2011-12 High School Course Offerings - Durham Public Schools

Durham Public Schools' Academic Policies
Course Levels (Reference: State Board Policy 1028)
The chart below explains how schools weigh your grades to calculate your grade point average (GPA).
Grade
A (93-100)
B (85-92)
C (77-84)
D (70-76)
F (69 or below)
Weight
4 points
3 points
2 points
1 point
0 points
Weighting
For some courses, you may earn “quality points.” For example, a plus 1 means that if you received a B, you would earn 4 points instead
of 3 points toward your grade point average.
Level of Course
Standard, Enriched or OCS Courses
Quality Points for Weighting
No additional quality points
See chart above
Advanced, Honors, or Pre-IB courses Plus 1
Advanced Placement and IB courses Plus 2
Pre-approved college courses
At the discretion of the Principal
Academic Integrity
(Reference: Durham Public Schools Board Policy 3110)
Durham Public Schools expects all students to practice honesty,
trust, fairness, respect, and responsibility. Students must
maintain high academic standards by obeying their school's
honor code. The honor code will include specific expectations
for academic integrity and consequences for plagiarism and
cheating. Students must also adhere to Durham Public School’s
Acceptable Use Policy for computers and electronic media.
Special Note about Advanced Placement Courses
Advanced Placement (AP) courses are designed to meet the
College Board's rigorous standards for an Advanced
Placement class and be the equivalent of a college level
course for which students may, depending on the AP Exam
score, receive college credit. Extensive course guidelines are
provided by the College Board, and teachers are required to
maintain current AP authorization. Students are expected to
take the AP Exam as the culminating activity for AP courses.
Information about High School Courses
❚ Students earn 1 unit of credit for each successfully completed
course. There are some courses that require a double period
or full year to complete. You will find this information listed
with the prerequisites. Students receive additional credits for
these courses as noted.
What If My School Does Not Offer A Particular
Course
Not all courses listed in the High School Program of Studies
are offered at all schools. Check your school's registration
form to view the courses and special programs offered at
your school.
❚ All courses use the NC Standard Course of Study.
❚ The 4X4 block schedule gives students the opportunity to take
more than one course in a year in any content area.
❚ Important information about content areas is outlined at the
beginning of each section.
❚ Honors courses require students to demonstrate a high level of
academic rigor, manage complex assignments, and move at a
faster pace.
8 www.dpsnc.net