GHS Academic Options

Glastonbury High School offers a variety of Advanced Placement (AP) courses. 

• Some courses have prerequisites, so please be sure to check each course. 

• AP courses are listed on the student transcript with the AP designation. 

• AP exams are given during the first and second weeks in May. Students are encouraged to take AP exams in all courses taken. There is a fee for each examination taken, payable to the Advanced Placement Program. 

• Recognition of different grades for credit, advanced placement, or both will vary with different colleges. It is suggested that a student interested in a particular college write for information concerning the college’s policy regarding advanced placement. 

This option is for seniors whose reasons for taking a course are based on its content rather than on achievement of a grade and for students who would like to take difficult or exploratory courses without risk to their G.P.A. (provided the course is passed). The following conditions must be met in order to participate:

1. A student must be a senior.

2. No course that is to be used as a "Requirement for a Diploma" may be chosen on a pass/fail option.

3. Seniors may elect one full year or two semester courses (one each semester) on a pass/fail basis.

4. The decision to participate in a selected course on a pass/fail basis must be made prior to the first quarter grade in any course. Students who are taking the pass/fail option are not exempted from the final exam. The principal and the appropriate director may make exceptions to these deadlines in rare instances.

Course Levels

We level classes to match content and tempo with student interests and abilities. Unfortunately, the words “Level 1” and “Level 2” can give the wrong impression. In Glastonbury, Level 2 is a rigorous academic level of study. It is the best fit for the majority of our students. Level 1 is designed to serve students who are exceeding grade-level expectations. It should be considered as an honors-level of study.

Students must be challenged at the correct level. If a class is too easy or too hard, learning, growth, and a student’s enthusiasm all decline.   A student’s placement in a given level is reviewed periodically, and students are placed in more appropriate classes as the need arises. 

Teacher Recommendations

We urge students and families to carefully consider teacher recommendations for course placement. Our teachers make these recommendations with care. They know your children and are experienced in identifying the best academic “fit” for them.  

If you question a level recommendation, please talk with your child about it. We encourage families and students to take some time to complete the Student Self-Reflection Form together. This tool will guide consideration of the student's current work habits and their strengths and weaknesses. 

Course Placement Specifics

The following curriculum department websites contain criteria for course placements. If you have questions about class placement after reviewing websites, please contact your teacher or school counselor. 

World Language Placement/Leveling Site

Language Arts Placement/Leveling Site

Mathematics Placement/Leveling Site

Science Placement/Leveling Site

In limited circumstances, Glastonbury High School will consider granting credit for courses taken outside of GHS.

Our Department Director or Principal may require that a final examination for the course be taken outside the school system. Credit for a course required for graduation will be granted only under special circumstances. The Department Director and Principal must approve these requests. 

To receive credit for a course offered outside the Glastonbury School System, a student must:

1. Submit the Request for Course Credit form at least five days before the start of the course and have it approved. Please see your school counselor to start this process.

2. Obtain a course outline/syllabus, documentation of the hours of instruction, and a final grade. 

3. If the course is being taken for the first time, the hours of instruction must meet the state requirements. 

Students can earn college credit in select GHS courses through the University of Connecticut ECE (Early College Experience) program. To receive the credit, students must:

• Enroll in the GHS course

• Complete the UConn ECE registration

• Pay the UConn ECE tuition and fees

• Earn a grade of C or better in the GHS course 

Students who meet all those requirements will receive the credit posted to a University of Connecticut transcript. That credit may be transferable to other institutions. Students who drop ECE credit and/or the course after the UCONN deadline will be considered withdrawn, and UCONN will not refund course fees. 

For a full listing of available courses and registration details,  visit www.ece.uconn.edu. Please note that 1) some UCONN ECE courses have UCONN prerequisites in order to be eligible for UConn credit and 2) all fees are non-refundable after the add/drop period.

Grade 9 Mentor Program

The Mentor Program is designed to serve those ninth graders in need of transitional academic and organizational support. Students who have been identified by eighth and ninth grade teachers and counselors as needing this program are assigned to a small group during a scheduled study hall with a teacher. The group meets each day. The Mentor Program provides students with the opportunity to develop academic and social skills. In addition, school counselors and support people from the community make visits to the mentored classrooms.

Secondary Special Education Program

Programming for students with special needs at Glastonbury High School is provided in the least restrictive environment. Least restrictive environment means an educational environment which meets the needs of a child requiring special education services, and at the same time ensures that to the maximum extent appropriate, students with disabilities are educated with children who are not disabled. It is the responsibility of each Planning and Placement Team to ensure that no child is placed in a highly restrictive environment (such as full time special education classes) until all less restrictive programs have been tried. Programming options along the continuum of services are as follows:

1. General education class with accommodations

2. General education class with collaboration/consultations with special education teacher

3. Co-taught class with a special education and general education teacher team teaching

4. General education class with specialized instruction occurring in a pull out class with a special education teacher

5. Specialized instruction occurring in a class without non-disabled peers

For students who have an Individualized Education Plan, the PPT determines transition goals and objectives that are aligned with the CT Core Transition Skills. Together with the student, the PPT determines goals and objectives that will support the student in reaching their post secondary, employment, or independent living skills goals.  

Another important vocational option is the Special Education Supported Work Experience Program, a cooperative program between the Special Education Department and employers in the community. The purpose of the program is to provide vocational training and experience to enable students to develop marketable skills.

The College Career Pathways (CCP) program is designed to benefit every high school student regardless of his or her career goals. CT State has identified GHS courses in Animal Science, Business Education, and Culinary Arts/Foods as having curriculum equivalent to courses taught at the college level. 

College Career Pathways provides students with a program of study that coordinates secondary and post-secondary education, thus eliminating repetition of coursework. After completing the courses and graduating from high school, CCP students may be eligible for college credit. Students may request that these credits be transferred to other post-secondary institutions. 

Students who fail courses or lose credit due to attendance may make up the courses by attending the West Hartford Public Schools summer school program or the Educere online program.  Students who wish to make up a course or take a new course in summer programs other than these two programs must obtain permission from the Principal and Director on the Request for Course Credit Form before the beginning of the course. Please see your school counselor to start this process.

• West Hartford Summer School offers courses that meet the minimum time requirements for credit (60 hours for 0.50 credit or 120 hours for 1.00 credit). In the courses, students can earn a passing grade for courses previously failed, improve a passing grade, or earn credit for a course not previously taken. 

• Educere offers a virtual remedial summer school. It is open to students who have failed a course during the regular school year, have lost credit due to attendance, or want to improve a passing grade in a course already taken. Note: If a student has failed all four marking periods of a full-year course, that course may not be made up in a remedial summer school. It must be retaken at GHS. 

Summer school grades are averaged with GHS  quarter/semester grades. to determine final GHS transcript grades.  The calculation will depend on the length of the summer school session. Please see your school counselor for more information.

Independent Study is designed for the student who is broadly and deeply curious about a particular subject and who can benefit from the experience of developing, organizing, and completing a project that he or she finds stimulating. The work done must be over and above what is being offered in the curriculum. The independent study project may be taken in the place of an elective. The following conditions must be met to receive credit:

1. The project must receive the approval of a sponsoring teacher, the director of the department, the student’s parents, and the high school administration.

2. Each student will be required to meet with the sponsoring teacher once a week to review his or her progress.

3. Credit will be given for the project. However, it is required that a student will spend at least sixty hours per one-half credit.

4. Grades for the study will be given on a regular or pass/fail basis. An administrator, the director, and the sponsoring teacher will determine the level of the course.