Bensalem High School

Once a student’s schedule is ready to be finalized, the schedule will be reviewed. If a change is necessary and the guidelines outlined below apply, these changes should be completed before the end of the school year or during the summer. Counselors schedule office hours during the summer break – after the close of school and just before school re-opens in the fall – in order to assist students with scheduling. We ask for your patience when trying to schedule time with a counselor as their office hours are greatly reduced in the summer. Once students receive their schedule to review before it is finalized, course changes will be limited to the following circumstances only:

• A required course is missing
• A course is out of sequence with the core subject planning chart
• A prerequisite(s) is not met
• A course failure or summer school completion affects course sequencing
• A graduation requirement is not met

Guidelines for Dropping/Adding Courses – After Schedule is Finalized

Periodically students may experience academic difficulty in a course(s) and may feel the need to drop said course after the initial add/drop period in the beginning of the school year or 2nd semester (.5 credit courses only). When these situations arise, the following steps must be taken prior to an administrator’s consideration of a course change:

• The student must submit the request in writing and clearly state the reason and/or rationale. This request must be submitted to the teacher and the counselor.
• Once the counselor has received and reviewed the request and feels that the request is valid, the counselor will arrange a meeting with the student and the teacher to address the following:
• Review the reason and rationale for the request
• Ensure that the student is meeting all necessary requirements for the class:
• Attending regularly and actively engaging in classwork
• Completing in-class work and HW assignments
• Maintaining an organized notebook and planner
• Exhibiting good study habits
• The teacher, counselor and student will develop a plan of action that must include at least a minimum of 5 documented after school sessions with the teacher or tutor over a 3-week period
• Parent Contact
• The teacher must contact the parent to discuss the situation
• The parent will be asked to share information about home study habits and share efforts that will be made at home to address the issue
• Teacher will share efforts that have been made in the classroom with regards to instruction & assessment strategies, and interventions (Use BHS Student Feedback Checklist)
• If all of these steps have been followed and the student is still not making adequate academic progress, then a meeting with the counselor and administrator must be arranged to review the situation. Once all information is reviewed, the counselor and administrator will arrange a meeting with the student, parent and teacher to present their recommendation. If the decision is made to drop the course, a withdrawal code of “W” or “WF” will appear on the student’s transcripts based on the final recommendation. All changes to student schedules must be approved by the grade level administrators after the 10th day of school.

Course selection is important in preparing students for post-secondary endeavors. New ideas and careful sequencing can open up exciting future opportunities. Parent conferences are also very helpful and welcomed by counselors. It is really important to keep in contact with the guidance counseling staff. Choosing the right courses is one of the most significant tasks a student completes each year. Courses should be selected with these questions in mind:

• Will this course allow me to meet graduation requirements?
• Will this course help me to meet college entrance requirements?
• Will this course help me develop a skill to become employable after high school?
• Will this course introduce me to a new subject or experience?
• Is this course appropriate for my ability? Will it be a challenge?
• Do I have the prerequisite for this course?

Students are given opportunities to choose from a wide variety of elective subjects beyond the required core subjects listed in this guide. Every effort is made to fulfill these requests; however, no master schedule can provide every course that every individual student requests. The development of a master schedule takes into consideration many factors when determining which courses can be offered. Staffing, the number of students requesting a particular course, unique combinations of course requests, school resources, etc., are among many factors that influence the access to particular courses in a given year. The administration and school counselors will work diligently and methodically to provide a rich and varied academic experience, but there may be some instances where, for scheduling purposes, the administration and school counselors will have to adjust an individual student’s course selections. If this occurs, every effort will be made to place the student in a similar course at a similar level. That is why it is important for students to list an adequate number of electives and alternatives to insure they are scheduled in to courses aligned with their academic goals and interests.

Guide Course Level

College Prep Level:

The College Prep is our universal course level. Courses at this level are intended to provide students with the skills and competencies to be prepared for college and career readiness.

Honors Level:

Student is capable, highly motivated and is clear about goals for post-secondary education, demonstrating the ability to achieve the higher standards demanded by advanced level courses. Requirements include, but are not limited to, proficiency or advanced status in reading and writing, superior grades from prior year’s courses, and ability to complete rigorous assignments. MAP universal screener, teacher recommendation and historical data sets are used to assist with placement at the appropriate level.

Gifted Level:

Student has met the state mandated guidelines for the gifted program and has been identified for gifted services through a GIEP.

Advanced Placement Level:

Student accepts the challenge of meeting the demanding criteria of a college-level curriculum of intense and in-depth study in humanities, math and sciences. The AP student will take the AP final exam not just for possible college credit, but for the demonstration of his/her new found understanding of the AP curriculum.