. 

Process:

1. Student indicates an interest in the PE waiver with their school counselor during the scheduling process.

2. Coaches/Directors submit verification of the student’s 90% participation at the conclusion of each season.

3. Counselors waive PE when participation requirements are successfully met.

Approved and completed PE waiver seasons will be documented on the student’s permanent transcript as a PE Waiver.  The coach, director, or supervisor of the program will be the final determiner of the 90% participation rate.  Only one PE Waiver may be obtained in a given school year.  All final recommendations for completion toward graduation requirements will be determined by a counselor and the High School Principal.  PE Waivers will not figure into GPA calculations, will not count toward athletic eligibility, and will not be awarded credits.