Table of Contents General Information 2

English 2 credits

Language and Literature 1 credit

Speech Communication 1 credit

Reading elective (Class of 2016) 1 credit

Writing elective (Class of 2016) 1 credit

English electives 2 credits

Strand A & B (Starting with class of 2017) 2 credits

Social Studies electives 2 credits

American History 2 credits

American Government 1 credit

Economics 1 credit

Math 6 credits

Science 6 credits

Health

1 semester Health 1 credit

4 years/every other day 2 credits

Electives chosen by the student, with assistance from teachers, parents, and counselors, will complete the total number of credits needed for graduation. Elective credit may include unlimited credits from courses in Art, Business, Computers, English, Family and Consumer Sciences, Foreign Language, Industrial Technology, Interdisciplinary/Integrated, Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies. Most electives are awarded one credit per semester.

According to School Board Policy 638.4: "Students who successfully complete a high school elective prior to high school will have the course recorded in their high school records and the course will apply to the subject area credit requirements for a diploma, but it will not apply to the minimum total credit requirements for a diploma. The grade will not be calculated in the student's grade point average."

Extension Credits

A student may apply extension credits toward graduation (i.e., college, correspondence, or consortium courses) with the principal's prior approval.

Students are permitted to graduate at the end of eleventh grade or the first semester of twelfth grade provided all graduation requirements are met. Extension credits from other institutions may not be applied towards early graduation, unless approved in advance by the principal. Students must complete their final semester at Urbandale High School in order to qualify for early graduation.

Every student physically able to do so will complete a course that leads to certification in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). The building administrator may waive this requirement for any student who is not physically able to complete the course. This course work will be available to all students enrolled in UHS PE 11-12 sections. If a student is registered for contract PE, they must still complete CPR training prior to graduation. UHS will offer CPR training as a before school program for students in Contract PE or will accept certification from any nationally recognized course in cardiopulmonary resuscitation as evidence that this requirement has been met by the student. A school or district shall not accept audition of a CPR course not a course in infant CPR only.

Students desiring to take a seventh subject on a pass-fail basis should check with their counselors. Seniors may request approval to take a sixth subject pass-fail. The pass-fail option applies to elective courses only, and is subject to the approval of the parent, teacher, counselor, and administrator. The pass-fail standards vary from teacher to teacher; students and parents are responsible for knowing each teacher's expectations for the pass-fail option. A "Pass" mark does not affect a student's GPA but an "F" grade does affect the GPA. Students receive credits for passing grades only. Teacher and student must agree upon the Pass-Fail or graded option by the sixtieth day of a semester. Exceptions require administrative approval.

Classes may be audited for no credit. Students are required to fulfill all class requirements. Audit standards vary from teacher to teacher; students and parents are responsible for knowing each teacher’s expectations. They will receive either a grade of "AU" (which does not affect their GPA) or an "F" grade (which does affect their GPA).

1. Semester grades on transcripts will not be changed, except for clerical errors.

2. Only semester grades affect the cumulative GPA - quarter grades do not.

3. Students may retake a course as many times as they wish. If attempting a course retake, the student must stay in the course during that attempt or an F will be recorded on the transcript. All such attempts will be recorded on official school transcripts. Only the grade from the most recent retake will be included in the cumulative GPA.

5. Students should resolve Incomplete grades (IN) within ten school days of the conclusion of a quarter or semester, at which point the appropriate grade will be recorded. (A,B,C,D,F)

6. If a student does not show a good faith effort in a course and withdraws after the thirtieth day of a semester, the grade will be recorded as a WF on the official transcript (withdrawal with a grade of F). This includes dual credit courses. Deviation from this policy requires administrative approval.

7. Students may take courses under the Postsecondary Enrollment Options Act.

8. All AP (Advanced Placement) courses will be using weighted grading. This means every AP course will be graded on a five point scale instead of the normal four point scale: A = 5.0, B = 4.0, C = 3.0, D = 2.0, F = 0. This weighted grading scale will be applied retroactively to all AP courses a student has taken at UHS.

Students are encouraged to take AP courses in areas of interest. It is important for students considering signing up for these courses to realize that AP courses are much more rigorous than a standard course. In comparison to a regular course, an AP student can expect: