Academics

Course Selection - Add/Drop Policy

Course Selection Process

For all returning students, the selection of classes for the upcoming year will take place during the latter part of the spring semester. 

All students will receive an email from the Counseling Department with a link to a Microsoft form to make their course selections. 

To access this year’s Curriculum Guide, please log into Blackbaud and click on the Resources tab. All new courses will be marked with an asterisk.

IN ORDER TO REGISTER FOR CLASSES FOR THE UPCOMING YEAR, ALL FINANCIAL OBLIGATIONS TO THE SCHOOL FOR THE CURRENT YEAR MUST BE MET.  

Schedules will be completed by mid-July and will be available through Blackbaud to students.  Students and parents may not make teacher requests.  There will be no schedule changes granted for the purpose of changing teachers, changing periods, or a change in elective courses that directly impacts core courses. 

Please note that every course listed in the St. John XXIII College Preparatory Course Selection Guide may not be offered every academic year.  Course offerings for any given year are determined by the number of students requesting entrance to specific classes.  Classes that have less than ten students requesting entrance may not be offered.
 

List of 4 items.

  • Course Levels

    Many academic courses are offered at two levels of ability, with a few offered at three.
    Level placement is based on testing results, course performance, teacher recommendation, administrative approval, student request and parent support.

    College Preparatory (CP) – College Preparatory courses are designed to ensure that students have the necessary foundation to perform successfully in the typical college or university setting.
     
    Honors (H) – Honor courses are designed to prepare students for AP level courses and are more in-depth and move at a faster pace than CP level. Students work independently and cover more material than in the CP level.
     
    Advanced Placement (AP) – Advanced Placement level courses are available in Biology, Calculus, Chemistry, Computer Science, English, European History, Government, Physics, Spanish, Statistics, Studio Art, U.S. History, and World History. By enrolling in an AP course at St. John XXIII College Preparatory, the expectation is that students must sit for the AP exam in May. Students are to remain enrolled in an AP Course for the full school year unless there are extenuating circumstances (a grade 70 or lower) at the end of each grading period. Understanding that athletic competitions at the State level may interfere with the exam dates in May, students will be required to sit for late testing. The cost of regularly scheduled and/or late testing exams is the responsibility of the student. If, for whatever reason, a student does not sit for a regularly scheduled or late testing AP Exam, their AP course weighting will be forfeited on their transcript.


  • Honors and Advanced Placement Course Placement Criteria

    Placement and credit for these courses may begin in grade nine, using the following guidelines:

    1. Grades:
    • Entry into an upper level course, requires a minimum class average of 90 for semester 1 and through Quarter 3 in a CP course (i.e. CP Algebra I to Honors Geometry).
    • Continuing in an upper level course requires a minimum class average of 85 for semester 1 and through Quarter 3 (i.e. Honors Geometry to Honors Algebra II).
    2. Test Scores: Scoring at or above the 90th percentile in the particular subject area of nationally normed test(s) like the PSAT, SAT, HSPT, ISEE, etc.
     
    3. Teacher recommendation: Specific to the department and subject area

    4. Student desire and parental support
     
    Students will remain in an upper level course for the entire year unless the student’s grade average at the end of the first semester, falls below a 70 or by recommendation for a course level change by the teacher and the Department Chair.

  • Appeals Process

    For additional consideration, there is an appeals process for upper level course placement. All appeals must be submitted to the Appeals Committee (placementappeals@sj23lions.org) no later than May 15. Appeals will be reviewed by the Appeals Committee and notifications of decisions will be communicated by the middle of June. In some cases, the final semester grade will be required for placement. The decision of the Appeals Committee is final.

  • Dropping - Adding Courses

    Schedule change requests may be made with each grade level counselor as follows:
    • Two-weeks prior to the start of the school year
    • The first two-weeks after the start of the school year

St. John XXIII College Preparatory

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Our Mission
St. John XXIII College Preparatory forms the hearts and minds of young men and women in a Christ-centered community dedicated to academic excellence, the pursuit of virtue, and service to others in the Tradition of the Catholic Church.