Academic Policies

AP Course Load

Students in 10th grade may be permitted to take the following AP courses if they meet the prerequisite requirements or specific program selection criteria (American Studies). Please note that it is not possible for a 10th grade student to take more than 2 AP courses in their schedule. 

 


Students in 11th and 12th grade are permitted to take a maximum of 5 AP classes. Students enrolled in RAHP are permitted to take 5 AP classes in addition to AP RAHP Seminar or AP RAHP Research.


AP Self Study


Students are welcome but not encouraged to take self-study options for AP courses. AP courses require extreme rigor and are best taken in a standard classroom environment at Ridgewood High School.


Any student taking the self-study option will be afforded the opportunity to take the AP exam at Ridgewood HS for AP courses offered for that student's grade level. For example, a 10th grade student would not be able to self-study for Statistics AP because that course is not offered to 10th grade students. 9th grade students are not eligible for AP courses or exams.  Please understand the self-study option will not count for high school credit or appear on the transcript.


AP World Language Self-Study Courses Not Offered at RHS


Students who would like to take the self-study option in an AP World Language course that is not offered at RHS, will have the opportunity to do so every other year beginning in 2021. These courses include Japanese, Chinese, German and Italian. 



Appeal Process for Teacher Recommendations


Each year, teachers at Ridgewood High School make recommendations for student placements for the next school year. After spending the last six months with students in the classroom of their particular subject, teachers use observations of student skills, assessment achievement, student organization, preparation, work ethic, and student feedback on their goals as information to use when making their recommendation.


In total, our teachers at RHS make approximately 14,000 class recommendations for our 1,800 students; the first step in building a master schedule. Our teachers make recommendations with their students’ academic path, mental health, and balance in mind. The goal of the teacher recommendation is to ensure our students are best placed in a setting where they are challenged, grow, and are successful. 


Rationale for the Teacher Recommendation Appeal Process


We do understand that a student may wish to enroll in a course other than the one recommended. To ensure that each student makes the best decision and receives feedback from the appropriate people, we have the Teacher Recommendation Appeal Process designed to have our educators at RHS work collaboratively with students and parents to help each of our students be appropriately scheduled in September. This process is an important growth moment for our students as they journey through Ridgewood High School. Our teachers, counselors, supervisors, administrators, and parents are able to collaborate with the student to make a decision on what is best for their future. This is at the heart of the reason we have a teacher recommendation appeal process. 


Steps of the Teacher Recommendation Appeal Process


Step 1: Review your teacher recommendations and finalize your schedule in Skyward by March 1. Conversations on specific recommendations with your teachers should take place in January and February. 


Step 2: See your school counselor in person in the guidance department office to discuss your entire schedule for the upcoming school year. Please remember the importance of balance in your schedule.


Step 3: If you would like to move forward with appealing a teacher recommendation, your school counselor will give you a google-form link for you to complete and submit by April 15. Parents should review the google-form link and sign off before students submit electronically.


Step 4: Each appeal will be reviewed by department supervisors and administrators, after receiving additional input from teachers at RHS. Appeal decisions will be communicated to the student and parent/guardian in writing by July 1. 


Step 5:  If a parent still disagrees with the appeal decision, there is a Parent Override Waiver Form available through the Director of Guidance’s office. This information will be included in the appeal decision letter.  Parents do have the right to waive their student into a class after going through the appeal process. 


Considerations When Appealing A Course


If a student enrolls in a course they were not recommended for there is a chance that the student will receive grades lower than what they are used to. Furthermore, a student may spend a substantial increase in time and effort to keep up the pace of this course, which could impact other areas of the student's daily schedule. Please understand that when a student enrolls in a course other than the one recommended, due to scheduling parameters and class sizes, there is no guarantee that a student will be able to transfer from one class to another next year, if the need arises. Our hope is that each student will experience success in any chosen course of study, and we want you to be aware of the process and requirements associated with advancing into a course. 

Audits

Students may choose to audit a class for the purpose of enrichment or to repeat a course that is a prerequisite to another.  The audit agreement is made between the student and teacher once the semester has begun but no later than the end of the third week.  Teachers are not required to accept auditors.  Acceptance is based on enrollment only and if seats are available. If an audit agreement is made, teachers are not required to evaluate student work or progress.  The course audit, when completed, will appear on the permanent record but no credit will be issued and audited courses do not fulfill graduation requirements.

Financial Assistance

Any student unable to pay any special course costs or purchase required workbooks may apply for financial assistance in the Principal’s office.

Grades after a Course Change

The practice for grade transfer for current RHS students who change classes and/or a level of a class during the school year is as follows:

**Please note If a student is not recommended for a class, completes the parent override process in the year prior, and then changes course level at any time in the current school year, the grades do transfer to the new class.**

New Work for Credit

New work for credit courses given by an accredited high school can be used for transcript purposes.  Only courses given by Ridgewood High School can be used for calculating a GPA.  This must be pre-approved by a supervisor prior to enrolling.

College courses or special programs taken during the year can be used for credit toward high school graduation. The Department Supervisor must approve credit for those seeking acceleration in the curriculum pattern.


Online Courses

Financial Literacy will be the only course that will be permitted to be taken online for new credit. The program must be approved by the department supervisor.


Remediating Courses

When a student earns a grade of D or E, he/she is entitled to remediate the course through an approved summer school. Both grades will appear on the transcript and calculate into the GPA.

(Please note that only RHS’s summer school grades will be calculated into the GPA. Other pre-approved summer schools will be honored for credit but not GPA weighting.)


Student Records

The Family Rights and Privacy Act of 1975 permit parents/guardians to access their child’s school records.  Copies of the procedures regarding student records are available upon request.

Any questions regarding this law or the school’s policy should be directed to the High School for clarification.

Transferring Credit

The practice for grade transfers for students who enter Ridgewood High School mid-term directly from another school is as follows:

4. The practice for grade transfers for students who enter mid-term without having attended school previously that semester is as follows: