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CA Academic Excellence Policy

CA Scholars Diploma:

Collegedale Academy believes in Ellen White’s statement, “train the youth to be thinkers, and not mere reflectors of other men’s thought.” The CA Scholars Diploma is based on a student’s commitment to academic excellence and inquiry. Students that choose to undertake this high-academic tract understand that they will be asked to use their academic creativity. Students will have to use self-motivation and determination to complete. CA faculty highly encourages our students who qualify to participate in this outstanding, academic opportunity.

QUALIFICATIONS:

  1. Student must complete a written request to be accepted into diploma track turned into school principal no later than registration day of Junior year.
  2. Student must have a minimum 3.5 GPA.
  3. Student must not have any grade lower than a B in their high school transcript.
  4. Student needs the recommendation of 2 teachers.

How Diploma Works:

Student will be required to take 4 Honor’s classes (4 semesters) during their Junior and/or Senior Year (one Honor’s class per semester preferably). Student will be required to meet with teacher in subject of choice within the first week of a semester. This meeting will be to determine a project that will be completed by the end of the semester. Student will then bring a signed letter of acceptance by teacher to registrar. Teacher will meet with student 2 to 3 times during the course of the semester to ensure that project is being completed. In December of 1st semester and May of 2nd semester, student will be required to do a 5-8 minute presentation at an evening colloquium. Parents, family, friends are encouraged to attend. The final project will be due the first day of finals. Teacher will issue a grade to the project, which includes the presentation. This grade is a .25 credit and will figure in the student’s g.p.a. If student receives a failing grade, student will not receive the Honors credit that counts towards the CA Scholars Diploma.

Academic Probation Policies:

Statement of Purpose: Collegedale Academy’s faculty cares deeply for the academic success of its students. In our core values, we espouse the idea of “inspiring students to achieve their academic potential.” With this lofty goal in mind, CA must and will place its students in a position to succeed – not fail. Our world imprints the acceptance of laziness and sloth. Our world repeatedly emphasizes that being cool is more important than being educated. . . . Ellen G. White reminds us to train our young people as “thinkers, not mere reflectors.” Nelson Mandela eloquently points out that “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” Collegedale Academy is committed to the rationale and purpose of its Academic Excellence Policy. Any student with a failing grade at the end of a semester will go on academic probation.

Academic probation will be for one academic semester. While on academic probation, students will only be given an excused absence for a personal illness or a death in the family. Students will not be allowed to participate in off-campus activities during any part of the school day: i.e. field trips, mission trips, athletics, Acroforce, or music groups. At the end of the semester of academic probation, if a student receives a failing grade, he or she will be asked to withdraw from CA. In order to re-enroll, the student will need to produce a transcript certifying a minimum of a semester of academic success at another accredited school*.

How academic probation works:

  • If a student receives one or two failing grades in a building-block class, the student will need to retake or take a credit recovery program, in the summer, for the class(es) failed. For credit(s) to be accepted, an official transcript showing the new grade(s) must be in the registrar’s office by the first day of school (if a student fails two classes, both classes must be raised during the summer). If a student elects not to participate in raising the failing grade(s) during the summer, the student will be placed on academic probation when he or she returns in the Fall semester. Until the grade(s) is raised, the student will remain at the academic grade in which the failing grade(s) was received.
  • If a student receives more than two failing grades in building-block classes, the student will need to pass a minimum of two retake or credit recovery programs during the summer. For the credit to be accepted, an official transcript of grades must be in the registrar’s office by the first day of school. The student will be placed on academic probation, and until a successful grade is achieved in the other failed course(s), the student will remain at the academic grade in which the failing grade(s) was received. If student does not raise two failing grades during the summer, the student will not be accepted back for the Fall semester. The student may reapply after producing a transcript certifying a minimum of a semester of academic success at another accredited school.
  • Please note that a student receiving a failing grade(s) first semester will be placed on academic probation second semester. In this case, the student will be allowed to replace the failing grade(s) prior to the first day of the next school year.

Building-block classes: Bible, math, science, English, social studies

Non-building-block classes: Students will have two academic semesters to raise a failing grade.  If the student neglects to raise a grade, the student will not be allowed to re-enroll.

Credit recovery: Allows for student to bring an “F” grade up to a passing “D-” grade. To qualify for a “D-” grade, the student must receive a passing grade in the credit recovery program. The passing grade will be used in the final GPA count. Please note that the lower grade will still be included on the student’s transcript. All credit recovery courses must be pre-approved by CA’s registrar.

Downgrade: Any failing grade (an “F”)

Retaking a class: Allows a student to replace a down grade with a higher grade. The higher grade will be used in the final GPA count. Please note that the lower grade will still be included in the student’s transcript. All retake courses must be pre-approved by CA’s registrar.

* Regional Accreditation from The Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) is necessary to accept the credits taken independently after acceptance to Collegedale Academy. Please see http://www.chea.org/Directories/regional.asp for the list of regional accrediting organizations.