Tutoring

Effective tutoring and other forms of outside assistance – whether from a teacher, a parent, a friend, or a tutor – may strengthen a student’s skills. However, such assistance should be limited to helping strengthen skills, outlining, and ideas; specifically, it must not include the actual doing of problems or the writing of essays.

Guidelines For Tutoring

1) Of particular importance in an academic community is truthfulness. The expectation that teachers, students, and parents speak the truth is absolutely essential to the conduct of instruction. With this in mind, parents promote their child’s growth to maturity when they give accurate information in all faculty-parent communications, never support their children in a lie, nor compromise their child’s integrity by doing their child’s work or employing a tutor in such a way that personal integrity is violated.

2) Before any tutor is employed, Webb first encourages students to ask for help from their teachers when difficulties or questions arise in classroom work. Webb teachers make themselves available throughout the day and after school to assist students who have questions about their school work. The access that students have to their teachers is one of the most distinguishing qualities of a Webb education. Often, this simple interaction between student and teacher resolves the difficulty and answers the student’s questions.

3) Before a faculty member recommends tutoring, he/ she must consult with his/her department chair and receive approval for the tutoring.

4) Students who employ off-campus tutors and meet with these tutors during the school day must first coordinate any such arrangement with the Upper School Learning Specialist, Lindsey Whitsett.

Incompletes

Students who receive Incompletes for a marking period must complete the work and receive their grades by the end of the first two weeks of the next grading period. The school may place students who do not fulfill the requirements necessary to resolve their Incompletes on academic restrictions. Exceptions to this policy must be approved by the Head of Upper School.

Making Up Missed Work

A student who misses taking a test on the regularly scheduled test date must make arrangements with his/ her teacher to take that missed test with his/her teacher or during either the morning or afternoon test make-up sessions.

Tests and quizzes are to be made up the next available make-up session or in a time not to exceed the number of school days missed plus one with one exception: a student who arrives late or checks out of school during the day of a test or quiz will be expected to take the missed test/quiz at the next test or make-up session. A student who fails to complete the required work in the aforementioned time period will likely receive a significant academic penalty. Students must make up all work missed in a timely way or risk losing credit for that work.

The times and locations of make-up sessions are posted at school (see chart below). Students attending these sessions must arrive promptly. The responsibility for knowing what work needs to be completed and for meeting the required schedule belongs to the student.

Academic Deficiencies

Students must receive passing grades in all courses that are required for graduation. In addition to subject requirements, Webb also requires students to enroll in five academic courses each semester. It is important to note that while a grade of D- is a passing grade for Webb School, a grade of D-, D, or D+ does have implications for sequential courses in English and World Languages. Please understand that when it is necessary to repeat a course, either during the regular school year or during the summer, a new (or second) grade does not replace the original grade on the transcript. Instead, Webb School includes the new grade on the transcript and includes the new grade in the GPA calculation.

PLEASE NOTE THE FOLLOWING:

• Students who receive a D-, D or D+ in the first semester of a sequential course must meet with the chair of that department, college counselor, and the Head of Upper School to address the situation. If the student earns a grade of C- or better for the second semester of this course, he/ she may progress on to the next class in the sequence. If a student does not earn a grade of C- or better for the second semester, they may be required to repeat the semester in either a summer school program or during the next regular school year before he/she moves on to the next course in the sequence.

• Students who receive a grade of an F for a semester in a required course must repeat that semester, either in a summer school program or during the next regular school year.

Any exceptions to the policies noted above require approval from the Head of Upper School.

Academic Warning & Academic Probation Policy

At Webb School, the processes of Academic Warning and Academic Probation serve as official notification intended to impress upon the student the seriousness of his/her academic status. As well, these processes serve to help identify strategies for improvement and to provide consistent support for such improvement. Any Upper School student who earns two or more grades of D+, D, or D- or one or more grades of F in any marking period will be placed on Academic Warning. Any student already on Academic Warning whose grades do not improve significantly by the end of the marking period will be placed on Academic Probation. Additionally, any student who displays a significant decline in achievement at any point in a marking period may be placed directly on Academic Warning or Academic Probation at the discretion of the Head of Upper School.

If a student’s academic performance becomes unsatisfactory, his/her parents will receive communication informing the family of the Academic Warning status earned by their child and the details regarding this process. This process may include some or all of the following supportive measures:

• The student and his/her parents will be expected to attend an initial meeting which may include the following faculty members: advisor, class dean, learning specialist, guidance counselor, classroom teacher(s), and Head of the Upper School.

• This academic support group is assembled to discuss the student’s academic achievement and to identify strategies for improvement. Parents are informed that if significant improvement does not occur, their child may be placed on Academic Probation.

• During this period of review, the student will be required to meet once a week with his/her advisor to ensure that the improvement plan is being followed. The advisor will also communicate with the student’s teachers, as needed, to monitor the student’s progress.

• During this period of review, the student will attend all scheduled academic support sessions that are deemed appropriate until the end of the academic marking period or until the Head of Upper School believes that there is a significant improvement in the student’s deficient course(s).

• Such support sessions may include supervised study halls, peer-tutoring appointments, extra-help sessions with teachers, and appointments at the Learning Center.

• During the period of time that a student is placed on Academic Warning or Academic Probation, the student may be restricted from participation in any or all co-curricular activities

• Furthermore, a student may also be restricted from any activity that requires the student to miss any class time (for example: field trips, early dismissal for sporting events, or fine art performances).

Any student placed on Academic Probation will remain on probation for a minimum of one marking period, but a period of time not to exceed more than one semester. Any student on Academic Warning or Academic Probation who fails to improve his/her academic status may have his/her re-enrollment contract held and must improve his/her performance or risk not being invited to return to Webb School.

Academic Restriction

Students who receive one or more grades below C- in any grading period may lose early dismissal/late arrival privileges, be required to report to study halls during all free periods, and to schedule help sessions in those subjects where difficulties are present until the completion of the first half of the next grading period, at which time their academic status will be reviewed.

Also, students who receive one or more grades of Incomplete may receive similar restrictions.

Accommodations for Students with Documented Special Needs

In most cases, students achieve success in their academic work at Webb School through in-class instruction and tutorial help that teachers provide on a daily basis throughout the school year. Certainly, one of the special qualities about Webb is the abundant care and genuine concern for students demonstrated by so many members of the faculty. However, a few students may need additional support and services beyond the normal instruction. With these few in mind, Webb offers school services for students with special needs.

First, Webb expects that all students accepted for admission can complete successfully the graduation requirements of its rigorous, college preparatory program. However, a student may have or may develop a disability, impairment, or other disorder that requires special attention and consideration by the school. If a student is or becomes eligible for special arrangements or accommodations, Webb will do all that it can to respond to these special needs. The school will make every effort to reasonably accommodate a student with a documented disability in accordance with applicable law.

At the same time, the school wants families to take responsibility and develop strategies for coping with learning differences. With this in mind, Webb works together with students, their families, teachers, and educational therapists, if needed, so that students learn to help themselves. Webb does require specific actions to be taken by families as a condition of students’ receiving special accommodations. Actions may include, but are not limited to, counseling from an educational therapist or study skills or learning specialist. The school desires for students to acquire the skills necessary to better manage their learning differences while they are in high school so that they may succeed not only in college but also in many other areas of their lives. In some exceptional cases, if a student’s needs require Webb to fundamentally alter the nature of its program, Webb may not be able to assist the student. If this should occur, a student may be asked to seek another school that can respond completely to the condition or disability.

The eligibility requirements, procedures, and accommodations for students with special needs, along with the formal application, are available from Lindsey Whitsett.

Upper School Community Service Program

Reflected in the school's Mission Statement is a commitment to nurture the individual student with, “particular focus on developments of character and leadership and commitment to service.” The Upper School Community Service Program educates students to the needs and realities of their immediate and extended community.

Opportunities are provided for personal growth and challenge, development of interpersonal relationships and leadership skills, growth in unfamiliar settings, and enhancement of academic skills.

The program serves to broaden the experience of service so that a student engages in a variety of service areas in the Upper School. It also strives to instill a commitment to the community, leadership, and initiative among the students, and to provide the knowledge base and support they need in their efforts.

Program Requirements

All students are required to complete 15 hours of community service a year, which must be completed by the last day of classes every academic year; with the exception of seniors, who must complete their service requirements by the conclusion of their spring break vacation. Students who have not completed their service hours by the deadline will need to discuss their plans for completing this requirement with the community service director.

The following activities do not constitute community service and will not receive credit:

• Assisting a relative (parents, siblings, grandparents, cousins, aunts, uncles, step-parents) or friend (babysitting, yard work)

• Participating in or preparing for a religious service

• Promoting a political candidate

• Engaging in service that fulfills a class requirement, such as performing at a theatrical or musical event or constructing a set for a theatrical event

• Direct donations to a cause

• Volunteering at a for-profit company

Students must submit a community service form within 90 days from the service opportunity. All forms must include appropriate signatures, date and hours of service, agency information, and reflections.

Standardized College Assessments Tests

PSAT/NMSQT

Webb administers the Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/ NMSQT) to all freshmen, sophomores, and juniors during October. All students are automatically registered for the PSAT, and the test is administered on the Webb campus during school time. Only juniors are eligible for the National Merit Scholarship Competition.

PreACT

The PreACT is administered to each Webb sophomore in the spring semester. Results are shared with families and advisors. The score reports serve as a baseline discussion regarding areas of strength and concern for understanding of curriculum or test-taking skills..

SAT/ACT

Most colleges and universities require applicants to submit SAT and/or ACT scores. Virtually all schools will accept scores from either test when considering students for admission. Every school places different importance on the scores and uses them in different ways. Three possible uses of the scores are to make admission decisions, to make merit scholarship decisions, and for course placement decisions.

Testing Recommendations

To fully maximize their college options, Webb students should follow the below recommendation of the College Counseling Office:

• SAT and/or ACT should be taken during the junior year, allowing the student the option of retaking the tests to improve their scores.