THE APPEAL PROCESS

Appeal Policy for Honors/Advanced Placement Classes Students who did not receive an initial recommendation for an Honors or AP level class for the next academic year failed to meet the department’s criteria for admission. However, a formal process of appeal exists for students interested in pursuing admission into an Honors or Advanced Placement course.

The following two steps must be followed by the student:

Request from the Department Chair an Appeals Form;

Fully complete the form and return it to the Department Chair by the specified deadline. Forms will not be accepted after the published deadline.

Once a student has submitted the request, the following steps will occur:

The appeal will be reviewed by the Department Chair and department members;

Students may be asked to sit for and submit a writing sample;

Students will be notified by the Department Chair of the department’s decision;

Notification could be made anytime up to the end of the school year, if the department wishes to review final grades and the final exam.

Adding/Dropping or Changing Courses

The deadlines for changing courses for 2022-2023 are as follows:

Friday, September 9, 2022: deadline for dropping a first semester-only course;

Friday, September 9, 2022: deadline for changing a year-long English course;

Friday, September 9, 2022: deadline for adding a year-long core course;

Friday, September 19, 2022: deadline for adding a first semester-only course; requires permission of the department head and Upper School Head;

Friday, September 23, 2022: deadline for dropping a year-long course;

Friday, January 20, 2023: deadline for dropping a second semester-only course

Friday, January 20, 2023: deadline for adding a second semester-only course; requires permission of the department head and Upper School Head;

In general, after the four or six week period, a student cannot drop a subject and switch into another discipline (i.e. drop a year-long math course and move into a year-long science course).

A student who drops from an AP or Honors level course to the non-AP, non-honors course will have added to the grade-to-date 3 points across all assignments in the new class at the time of the student transfer.

In special, extenuating circumstances involving documented physical or emotional health issues, a student may be permitted to drop a class after the designated deadline; however, the student must fulfill all Porter-Gaud department and credit requirements needed for graduation. Any request to drop a course for health-related issues will be reviewed by the Head of School and the Upper School Head on a case by case basis and will require medical documentation. In the case of any course change within the same department, all grades will be transferred.