National Honor Society Eligibility

NHS Selection Process

Selection: Selection to the National Honor Society is an “honor recognized throughout the nation” and “is both the public recognition of accomplishment and the private commitment to continued excellence on the part of the new member” (National Honor Society Handbook, 15^th edition, p.23). Qualification to the NHS is based upon outstanding scholarship, character, leadership, and service to the school and community.

Academic scholarship is based on the student’s cumulative , weighted grade point average; potential members need a cumulative, weighted grade point average of 90 or higher, as of the end of the second marking period of the eleventh grade school year. Students meeting this criterion will then be informed of the responsibilities and obligations of NHS membership, and given the opportunity to support their candidacy for National Honor Society membership by completing an application packet. Students will thus have the chance to illustrate how they meet the other criteria of membership: leadership, service, and character.

Selection to the NHS is determined by the John Jay Senior High School Faculty Council, who are charged with carefully and objectively evaluating potential members. In keeping with National Honor Society’s national guidelines, those admitted to NHS will be invited to participate in a formal induction ceremony. As a member of the John Jay High School National Honor Society, the student will be required to attend mandatory meetings and participate in NHS activities.

Non-Selection: “Selection to NHS is a privilege, not a right. Membership is granted only to those students selected by the Faculty Council in each school” (National Honor Society Handbook, 15^th edition, p. 23). “Chapters are not legally or constitutionally obligated to share with parents and students information concerning specific students not selected for membership in the Society” (NHS Handbook, 15^th edition, p. 34).

However, non-selected students sometimes wish to question the judgment of the Faculty Council. It is important for them to understand that all decisions of the kind involved in the selection process have some subjective aspects, but that the decisions were derived in a fair manner, and based on sound, professional judgement. Parents and students must understand that no student has a right to be selected for membership in a chapter of the National Honor Society. Reconsideration of a Faculty Council’s decision must be a rare occurrence if the council is said to be expected to take its assignment seriously. The National Council and the NASSP have no authority to review or overturn the judgment of the Faculty Council regarding selection of individual members to local chapters.

The members of the faculty council will be kept anonymous. The advisers of the National Honor Society will not serve on the faculty council and therefore will not vote on selection and non-selection.

John Jay High School NHS Rubric

To be selected to the John Jay National Honor Society, eligible students:

(1) must have an overall score of 6 or higher on the above rubric.

AND

(2) can NOT have a score of 0 points in ANY PILLAR

AND

(3) must file a completed NHS application on the John Jay NHS Google Classroom page by the deadline posted on Google Classroom (March 21st). No late applications will be accepted.