When a course is dropped, the course is removed from the student schedule. The course information (all progress report and marking period grades) will remain on the Counseling > Grades tab (Show Dropped Classes checkbox at bottom). The course will not appear on report cards after the marking period in which it was dropped. Nor will it be seen on permanent records or transcripts. A Drop is intended to suppress a course as though it did not happen. 

A withdraw is typically chosen when a student is unable to continue the course or finished early, but should get credit for any accomplishments to date. You can withdraw a student from a course at any time. If the course is withdrawn after a marking period ends, any submitted marking period grades will remain and continue to print on the report card and transcript. The marking period during which the student was withdrawn may not show a grade, but may instead display a district-designated withdraw code (e.g. W ABS (withdraw–absent), WP (withdraw pass), WF (withdraw fail), etc.). 

Use a switch when a student is moving from one section of a course to another section of the SAME course. A switch can only be used when changing sections in the same course. For example, if a student is scheduled in section 1, period 1 of a course and needs to be moved to section 2, period 2 you would use a switch. When switching from one section of a course to another section, marking period and progress report grades from the original section will switch to the new section. The switch creates a seamless continuation of these grades and course attendance without gaps. Students switched to a new section that is taught by the same teacher can have their grade book assignments imported into the new section as well, as long as the gradebooks are identical. Once the switch is made, history of the original section remains and can be seen in Counseling > Course History.