Does Ballard accept students who list Ballard as their second choice?
If space allows, Ballard accepts students who apply for AOL as their second choice. This varies from year-to-year.
Does an incoming freshman have to choose a pathway?
No, students who take Ballard 101 get an overview of all the pathways and then they will choose at the end of their freshman year. Incoming freshmen students can also choose a pathway.
What if I don’t like the pathway that I chose as an incoming freshman?
Students will communicate with their counselor and parent/guardian about their choice and if there is space in their new pathway of choice, they will be allowed to switch. Pathway changes are not allowed after the beginning of sophomore year.
At Ballard all freshmen take Health and PE. Are there options for taking this at another time so that I have more electives to choose from?
Yes, Ballard offers these courses in the summer for a fee. The district also offers these two courses to any student in the summer for a fee. This past summer Jefferson County E-school also offered these courses online for a fee.
How many AP courses can a freshman take?
Currently, freshmen typically are offered the following AP courses: AP Human Geography, AP Computer Science, AP Business with Personal Finance.
My son/daughter has been in the advanced program since elementary school. Does that mean that they will automatically be placed in all advanced courses?
No, students and their parent/guardian will choose their courses based on their interests and their student’s abilities. They are able to choose a combination of classes (honors/advanced/AP) based on their strengths. If students want the Advanced seal, they must take at least 12 advanced courses before graduating.
Does my son/daughter have to be identified as Advanced Program in order to sign up for an Advanced Placement or college level course?
No, as long as there is space and your son/daughter meets the requirements necessary for success (ie: reads on grade level, motivated, independent learner, etc) they may sign up for an AP-College Board class.
What if my son/daughter signs up for a class and then doesn’t like it or they decide that it’s too easy or too hard?
Students are allowed to request schedule changes for the first 7 days of school. They are allowed to switch as long as there is space in the other class. Students who desire to drop an AP level course will have 17 days from the start of school to make the request.
Will my student be in class with upperclassmen?
Students will likely have an elective class with sophomores and possibly juniors. All of their core classes will be with freshmen.
9. My older son/daughter goes to Ballard. Does that mean that my younger child will also be accepted?
Not necessarily. It is dependent on each student and whether they meet the criteria to be accepted. We typically take that into consideration when making a decision about a potential student.