HORACE MANN SCHOOL FAMILY HANDBOOK

Upper DivisionIn the Upper Division, a student’s progress is measured in terms of academic progress,behavior, and citizenship. Concerns are often first identified and raised early in the student’sninth grade year. When a student is struggling academically, he or she progresses fromAcademic Alert to Academic Probation as outlined above. The School can dismiss a studentmid-year when he or she fails to fulfill specific probationary conditions set by the grade dean.The Head of the Upper Division may also counsel parents to withdraw the student at mid-yearwhen it is unlikely that Horace Mann will retain the student for the following year or permitpromotion to the next grade level.The Head of the Upper Division may withhold a contract for the following year basedupon the recommendation of the Dean of Student Life. Such steps are more likely when a studenthas had serious academic problems (more than two letter graders of D or more than one lettergrade of F) for more than one trimester; when a student fails a course needed for graduationcredit and does not make it up within the subsequent academic year; when a student has had tomake up more than two graduation-credit courses, or when the student’s teachers and facultyadvisor feel that the student’s academic objectives can be met better at another school.In the Upper Division, a student whose conduct in class keeps a teacher from teaching orother students from learning, as well as a student whose conduct in the community at largeinterferes with the successful experience of others, will be counseled out or may be dismissedmid-year.Dismissal, withdrawal or the withholding of a contract represents the most serious finalconsequences of academic or other disciplinary processes. Prior to such action, the parents andthe School will have engaged in correspondence, meetings, and a plan for remediation. TheSchool reserves the right to terminate a child’s contract based on the unacceptable behavior of aparent as outlined in the Enrollment Contract. This unfortunate situation occurs when a parent’sconduct in the community interferes with the teacher’s ability to teach other students and allowothers to experience a successful experience at school.Right to AppealIn all instances in which a Division Head has determined that a student will be dismissedor will not be issued a contract for the following year, the family has the right to appeal thedecision to the Head of School, whose decision is final.32