Academic Policy
The curriculum of De La Salle Institute is designed to provide the student with a comprehensive education rooted firmly in the traditions of the Catholic faith. The sequence of courses is designed to develop the student spiritually, academically, artistically and physically.

Since De La Salle is a comprehensive high school, the curriculum is structured to provide a thorough education, while meeting the individual needs of the student. To provide such an education, De La Salle offers a wide range of programs leading to the diploma. The De La Salle curriculum includes an Honors Program, a College Preparatory Program, and a General Studies Program. A full description of the curriculum may be found in the Curriculum Guide published annually.

HONORS PROGRAM
Honors Program students will be required to take six classes each year and a minimum of five Honors Classes as specified in the Curriculum Guide. In addition, two years of science are required: honors biology and either chemistry or physics. To graduate with an Honors diploma, the student must also maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.50 or above and successfully complete the Independent Honors Research Project (SS259).

COLLEGE PREPARATORY PROGRAM
De La Salle offers a program to prepare students for college work. The courses and sequences listed in the Curriculum Guide are designed to provide the student with sufficient background for a college education.

THE GENERAL STUDIES PROGRAM
The General Studies Program is designed to provide students with the opportunity to study college preparatory courses at a less rigorous pace. It is designed to prepare the student for entrance into college, junior college, professional school and/or the workplace.

GUIDELINES FOR A SIXTH SUBJECT
A student may take a sixth subject upon the approval of his/her guidance counselor and the assistant principal, in addition to any required departmental approval. This approval will be based on the student's ability to handle an extra class, as demonstrated in his/her previous academic performance. Placement in the course depends on availability during the student's free period. The course will increase the student's tuition.

REQUIREMENTS FOR GRADUATION
The following 23 credits are required for graduation:
  • 6.5 credits Division of Social Sciences - to be distributed in the following way
    6.0 credits (Class of 2008):
    • 3.5 credits in Religion (4 years of Religion) (Class of 2008, 3.0 credits)
    • 1.0 credit in World History
    • 1.5 credit in U.S. History (includes American Government & Constitution Exam)
    • 0.5 credit in Consumer Ed/Word Processing

  • 6.5 credits Division of Language Arts -to be distributed in the following way:
    • 4.0 credits in English
    • 2.0 credits in Foreign Language
    • 0.5 credit in Fine Arts

  • 6.0 credits Division of Applied Sciences -to be distributed in the following way:
    • 3.0 credits in Mathematics
    • 2.0 credits in Science (includes 1.0 credit in Biology)
    • 1.0 credit in Physical Education

  • 4.0 credits in Elective Courses -included, but not limited to: math, science, drawing, electronics, chorus, drama, band, art, accounting, law, language and history.
    4.5 credits (Class of 2008)
Transfer students to De La Salle are subject to the requirements listed on their individual Academic Agreement filed by the Assistant Principal. If a student transfers from a public school to De La Salle, the requirement for religion is waived for the time spent in public school.

PARTICIPATION IN GRADUATION
In order to participate in the graduation exercises, a student has to have met all the requirements listed above. Students deficient in any credits or failing any senior courses, whether required or elective, will not be allowed to participate in the graduation exercises.

PROMOTION
A student's promotion from year to year is based upon the satisfactory completion of all courses in which he/she is enrolled in the academic year.

SOPHOMORE YEAR
6.0 credits in all required subjects for the previous year.

JUNIOR YEAR
12 credits in all required subjects for the previous years.

SENIOR YEAR
17.5 credits in all required subjects for the previous years.

GRADUATION
23 credits including all required subjects and passing grades in all senior classes.

A student deficient in credits and/or failing any classes for the semester must make up those classes in De La Salle's Summer School. This includes non-required extra subjects that the student may take. The student must attend summer school the year he/she fails in order to return to De La Salle the following year.
A student deficient in any credit may not return or be admitted to De La Salle.
A senior who is deficient in credit may be given special permission by the Assistant Principal to attend night school to make up deficiencies in order to graduate. In order to participate in the graduation ceremonies, a student must have all requirements completed. Enrollment in a night school course at the time of graduation does not ensure participation in the ceremony. The final transcript from the night school must be on file with the Assistant Principal in order to participate in graduation.

GRADES
The grades issued on the report card have the following meanings:

  • A - (93-100%) This is the highest achievement in the subject being rated.
  • B — (85-92%) This grade indicates performance of above average quality.
  • C — (76-84%) This grade indicates accomplishment with an average grasp of the subject.
  • D — (70-75%) This grade indicates a deficiency in the mastery of knowledge and skills of the course.
  • F — (below 70%) This grade indicates that the student has not fulfilled the minimum requirements of the course. A student with a grade of “F” receives no credit for the course.
  • I — Incomplete is not a grade. It is used only in the case of a student who has not met the minimum requirements of the course due to circumstances beyond his/her control. An incomplete automatically becomes failure unless the work is completed during the following three weeks of school or unless the time is extended by the Assistant Principal.
  • WP or WF — (Withdrew Passing or Withdrew Failing) This grade is issued to a student who has dropped a class and has maintained a passing average (WP) or a failing average (WF). Neither grade generates credit and such a grade cannot count in Grade Point Average (GPA) nor toward graduation. Application for a WP or WF grade must be made before the end of the sixth week of the semester. The schedule change fee applies in this case. Required subjects and required electives that are dropped must be made up in summer school. Withdrawal dates are listed on the calendar.
    The school is on a quarterly report card system. Therefore, the final grade is a weighted average of the first and second quarter grades and the semester exam of each semester. The two quarter grades are worth a total of 75% of the grade and the semester exams are worth 25% of the grade. Two successive F grades in either the two quarters or the last quarter and the semester exam will result in a semester failure.
MID-QUARTER REPORTS
At approximately midpoint in the grading period, teachers complete a special report for all students. These reports are to be taken home to the student's parents for a signature. A copy of the report is sent to the student's counselor. Parents should make every effort to contact the teacher and follow his/her suggestions for the student's improvement. The dates of these notices are on the calendar.

GRADE QUALITY POINTS
De La Salle has five levels of courses according to the content and ability level. To maintain the ranking process of an equitable level for all categories, a distinction is made in assigning quality points for each level. The levels and quality points are listed below.

  • Honors Course - Students taking this level are expected to do work of superior quality in a course of accelerated material. (A-5.0, B-4.0, C-3.0, D-1.0, F-0)
  • Advanced Course - Students in this course are expected to be of above average ability and perform accordingly in a course of advanced content. (A-4.5, B-3.5, C-2.0, D-1.0, F-0)
  • Regular Course - This is an average level high school course and students are expected to do the average work required of a high school student. (A-4.0, B-3.0, C-2.0, D-1.0, F-0)
  • General Course - This is a course which is at the basic level and designed for the students who have some difficulty in the particular area covered. (A-3.75, B-2.75, C-2.0, D-1.0, F-0)
    The level designation of particular courses may be found in the Curriculum Guide published annually.
GRADE POINT AVERAGE
The grade point average (GPA) that appears on the report card is the average grade of the student for the entire time he/she has been in high school. This average is based on an A being equal to 4.00, a B being equal to 5.00, a C being equal to 2.00 and a D being equal to 1.00

CLASS RANK
The class rank tells how the student has done in comparison with all the other students in that grade. Students are ranked on the basis of their semester grades.

HONOR ROLL
Honor Roll is based on letter grades, not grade point average. “A” Honor Roll - Four “A’s” and the remainder of grades “B”. “B” Honor Roll- “B” Average and no grade lower than “C”. No “U” Application Grades.

FAILURES
A student who receives a grade of “F” for the semester is required to make up that semester's work in De La Salle's Summer School during the following summer.

In some courses, second semester work is so closely dependent upon the material mastered during the first semester that success in the second semester indicates a mastery of the material from the first semester. Hence, a student who attains at least a “C” in the second semester in a foreign language, science, accounting, mathematics, or technical drawing, after having failed the course for a first semester can have the failure removed and a “D” given for each semester.

SCHEDULE CHANGES
Schedule changes must be made BEFORE the beginning of each semester. Applications can be picked up from the Assistant Principal's office. There is a $40.00 processing charge. No changes will be made once the semester begins.

TRANSCRIPTS
A transcript is the official record of a student's grades, standardized test scores, and grade point average. This official record is kept for sixty (60) years after the student graduates, transfers or permanently withdraws from school. These records are destroyed after the sixty-year period.
The student or parent/guardian (if student has not reached legal age) may request copies of the student's permanent record any time before the destruction of his/her record. These requests must be made in writing to the school registrar and be accompanied by the transcript fee of $5.00 per copy. No transcripts will be sent unless all financial obligations to the school have been met.

TRANSFER STUDENTS
The following policies regarding credits will be used when evaluating the status of transfer students.
  1. If a student transfers from a public school, the requirement for religion is waived for the time they attended the public school.
  2. If the student transfers from a Catholic high school which offers only one-half credit of religion per year, the one full credit requirement is waived for the time he/she attended the other Catholic school.
  3. A student must have passed physical education each year that he/she took it at the previous school. If a school did not require physical education in a given year, De La Salle waives the requirement for that year.
  4. Electives not offered at De La Salle are counted as electives toward graduation, if the student's previous school so counted them.
  5. All other requirements for graduation from De La Salle must be taken and passed.
  6. All transfer students, having fulfilled all academic requirements for admittance to De La Salle, will be admitted on Transfer Student Probation.
  7. All transfer students and their parents are required to read and be familiar with the Student Handbook in the area of Conduct and Discipline.
  8. All transfer students and their parents are required to meet with the Principal and sign a statement indicating that they, and their parents, have read the section in the Student Handbook on Conduct and Discipline, and are willing to follow all policies and procedures to the letter, concerning Conduct and Discipline here at De La Salle.

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY
De La Salle students are warned against cheating or plagiarism of any kind on all academic work including standardized examinations. Failure to abide by this will result in zero or no credit for that test or assignment. This generally leads to a failing grade for that quarter or for the semester average. Repeated offenses could lead to expulsion

SCHOLASTIC INELIGIBILITY
Students who have two or more failures when grades are posted at the end of first and/or third quarter are ineligible to participate in any extra-curricular activities or sports. Ineligibility includes practices, games, or club meetings and activities. Students may apply to the Assistant Principal for reinstatement ten school days after grades are posted.
Students who have two or more failures when grades are posted at the end of the first and/or second semester are ineligible to participate in any extra-curricular activities or sports. Ineligibility includes practices, games, or club meetings and activities, and continues until grades are made up in De La Salle Summer School.
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