SCHOLASTIC CREDITS
Credits are recorded in semester periods. Ten semester periods are equal to one Carnegie Unit; five semester periods equal to one-half Carnegie Unit.

STUDENT CLASS LOAD
A student must carry a minimum of six classes throughout the school year except by special permission of the Academic Standards Committee. Two music classes equal one academic class.

Students desiring for more than 70 credits per year must petition the Academic Standards Committee. Should the request be granted, the student must maintain a satisfactory scholastic grade average. The faculty reserves the right to make adjustments in a student’s load. Grades, work load and health will determine the number of credits a student is allowed to take.

ADDING AND DROPPING CLASSES
Student program changes must begin in the Registrar’s Office and must include permission from parents for any schedule change.

Adding or transferring a class may occur during the first two weeks of each semester. A student may drop a class, without penalty, within the first six weeks of the semester. Classes dropped after six weeks of the semester will be given a Withdraw Pass (WP) or Withdraw Fail (WF). Classes dropped after the 16th week are given a grade of F.

Performance-oriented classes, such as choir, select choir, band, drama, publications, gymnastics, which are dropped after the first six weeks of the first semester will be given a grade of F. There is NO DROP option at second semester for these performance-oriented classes.

COLLEGE ENTRANCE REQUIREMENTS
Because admission policies vary significantly, students are encouraged to contact their chosen college or university regarding specific admission requirements.


GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS
A minimum of 250 semester periods must be successfully completed to qualify for graduation. Changes in program of studies may be announced as recommendations are made by the Pacific Union Conference Board of Education, the Arizona Conference Board of Education, or the Arizona State Board of Education. Graduation requirements listed are the graduation requirements for the current year.

Seniors are required to reach 9.0 grade equivalency on the standardized achievement test (ITED) in reading, written communication and mathematical skills. Freshmen not completing the reading and math competency test at a satisfactory level may be required to enroll in appropriate remedial classes.

	STANDARD DIPLOMA	COLLEGE PREP DIPLOMA
Religion	40 Credits	40 Credits
(10 credits for each year in attendance at an SDA secondary school)
English	40 Credits	40 Credits
Mathematics	20 Credits	30 or 40 credits*
Laboratory Science	20 Credits	30 or 40 credits*
Modern Language	--------	20 credits
History	30 Credits	30 credits
Health	5 Credits	5 credits
Physical Education	30 Credits	30 credits
(20 credits may be earned from Varsity Sports)
Keyboarding/Computer Skills	10 credits	10 credits
Practical Arts	10 credits	10 credits
Fine Arts	10 credits	20 credits
Work Experience	5 credits	5 credits
Electives	30 credits
TOTALS	250 credits	280 credits
** To receive a College Preparatory Diploma, the student must have a minimum of 30 credits of math and 40 credits of laboratory science OR 40 credits of math and 30 credits of laboratory science.

GRADUATING WITH HONORS
Students with a cumulative GPA of 3.5 – 3.74 through the first semester of their senior year will be graduated with honors. Those with a GPA of 3.75 or higher will be graduated with high honors.

CLASS MEMBERSHIP
Class membership is determined by the number of credits the student has earned in high school. Students who successfully complete the graduation requirements will be granted a secondary diploma.

SENIORS: To be eligible to join and continue in the senior class the student must meet the following:

• Be in full-time attendance the final semester of the senior year.
  
  
• Met the school’s graduation requirements.
  
  
• Placed all credits from other schools on file in the Registrar’s Office.
  
  
• Removed all incompletes.
  
  
• Completed all correspondence work and submitted final grades to the Registrar’s Office on or before May 1 of the senior year.
  
  
• Exhibited satisfactory conduct and attendance in classes and work.

JUNIORS, SOPHOMORES AND FRESHMAN : To be eligible to join and continue in these classes the student must meet the following:

• Be taking enough class work to have earned at least 120, 100, or 50 credits by the end of the junior, sophomore, or freshmen year, respectively.
  
  
• Have completed all major course work appropriate for the grade.
  
  
• Have official transcript of previous course work on file in the registrar’s office (including any correspondence courses).

GRADES

LETTER GRADE	GRADE POINT
A	4.00
A-	3.70
B+	3.3
B	3.00
B-	2.70
C+	2.30
C	2.00
C-	1.70
D+	1.30
D	1.00
D-	0.30
F	.00
I	INCOMPLETE
AU	AUDIT
WP	WITHDRAW PASS
WF	WITHDRAW FAIL
P	PASSING
NM	NO MARK

GRADE REPORTS
The academic year is divided into two semesters. Only semester grades are recorded on the student’s permanent transcript.

Grade reports are issued to the student and parent/guardian at the end of each nine-week period. Progress reports are issued at the third and sixth week of each quarter for all students. Teachers are encouraged to send progress grade reports for their classes on a weekly basis to Edline where students and parents/guardians may access progress reports online.

• Progress reports indicate the current level of academic performance and may guide the student in completing the course requirements. These grades are not recorded on the permanent record nor do they affect the cumulative GPA.
  
  
• Final grades are given at the end of each semester and are recorded on the student’s transcript. It is from these grades that the student’s cumulative GPA is figured.

INCOMPLETES
A grade of incomplete (I) may be given when, for legitimate reasons, such as: illness or death in the immediate family, the student has been unable to satisfactorily complete the requirements of the course. The teacher will establish the deadlines for making up incompletes but may not exceed three weeks from the time the grade is given. The student must make arrangements with the teacher to complete the course requirements. Incompletes must be removed within the next three-week period. At the end of the three weeks, a grade will be computed on the completed work.

POOR GRADES — ACADEMIC PROBATION
GENERAL ACADEMIC PROBATION: Students receiving the following grades: two D's or One F — will be placed on General Academic Probation. As a result, the student will meet with the Guidance Counselor, Registrar or Principal.

CRITICAL ACADEMIC PROBATION: Students receiving the following grades: three or more D's, or One D and One F, or Two or more F's — will be placed on Critical Academic Probation. As a result, the student will meet with the Guidance Counselor, Registrar or Principal and not miss any classes or study halls to participate in tours, varsity sports, trips or organizational activities.

Students who continue to fail multiple courses may be entered into remedial programs, or asked to withdraw from school.

CORRESPONDENCE COURSES AND SUMMER SCHOOL
Thunderbird Adventist Academy may choose to not accept correspondence, summer school or other non-resident credit taken by any enrolled student unless the course work has been authorized by the Academic Standards Committee prior to enrolling in the course. Correspondence courses or summer school may not be taken in place of regular courses offered by Thunderbird Adventist Academy.

If correspondence courses are taken during the summer, the course(s) should be completed before fall registration. Correspondence courses taken in the senior year must be completed by the beginning of the second semester.

When, due to unavoidable conflict in a student’s program, a correspondence course is approved, it will count as part of the regular class load.

HOME SCHOOLED CREDITS
Home-schooled students must provide information showing that they have completed the 8th grade level. Such data should be recorded on a transcript or a Course Verification Sheet (available from the academy registrar) and may also include standardized test scores, report cards, evidence of teacher lesson plans, portfolios, list of textbooks used, correspondence courses, etc.

Thunderbird Adventist Academy has the authority to administer tests to determine a student’s knowledge and may reduce the amount of accepted credit. Secondary grades from home schools may be recorded as passing with no letter grade applied.

FOREIGN LANGUAGE CREDIT BY EXAMINATION
Students who are native speakers of, or have had extensive exposure to, the foreign language currently in the Thunderbird Adventist Academy curriculum may qualify to challenge those courses. This option is not meant to take the place of formal instruction for the majority of students. A $50 fee will be charged for this examination.

Generally, the student will take a one-time examination and receive Pass/Fail credit. The student will be allowed to review prior to taking the examination and must pass the examination at 75% or better to receive credit.

Occasionally, a student will need credit be examination with a specific letter grade designation. The student must petition the Academic Standards Committee for this type of credit. A grade will be assigned on the usual grading scale.