In order to be eligible for participation in PHS after-school activities, including interscholastic competition, students are expected to satisfy Portsmouth High School's eligibility policy for participation in all extracurricular activities. The main focus of the programs at Portsmouth High School is to insist on continued academic growth for all students. Therefore, Portsmouth High School requires a minimum level of academic success as a standard for participation in extracurricular activities. The focus of the eligibility policy is to set a clear standard that supports adequate yearly progress towards graduation and establishes the need for responsible academic progress throughout the school year.

There are three levels of extracurricular eligibility at Portsmouth High School:

• Full Eligibility

• Probationary Eligibility

• Ineligibility

Full Eligibility Requirements

In order for a student-athlete to be considered  fully eligible, the following criteria must be met:

1) The student must be enrolled as a full-time, Portsmouth High School student. In other words, the student must be participating in a minimum of 7 academic credit hours in both the first and second semesters of the current academic school year (i.e. the school year in which the student-athlete seeks to participate in competition).

2) Dependent on grade-level and season of participation, the student must have successfully completed (passed) the minimum number of courses outlined within the PHS Athletic Handbook. 

Probationary Eligibility Requirements

EARN-IT Program

At Portsmouth High School we recognize the important role that extracurricular activities play in supporting the academic, social, and emotional development and success of students. As such, we have established the EARN-IT program.  The EARN-IT program is a comprehensive, progress monitoring framework that allows students, parents/guardians, coaches, the athletic director, and building administration to monitor the progress of “at promise” athletes with tenuous eligibility. 

In order for a student-athlete to remain eligible under a probationary status via the EARN-IT program, the following procedures and subsequent minimum eligibility criteria must be met:

1) The student must be enrolled as a full-time, Portsmouth High School student. In other words, the student must be participating in a minimum of  7 academic credit hours in both the first and second semesters of the current academic school year (i.e. the school year in which the student seeks to participate in competition).

2) Dependent on grade-level and season of participation, the student-athlete must have successfully completed (passed) the minimum number of courses outlined within the PHS Athletic Handbook. 

PROBATIONARY ELIGIBILITY: EARN-IT Procedures

In addition to meeting the criteria mentioned above, the student will be responsible for the timely and accurate reporting of their progressive individual course grades throughout the duration of the time within which they are participating under probationary status. These EARN-IT procedures and expectations will be as follows:

• Beginning the day after a student receives 2 “F”s on their quarterly report card (Quarter 4 of prior year for Fall sports/activities; Quarter 1 of current year for Winter sports/activities; Quarter 3 of current year for Spring sports/activities), the student will be placed probationary status and enrolled in the EARN-IT progress monitoring program.

  • Correspondence will be sent to the student’s parent/guardian alerting them of this situation and the related expectations within one calendar week (7 days) of the student being identified for this privilege

• The student must report to each of their teachers, in a face-to-face, pen and paper format to receive their current letter grades in each of their current courses bi-weekly. The teacher will write the grade on the sheet provided and will initial next to their entry verifying the mark

  • These documents will be made available for student’s to retrieve digitally on the school website as well as in hard copy format in the main office and Athletic Directors’ suite

• By the second Friday of each progress monitoring period, the student must hand deliver their EARN-IT document to the office of the PHS administrative designee (PHS Athletic Director for student-athletes; PHS Student Activities Coordinator for all other extracurriculars) review

  • Upon the PHS administrative designee’s review, if the EARN-IT document indicates that the student has no more than 2 “F”s in their courses within the current marking period, that student will be allowed, without restriction, to continue participating in their associated athletics/extracurricular activities

  • If an EARN-IT report indicates that a student has 3 “F”s at any point during the probationary period, that student will be removed from the EARN-IT program and will be placed on the “Intelligibility” list for the duration of the quarter

• This biweekly process will continue throughout the remainder of the quarter

• Upon the completion of the quarter the student’s status will be reassessed. Based on the criteria provided in the “Eligibility” section above, the student may either:

(a) Be placed into the “Fully eligible” category 

(b) Continue to remain on “Probationary Eligibility” or 

(c) Be placed on the “Ineligibility” list for the upcoming quarter

* Please note that failure to abide by the aforementioned processes and procedures will result in the student being removed from probationary status and placed into the ineligibility category.

Ineligibility

Students who do not meet the criteria to be considered fully eligible or eligible under a probationary status (EARN-IT) will be considered ineligible to participate in extracurricular activities. A list of reasons for extracurricular ineligibility and related timelines has been provided below for reference. Please note that while the following list is meant to provide insight, it is in no way to be considered an exhaustive list of all circumstances that may impact student eligibility. 

Academic

• A student receives 3 or more “F” grades on their quarterly report card (Quarter 4 of prior year for Fall sports/activities; Quarter 1 of current year for Winter sports/activities; Quarter 3 of current year for Spring sports/activities)- Ineligible for duration of the academic quarter

• A student on the EARN-IT program (2 “F” grades on their quarterly report card; Quarter 4 of prior year for Fall sports/activities; Quarter 1 of current year for Winter sports/activities; Quarter 3 of current year for Spring sports/activities) reports 3 F grades across their courses at any point after the first 2 week, progress monitoring check-in has been completed- Ineligible for duration of the academic quarter

• A student on the EARN-IT program (criteria above) fails to abide by the outlined reporting requirements- Ineligible for duration of the academic quarter

Attendance

• A student is documented as being “unexcused” absent for a duration of time that exceeds 20% (78 minutes) of the school day- Ineligible for the school day within which the student has failed to complete 80% of the day

• A student who is documented as being “chronically absent” greater than 20% of the academic instructional time/days within the time window described in the "Probationary Eligibility" section above. Ineligible for duration of the academic quarter

Behavioral

• A student receives In-School or Out-of-School suspension- Ineligible for duration of the suspension period (most often 1-10 school days)

* Please note that students who are suspended on a Friday are not eligible to participate in any practices, games, or extracurricular events that are set to take place over the course of the weekend following the assigned consequence

• A student violates the district’s Chemical Health and Student Safety Policy- Ineligible for the duration of time outlined in the policy based on the level of infraction

• Conduct detrimental to the team- Ineligible for duration of time established by the coach

These standards must be met prior to a student participating in any Portsmouth High School extracurricular activities. Students who do not meet these initial eligibility standards are ineligible until updated grades have been provided via the next chronological quarter’s grades have been officially posted via the Portsmouth High School report card. Summer School courses and other courses approved by the Principal may be used to meet these requirements.

Students who are able to remediate their academic/attendance performance will be reinstated to their teams immediately upon the Athletic Director's/Student Activities Coordinator acknowledgement that they are passing the minimum number of courses outlined in this procedure. 

AP Classwork Exception

Any student who is failing AP courses, though passing all non-AP courses, will remain eligible if their classwork is signed off on by their teachers and the principal.

Medical research substantiates that the use of alcohol and mood modifying substances produces harmful effects on the human body and will affect athletic and academic performance. Students who experiment with such substances jeopardize program morale, reputation and success, and they do physical harm to themselves and risk personal injury and harm to others during their sport/activity. 

Students must decide if they want to hold a leadership position or want to be part of an athletic team.  If they do wish to be a participant, they must make the commitment in order to do so.  A significant part of this decision means refraining from the use of alcohol, drugs, tobacco, nicotine, and steroids. All students who wish to be a participant in a sports team or extra-curricular activity in Portsmouth must abide by the Chemical Health and Student Safety Policy linked here.