Academic Program Guide

Southridge High School is on a semester system, with two 18 week grading periods. The school day runs from 7:45 AM until 2:30 PM. Students attend four approximately 90 minute classes each day. On “A” days students attend their odd number classes, periods 1,3,5 and 7. On “B” days students attend their even number classes 2, Seminar or Advisory, 4, and 6. Each class, periods 1-7, earns .5 credit each semester toward the 24 credits required for graduation. Classes meet either for one semester or a full year.

Academic GPA

Regular grade point average (GPA) is computed on a 4-point scale with the following point values awarded per grade: A = 4, B = 3, C = 2, D = 1, and F = 0. In addition, a second “weighted” GPA will also be calculated for students. “Weighting” a grade adds to the grade point value earned in certain courses. In the Beaverton system, grades of A, B, and C earned in AP, IB and Dual Credit classes earn an extra grade point. Therefore, an “A” in a weighted class yields 5 grade points (4 points for the “A” and 1 more point as a weighted “bonus”), a “B” yields 4 grade points, and a “C” yields 3 grade points.

Athletic/Activity Eligibility

Class Attendance

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)

At the high school level, once a student turns 18, all the rights that once belonged to his or her parents transfer to the student. However, a secondary school may still provide an eligible student’s parents with access to education records, without the student’s consent, if the student is claimed as a dependent for IRS tax purposes. Other exceptions to FERPA’s general consent rule may also apply, such as disclosures to parents or emergency responders in a health or safety emergency. Another exception is the disclosure of “directory information”. FERPA defines “directory information” as information contained in the education records of a student that would not generally be considered harmful or an invasion of privacy if disclosed. Typically, directory information includes information such as name, address, telephone number, date of birth, participation in officially recognized activities and sports, and dates of attendance. The primary purpose of directory information is to allow the school to include this type of information in certain school publications. Examples include:

A program, showing a student’s role in a drama production;
The yearbook;
Honor roll or other recognition lists;
Graduation programs; and
Sports activity sheets, such as for wrestling, showing weight and height of team members.

Directory information can also be disclosed to outside organizations without a parent’s prior written consent. The annual enrollment verification sheet we send home each August allows parents to decline to provide student names and addresses to military and/or college recruiters. If you do not want Southridge High School to disclose directory information from your child’s education records without your prior written consent, you must annually notify the school in writing within the first two weeks of school.

Grading

Grading involves an evaluation of student achievement, and is guided by requirements for reporting on student academic achievement. The intent is to measure where a student currently stands in mastering a long-term target. Many of our classes use a standards-based grading process. Through a standards-based grading process, various types of information and measures of students' performance -- such as numbers based on a 1-4 continuum -- are converted into grades. The numbers reflect how a student is performing on particular learning targets within a given subject. The number 4 is considered “highly proficient” and 1 is “developing.” The school district has created a summary judgment chart that explains how many 4s are needed for a student to receive an overall grade of A on a report card or how many 1s might equal an F. However, individual teachers determine how students will demonstrate their learning and how their progress will determine the letter grade.

NCAA Athletic Requirements

The NCAA Eligibility Center is an organization that clears student athletes for initial eligibility in NCAA division I and II athletic programs. If you are a student athlete with aspirations for college athletics, it is important to note that your athletic eligibility in college will be tied to your performance and completion of required classes in high school, as well as to your graduation from high school. For specific information and requirements, log onto the NCAA eligibility site. Note also that it is a student and/or parent’s responsibility to determine college athletic and eligibility requirements, and not the responsibility of the Southridge staff, coaches, or athletic department. Generally, any online courses do not count.

Preparation for College

Southridge is committed to preparing all students for college and career readiness. College entrance requirements vary greatly. For enrollment in a four-year college, students and parents are encouraged to work with the admissions offices of the colleges they are considering. Two of the many resources out there to help with this process are College Navigator, a federal website that allows you to search the country for schools based on your criteria, and the College Board website, which contains much college comparison information.

Students applying to the State of Oregon universities must submit college entrance test scores (SAT or ACT) and should have completed at least 14 credits in college prep classes. Students should have completed at least four years of college prep English, three years of math, three years of science, three years of social studies, and two years of a second language. For more information about choosing and applying to a public university in Oregon, visit websites of the individual the Oregon universities (Oregon State University, University of Oregon, Portland State University, Oregon Institute of Technology, Western Oregon University, Southern Oregon University, and Eastern Oregon University.

College can be a challenging academic setting. To further prepare for college:

Read ...

Everything you can that relates to college planning and admissions. Seek out information about colleges and universities in the College and Career Center and online.

Talk ...

To college representatives who visit Southridge High School each year. These visitations by college representatives are held in the library; the dates and times are posted outside the library or on our website. You are welcome to attend any of the college visitations; however, you must pre-arrange class absences beforehand. These visitations are also open to sophomores and juniors, not just seniors. It is never too early to start asking questions or inquiring about your future.

Watch ...

Deadline dates carefully for SAT/ACT tests, financial aid and scholarship applications, college conferences, and admissions deadlines.

Take ...

Advantage of college campus open house dates. These programs and dates are most often advertised on college websites.

Seal of Biliteracy

Southridge High School students have the opportunity to receive the State of Oregon's Seal of Biliteracy. The Seal of Biliteracy is an award given in recognition of students who have studied and attained proficiency in two or more languages by the time they graduate. It is intended to help students recognize the value of their academic success and promote the benefits of being bilingual. Any student who scores a four (4) or higher on the HL IB Spanish or French test, or completes the non-IB pathway requirements will receive the Seal of Biliteracy. More information about the Beaverton School District’s Seal of Biliteracy is here.

Transcripting Outside Courses

Valedictorian Criteria

In most years, Southridge will name a single valedictorian. Per School Board policy, Beaverton schools have the flexibility to tailor eligibility and criteria to the site, but criteria will include at minimum: GPA, academic integrity, and rigorous course-taking. Accordingly, Southridge’s criteria includes incorporating academic, leadership and citizenship components. Current criteria also includes:

Hold the highest cumulative weighted GPA (subject to review in cases of identical or nearly identical GPAs; GPAs in weighted classes will be re-calculated to create an equitable comparison);
Also hold an unweighted GPA of 4.0;
Complete every component of the Southridge Scholar criteria listed above;
Meet approval of the valedictorian selection committee (appointed by the principal). Graduating students must have completed at least one year at Southridge to be eligible for consideration as valedictorian. In the case of identical or nearly identical cumulative GPA averages, the valedictorian(s) will be selected by a designated staff valedictorian selection committee and approved by the principal. The valedictorian honor is not noted on the official transcript or diploma, but is recognized at graduation.

Weighted Grades

Students graduating from Beaverton high schools have both a regular grade point average (GPA) and a weighted GPA on their academic transcripts. “Weighting” a grade adds to the GPA earned in certain courses. In the Beaverton system, grades of A, B, and C earned in weighted classes will earn an extra grade point. Therefore, an “A” in a weighted class yields 5 grade points (4 points for the “A” and 1 more point as a weighted “bonus”), a “B” will yield 4 grade points, and a “C” will yield 3 grade points. A student’s GPA is a number calculated using two factors: credits earned and “grade points”, which are awarded to letter grades.

See the district weighted courses list for all courses in the Beaverton School District (not just those at Southridge HS) that receive weighted grades. At Southridge High School, all International Baccalaureate (IB) and Advanced Placement (AP) courses are weighted. Also, Writing 121 through the PSU Challenge Program is weighted.

While students may enroll in additional courses at a college level for enrichment, such courses are not transcripted or considered for GPA purposes. As a high school transcript is a reflection of the work students are doing toward high school graduation or toward a specific high school program of study, off campus courses are transcripted only if the course is needed in order to attain enough credits to graduate (e.g., credit recovery).

The Beaverton School District does not display a student's class rank on the school transcript. This includes both numerical rank and percentile rank. When required for a scholarship or school application, students can request, in writing, this information from the counseling department.

Withdrawing/Dropping from a Course

Students are expected to complete any course, required or elective, in which they are enrolled. Schedule changes will only be made during the first 6 days at the start of each semester, when students are given their schedules. Schedule changes will only be made for students who are missing a class, for students who are placed in the wrong level of class, or for those who need a class to graduate (provided there is space available in the newly requested class). Schedules will not be changed for teacher or lunch preference. Any course dropped after the first six days of any semester is recorded on a student’s transcript as “W/F” (Withdrawal/Fail), which counts against a student’s GPA.

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