Academic Policies

Grading Scale/Grade Point Average (GPA) Calculation

        Letter Grade        Numerical Grade                         Quality Points
                                                                             Standard         Honors       AP

                    A                              90-100                         4.0                   4.5             5.0
                    B                              80-89                           3.0                   3.5             4.0
                    C                              70-79                           2.0                   2.5              3.0
                    D                              60-69                           1.0                   1.0               1.0
                    F                               0-59                             0.0                  0.0              0.0               

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Computing Final GradesBishop John J. Snyder High School computes grades on an annual system. Total points are divided by the ten marks to determine the annual grade.

Quarter One Grade     x2
Quarter Two Grade     x2
Mid Term Exam          x1
Quarter Three Grade  x2
Quarter Four Grade    x2
Final Exam                  x1

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Credit Recovery & Summer School

Students must earn all seven (7) credits attempted each year at Snyder. Failure of a course results in credit shortage. This credit must be recovered through summer school at Snyder. One (1) credit may be earned each summer prior to senior year, totaling a maximum of three (3) credits that may be recovered. A student who fails more than three courses prior to senior year or any courses during senior year will not be able to graduate from Bishop John J. Snyder High School.

NOTE: The purpose of summer school is credit recovery. Credit-deficient students will take the summer school elective course(s) offered in order to recover the credit, and will retake the failed course during the following school year.

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Academic Probation

Students are placed on Academic Probation when their weighted cumulative GPA drops below a 2.0. These students and their parents will meet with a school counselor to develop an Academic Intervention Plan (AIP). The AIP may include, but is not limited to, tutoring, regular meetings with teachers and/or counselors, and monitoring of their academic progress.

Students on Academic Probation must raise their weighted cumulative GPA to 2.0 or above and meet the expectations of the AIP by the first day of their senior year. Students who do not meet the GPA requirements, or those of the AIP, will be assessed to determine their graduation status and their continued enrollment at Bishop Snyder.

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Grade Forgiveness

Through grade forgiveness, a student is able to replace one grade in a core academic course if he/she received a D or an F. Core subjects include English, math, social studies, world language, science and religion. Electives are not eligible. Please note:

  • The student must retake the same course.
  • The original grade will remain on the transcript, but it will not count toward the GPA.
  • The student must attend summer school in order to satisfy credit requirements (retaking a course will leave a student one credit short of graduation requirements).
  • The course cannot be dropped once a student is enrolled.
  • The grade earned in the retaken course is final.
  • A transfer student may retake a course initially taken at another institution.
  • Grade Forgiveness may be applied to one year-long course or two semester–long courses during a student’s high school career.

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Incomplete Grades An incomplete grade (“I”) will be given only when necessary due to illness or extenuating circumstances. Upon receiving an incomplete grade the student is required to meet with the teacher and receive a schedule for completion of all missing work. If the student fails to meet the required time schedule, zeroes will be recorded for the missing assignments and the quarter grade will be finalized.

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Extra Credit/Bonus

Students may not receive extra credit or bonus points for any assignment. This includes grades whose total is over 100%, questions on assessments that may offer students additional points, ‘banked’ points to be used on future assignments, points offered for attendance at school events outside the scope of course responsibilities and any assignment that is given outside the course work to a student to artificially raise his/her grade.

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Quarterly Honor Roll

The Honor Roll is calculated at the end of each quarter as follows:

First Honors: All grades in individual courses at 90 or above.

Second Honors: All grades in individual courses at 80 or above.

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Criteria for Honors Courses

Criteria for placement in an HONORS course:

1. The student:

  • has an excellent attendance record
  • works independently
  • follows directions
  • demonstrates intellectual maturity and commitment to academics
  • maintains a positive attitude
  • completes all required assignments
  • exhibits exemplary behavior

2. At the time of teacher recommendation (early in the fourth quarter), the student has an overall average of 80 or better in the previous subject-related Honors course or an overall average of 90 or better in the previous subject-related Standard course.

Honors courses in science and math may require that additional criteria be met. See the prerequisites listed for each course. Students must have an overall average of 85 or better in world language classes in order to be recommended for an honors-level course.

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Criteria for Advanced Placement Courses

1. The student meets the Honors placement criteria.

2. The student must have an overall average of 90 or better in the subject-related honors course or an overall average of 80 or better in the subject-related AP course and approval of the current teachers. Note that tenth grade AP World History placement is conducted by a committee of ninth grade teachers and the Dean of Academics

AP Placement decisions cannot be appealed or waived.

All students who enroll in an AP course are required to take the AP Examination and pay the required fee.

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Waiver Requests

Waiver requests (maximum of 2) must be submitted to School Counseling by August 1. The criteria for a waiver request are:

  1. A minimum cumulative weighted GPA of 2.5
  2. Completion of all prerequisites for the desired course
  3. A parent conference
  4. Authorization of the Dean of Academics

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Schedule ChangesSchedule change requests must be submitted for consideration by the end of the second full week of classes, after which only teacher-initiated schedule changes for students with below a 60 average will be considered. All schedule changes require the approval of the Dean of Academics and are subject to class-size limitations and master schedule constraints.

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Florida Virtual School

A student may receive approval to take a non-core course that is not offered at Snyder through FLVS. Upon receipt of the completed approved FLVS Course Agreement, students must visit www.flvs.net to register for the FLVS course. In such cases, the course name and the final grade will appear on the Snyder transcript, but will not be included in the GPA calculation and credit will not be assigned.

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Academic Assistance

Teachers are available to help students before school at 7:40 a.m. and after school until 3:15 p.m. or on an appointment basis. Additionally, the Snyder honor societies offer free peer tutoring twice a week in the media center.

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Graduation with Honors

Summa Cum Laude     4.00 and above

Magna Cum Laude       3.60 - 3.99

Cum Laude                     3.30 - 3.59

(Four-year cumulative weighted grade point average)

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Valedictorian and Salutatorian A student must be in attendance at Bishop John J. Snyder High School his/her entire eleventh and twelfth grade years in order to qualify for the distinction of class valedictorian or salutatorian.

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