GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS

In order to be graduated from Pennsville High School and receive a state-endorsed Pennsville Board of Education diploma, a student must:

1. Meet the minimum proficiency score on the state approved assessments in both mathematics and language arts. 

2. Demonstrate at least the minimum proficiency required by the State in communication, computational, and writing skills.

3. Complete satisfactorily the state-required credit years plus the elective credit years to meet the district’s minimum of 130 credits.  “Successful completion” means that the student has demonstrated the degree of proficiency required by the district to indicate achievement of the district goals for the particular course, and has attended the required number of course sessions.

The credits must include the following:

1. Four years of English

2. One year for each year in high school, of health, physical education and safety.

3. Three years of social studies.

4. Three years of mathematics.

5. Three years of science

6. One year of world language

7. One year of visual and/or performing arts

8. One year of career education and/or consumer, family and life skills

      and/or vocational-technical education 

9.  Two years of visual, performing and/or practical arts

10.  One semester of financial literacy

In order to be classified a sophomore (10th grade); a student must have accumulated 30 credits.  

In order to be classified a junior (11th grade), a student must have accumulated 60 credits. 

In order to be classified a senior (12th grade), a student must have accumulated 90 credits.  

GRADUATION PATHWAYS - Check out the various paths to earning a high school diploma HERE

PROGRESS REPORTS

Pennsville School district uses Power School as a real-time grade reporting program.  PMHS does not send home printed report cards or progress reports. We encourage students and parents to regularly check student progress using Power School.

GRADING

We are under a numeric grading system.  This means grades are issued on the basis of 0 to 100.  A minimum grade of 70 is needed to pass any course. Grades can be equated to 92-100 A, 85-91 B, 78-84 C, 70-77 D. 

Please Refer to Board Policy Regulation 6147.1R

Homework

• Homework is to be no more than 10% percent of a grade.

• Homework is not to be accepted late unless provided for in a student’s Individualized Education Plan (“IEP”), Section 504 Accommodation Plan and/or other similarly developed academic plan.

Extra Credit 

• If a teacher chooses to offer extra credit, it must be standards based and offered to all students in that course. 

• Extra credit can be no more than 5% per assignment. 

• Extra credit can not be applied to a student’s final grade.

Zeroes, Cheating, Incompletes, and No Grades

• If a student is absent on the day that a test and/or quiz is administered or that an assignment for grade is collected, the grade for the test, quiz and/or assignment for grade is to be logged as “Missing” and a zero placed in the grade book until the test and/or quiz is taken, or the assignment for grade is completed.

• Students who have cheated on any assessment will be given a “0” with the opportunity for an alternate re-assessment during an administrative detention.  If the student chooses to take the alternate re-assessment, the two scores will be averaged. If the student decides not to take the alternate re-assessment, the zero will remain.

Late work

• All assignments or assessments, including, but not limited to all major assignments and assessments such as long-term projects and research papers, shall be accepted no more than one school day late and shall be penalized 10% of the grade for lateness. "Late" is defined as any time after the class period the assignment was due. If a student was absent on the entire day the assignment was due, the student will have as many days as the student was absent to make up the assignment unless given additional time by the building administrator due to extenuating circumstances or religious event. 

• Students shall receive a "0" for assignments or assessments that are not turned in by the "late" time defined above. There shall be no exceptions after the due date unless made by the building administrator for an extenuating circumstance or religious event unless an additional exception is provided by the student's Individualized Education Plan (IEP), Section 504 Accommodation Plan, and/or other similarly developed academic plan. 

• An assignment or assessment may be accepted late at any time with or without a grade penalty at the discretion of the building principal for extenuating circumstances. 

• Homework will not be accepted late unless an exception is provided for in the student's Individualized Education Plan ("IEP"), Section 504 Accommodation Plan and/or other similarly developed academic plan. 

• Students are responsible for obtaining and completing the make-up work in a satisfactory manner and within the time specified by the teacher.  1 Day out = 1 Day to make up. 

• Students who are absent on an A day, must be ready to turn in assigned work on the next A day class.  Work assigned on the missed day will need to be turned in on the A day immediately following the students return.  (Same for B day)

• Students will be held responsible for any test, assignments, quizzes, etc. announced PRIOR to his/her absences. If a student is absent on an A day where a test was previously scheduled/announced, the student will be required to take the test on the next A day or at a convenient time scheduled by the teacher or during learning center. 

Reassessment (Re-Test)

• Reassessments are not permitted unless the teacher determines that the assessment was invalid and/or a reassessment is provided for in a student’s Individualized Education Plan (“IEP”), Section 504 Accommodation Plan and/or other similarly developed academic plan.

• Every student that is reassessed will be reassessed using an alternate assessment. 

• Teacher discretion may be used to post-pone an assessment or redo an assessment for unusual extenuating circumstances on a case by case basis, such as family emergency the night before the assessment or illness. 

• Revisions in the writing process are not considered reassessment.

Exams

There will be no period of Mid-Term or Final Exams.  Comprehensive exams will now be in the form of benchmark and/or state assessments. These benchmarks and/or state assessments may take place during the assigned class period or at another pre-scheduled testing period.  All students eligible to take benchmark and/or state assessments will be required to participate in the testing event. No student will be afforded the opportunity to opt out of any benchmark or state assessment. 

INCOMPLETES

A student being issued an incomplete, “I”, has ten school days to resolve the grade with the issuing teacher.  Students with incompletes on their report cards cannot be considered for the honor roll or extra-curricular eligibility.  Students are responsible for addressing incompletes.

• The student will be held responsible for any tests, assignments, quizzes, etc. announced prior to his/her absences.  For example, on Monday a test is announced for Wednesday. The student is absent on Tuesday, he/she will be required to take the test on Wednesday.

HONOR ROLL

Students who receive grades of 85 or better in all subject areas will be selected for the Honor Roll.  Students having a 92 or better in all subjects will be named to the All “A” Honor Roll. No student carrying an incomplete will be considered for the Honor Roll.

Class Rank

1. Please refer to board policy 6146.3 for the complete class rank policy as well as graduation honors info.  

2. Class rank shall be determined using Grade Point Average (GPA).  GPA shall be calculated using the sum of final numeric grade averages for each course times the number of course credits, times course weight factor to produce the Total Quality Points.  The Total Quality Points are then divided by the number of credits taken.

Sum of (Course Grade x Course Credits x Weight Factor) = 

Total Quality Points

Total Quality Points divided by Total Credits = GPA

GPA Formula:           Example Calculation:

Final Grade x Potential Credits x Weight Factor 90 x 5 x 1.08      97 Potential Credits        5         Weighted

              GPA

1. All courses offered during the academic school year, and for which credit is awarded are included in calculating GPA.  Excluded from the GPA will be courses taken on a pass/fail basis, zero period courses, evening or summer enrichment courses, whether through the Pennsville School District or another educational provider.  

2. Calculations will be computed using as many decimal places as provided by the software being used for grades.

3. Any two or more students who have a computed GPA that are identical shall be given the same class rank.  The rank of the pupil who immediately follows a tied position will be determined by the total number of all preceding pupils, and not by the rank of the immediately preceding pupil.

4. A pupil’s GPA and class rank will be entered on a pupil’s record and will be subject to Board Policy No. 5125 “PUPIL RECORDS.”

Course Weighting Factors

1. In order to place more weight on Honors and AP courses offered at Pennsville Memorial High School, the following procedure will be utilized to adjust the student’s grade point average and rank for courses listed under each course group level:

   1. Advanced Placement (AP): All students who complete courses listed as AP will have their final course grade calculated by a factor of 1.10, and that weighted grade will be used as the GPA. 

   2. Honors: All students who complete courses listed as Honors will have their final course grade calculated by a factor of 1.08, and that weighted grade will be used as the GPA.

   3. Academic: All students who complete courses listed as Academic level courses will be calculated by a factor of 1.0 to calculate course GPA.  

2. Courses taken prior to the 2014-2015 school year will be weighted as follows:

   1. Advanced Placement: 5 points will be added to the final grade.

   2. Honors: 3 points will be added to the final grade. 

   3. Academic: 0 points will be added to the final grade. 

Senior Honors

The following academic awards shall be honored:

1. Valedictorian (ranked 1st) and Salutatorian (ranked 2nd) shall be determined using GPA as mentioned above plus the following criteria:

   1. The students must have been enrolled in the Pennsville School District for the last two full years leading up to graduation.

   2. Students in the academies housed at Pennsville Memorial High School also qualify for these positions, including those who come here from other districts.  However, letter “A” must be met by attending an academy housed here for the required minimum time leading to graduation.

2. Students with a GPA greater than or equal to 98.0 will be designated Summa cum Laude (with highest honor) and recognized at graduation ceremonies. 

3. Students with a GPA greater than or equal to 95.0 and less than 98.0 will be designated Magna cum Laude (with high honor) and recognized at graduation ceremonies.