General Information

PLAN OF STUDY

It is the mission of Person High School to produce students who are educated, engaged, and equipped to be successful and productive today and in the future.  As part of that mission, we work with our students to create individualized Plans of Study based on academic goals, areas of interest, and post-secondary goals.  Person High School offers a wide range of academic plans to meet the needs of all students and their post-secondary plans.  Students are encouraged to complete pathways of study in order to gain credentials toward areas of interest.  Pathways of choice will be incorporated into each student's individualized Plan of Study. Each Plan of Study is all about the learner! 

NUMBER OF CLASSES REQUIRED FOR PROMOTION AND GRADUATION

The total number of units required for promotion and graduation is listed below.  Students who transfer may have adjusted promotion and graduation units.  See a School Counselor if you need help determining your requirements.

FUTURE READY GRADUATIONS REQUIREMENTS

For Ninth Graders Entering in 2020-2021 and later

 **Person County Schools requires students to complete an additional 6 elective credits beyond North Carolina’s Future Ready Core requirements

DECEMBER GRADUATES (Early Grads)

Some students will meet their graduation requirements by the end of first semester senior year. If a student is interested, they must complete the application during their registration meeting during the prior year.  Although these students are no longer enrolled in classes at PHS, they are eligible to participate in the June graduation & Spring senior activities.  All students participating in the PHS graduation ceremony must attend the required practices and adhere to the dress code for the graduation ceremony. 

CLASS RANK

The classes of 2024 and 2025 will have their class rank determined by weighting grades according to guidelines outlined by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI). 

In lieu of recognizing a Valedictorian & Salutatorian, Person High School will utilize the Latin Honors System for all graduates beginning with the class of 2026.

Latin Grading System

GRADE POINT AVERAGE (GPA)

The GPA is the total quality points earned divided by the total number of attempted credits. The resulting number is rounded off to three decimal places. Both weighted and un-weighted GPAs are calculated by NCDPI formulas and reported on student transcripts.

WEIGHTED COURSES

The State Board of Education dictates usage of a ten-point grading scale as well as a weighted course system that will allow one extra point for all PCC College Transfer and AP courses, for a maximum of five points for a course counting towards the student's GPA. Honors classes will carry 0.5 additional weight for a maximum of 4.5 points for a course. 

QUALIFYING COURSE REQUIREMENTS

Many classes have qualifying requirements, which are listed in the Honors & AP Section. Parents of students who wish to enroll in an honors course but do not meet the criteria may appeal the decision of teachers by completing the steps below:

INTERSCHOLASTIC/ATHLETIC ELIGIBILITY

In order to be eligible to compete on an athletic team, students must have passed 3 of 4 courses from the previous term and be present 85% (77 days per semester) of the time. Fall sports athletes must have passed 3 courses in the spring, and spring sports athletes must have passed 3 in the fall. Students must meet local promotion standards. Seniors with academic release must be enrolled in at least 2 classes during the semester of athletic competition.

TRANSCRIPTS

Students applying to North Carolina colleges are expected to self-submit their transcript electronically through CFNC.org to the college.  Students who are applying to out of state colleges or who need a transcript for a scholarship may request a transcript from the Guidance office.  At least two weeks’ notice must be given for transcripts to be processed. Official transcripts must have an official school seal and remain in a sealed envelope.

SCHOLARS PROGRAM

To be considered as a North Carolina Scholar, students must earn an un-weighted 3.50 GPA or higher and meet the NC Scholars Program standards, which are listed below. To be considered as a Person County Scholar, students must earn an un-weighted 3.00-3.49 GPA and meet the NC Scholars Program standards, which are listed below:

Subject Area - Required Classes - Number of Credits Required

ACADEMICALLY INTELLECTUALLY GIFTED PROGRAM COURSE REQUIREMENTS

Progress of a “C” or better recommended in all weighted classes

UNC SYSTEM MINIMUM ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

The following courses are minimum course requirements for the sixteen schools in the University of North Carolina System:

*It is also recommended that a math and a third credit of a world language be taken in the senior year.

Additional UNC System Minimum Admissions Requirements

ADVANCED PLACEMENT (AP) COURSES

The AP program is a standardized measure of a student’s knowledge base in specific content areas.  It is also intended to provide high school students with an opportunity to experience a college level curriculum.  Research strongly supports the hypothesis that a college-like experience in high school leads to greater success in college.  AP courses are weighted into students’ Grade Point Average (GPA).  College Board, which administers the AP program, requires participating schools around the country to provide certification opportunities for teachers and reviews the course syllabus for each course and specifies the cost, dates and times of the exams.  Person County Schools requires that all students enrolled in an AP course also take the AP test for that course. Students will follow the AP policies established by the Person County Board of Education and guidelines of Person High School.

ENRICHMENT WORKSHOP

Enrichment Workshop is a 50-minute yearlong, one-credit course that provides enrichment, remediation, and social-emotional learning activities for students. Class placement in Enrichment Workshop is based on student needs and grade level, or student requests for some courses. During the 2022-2023 school year, the following courses were offered during Enrichment Workshop: Anatomy, Public Speaking, STEM, Farm to Table, Astronomy, Digital Art, Yearbook, Construction Trades, Journalism, Broadcasting, Jazz Ensemble, Peer Group Connections, ACT Prep, Career and College ready skills, and other enrichment opportunities. Students who need more support in reading or math may work in i-Ready to help fill gaps in learning so they can be more successful in high school courses. Academic Strategy courses are provided to some students in the Exceptional Children's program. All Enrichment Workshop classes have the opportunity to participate in intramural sports with multiple classes. Each Friday is either a Grade-Check Friday, where students check their grades in PowerSchool, work on assignments, and conference with their teacher, or it is a Fun Friday, where students and teachers share their hobbies or interests with class members and participate in a fun activity together. This class is also a time for students to receive small group or one-on-one tutoring when needed.  

CREDIT RECOVERY

The term “credit recovery” will be used to refer to a block of instruction that is less than the entirety of the Standard Course of Study for that course. Credit recovery delivers a subset of the Standard Course of Study or blueprint of the original course in order to specifically address deficiencies in a student’s mastery of the course and target specific components of a course necessary for completion.  The length of credit recovery courses shall be dictated by the skills and knowledge the student needs to recover and not be a fixed length of seat time. When credit recovery is exercised, the original record of the course being completed and failed will remain on the transcript. The LEA shall allow a pass (P) or a fail (F) for each credit recovery course. The mark will not affect the student’s GPA. A student wishing to modify his or her GPA shall repeat a course for credit and not seek a credit recovery solution. A local school board may not limit the number of credit recovery courses taken by a student prior to graduation.  Students who have a proficient score on the EOC "may" test if the LEA/charter school decides that it is appropriate for the student to test in this content area upon completion of the credit recovery course. The EOC test associated with credit recovery should be administered no later than 30 days upon the completion of the credit recovery course. 

REPEATING A COURSE FOR CREDIT

Repeating a course for credit shall be governed by the following definitions and parameters:  The term “repeating a course for credit” will be used to refer to a high school course repeated via any delivery method when the entire Standard Course of Study for that course is being taught to the student for a second time. Students are permitted to repeat a course for credit when they have failed a course. Local boards of education may develop policies that define specific circumstances when students other than those who fail a course may repeat a course for credit. Students repeating a course for credit shall receive a grade and take the associated End-of-Course (EOC) assessment. Those students who have  already scored at  Level 3, 4, or 5 on the associated EOC assessment may elect to either retake the EOC or use the  previous passing EOC score as at least 20% of their final grade.  If the student retakes the EOC, the higher of the two scores will be used in the calculation of the final grade. Beginning with students entering the ninth grade in 2015-16, upon completion of the repeated course, the new course grade shall replace the previous grade for the course. This policy applies to courses taken in the 2015-16 year and beyond.

CREDIT BY DEMONSTRATED MASTERY (CDM)

Beginning with the 2014-15 school year, Credit by Demonstrated Mastery is available for all NC students in grades 9-12 for high school courses and in grades 6-8 for high school courses offered in middle school.  This program allows any student to demonstrate mastery of course content and earn credit toward graduation. To earn credit, students must pass Phase I and Phase II of assessments.  Phase I requires students to take the course final exam, which is the NC End-of-Course (EOC) or CTE test if applicable, or a locally approved exam if no state test is available.  Students must score a Level IV on an EOC or earn a 90/A on the CTE test or local exam to pass Phase I.  If students pass Phase I, they are allowed to begin Phase II, which is to create an artifact that demonstrates deep understanding and application of course content. Students must apply by February 10 for fall semester credit and September 5 for spring semester credit.  For an application, see a counselor or find posted on the PHS website.  For more information, visit the NCDPI CDM Wiki Page: http://cdm.ncdpi.wikispaces.net/home

ACADEMIC RELEASE PERIOD (Seniors Only)

Students can request a release period for, online classes, employment, or internship purposes based on the following guidelines: