Liberty Central School District

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Liberty High School Program of Studies

Level/Placement Selection

Teacher recommendations for courses and course levels are valuable information for students and their parents/guardians to consider in the course planning process.  The basis for placement into an Honors and College course is teacher recommendation and average in current subject area.  In order to receive a recommendation for an Honors-level course, the student must have a 90 average in a Regents-level course or 85 in an Honors-level course.  The student must also demonstrate good attendance, work habits, and higher level thinking skills.  Placement in Advanced Placement courses complies with standards specified in the course offering section of this booklet.  All students who sign up for Advanced Placement (AP level) courses must take the AP exam offered by the College Board in May. 

Students placed in an Honors-level course without teacher recommendation will be on a five-week probationary basis.  If the student is not achieving satisfactorily at the end of the five-week probationary period for Advanced Placement or Honors-level courses, the school counselor will place him/her in a more appropriate placement according to his/her ability.

Course/Schedule Changes

Students must carry a minimum of 5.5 units of credit including physical education annually.  However, the majority of students carry additional units to proceed with their class, meet graduation requirements, pursue advanced study, etc.  Liberty High School students will follow these procedures for adding and withdrawing from courses (see Add/Withdraw Request Form).

Adding Courses

A student may add a one-semester course (September-January or February-June) within the first five days of the semester.  A student may add a full-year course within the first ten days of the course.  The student may only add courses with the permission of the parent/guardian, teacher, and school counselor.

Withdrawing from Courses

A student may withdraw from a one-semester course (September-January or February-June), within the first five days of the school year.  The student will not receive a grade nor will any penalty apply.  A student may withdraw from a full-year course within the first ten days of the course.  The student may only withdraw from courses with the permission of the parent/guardian, teacher, and school counselor.  The student will not receive a grade nor will any penalty apply. 

After the first five days of a one-semester course or the first ten days of a full-year course, a student may add/withdraw from a course when the student, the student’s parent/guardian, the course teacher, and the school counselor agree that withdrawing from the course is in the student’s best interest.  The Building Principal must grant approval PRIOR to making the changes.  If the add/withdraw request receives approval from the Building Principal, the grade will show on the student’s report card followed by a W/P if the student is passing and W/F if the student is failing.  The unweighted grade will be included for both the marking period average and class rank for that year.  All students must maintain five credits plus physical education. 

  1. Independent Study courses follow the same add/withdraw procedure as regular courses.
  2. The final decision regarding the adding and withdrawing from all courses rests with the high school principal.

Progress Reports

The school issues progress reports, which indicate both satisfactory and unsatisfactory academic performance, to students and parent/guardian(s) at the midpoint of each of the four ten-week marking periods.  It is the prerogative; however, of each teacher to issue a progress report at any time during the school year.

Report Cards

The school issues report cards at the end of each of the four ten-week marking periods.  Parent/Guardian(s) should note not only the marking period grade but also the teachers’ comments regarding effort, attendance, and conduct.  The school strongly recommends that, at a minimum, parent/guardian(s) contact appropriate teachers with questions and/or concerns.

Parent/Teacher Conferences take place once during each of the two semesters.  Parents, at that time, will have an opportunity to have individual conferences regarding the academic progress of their child.  Parent/Teacher Conferences can also occur at any time by calling the Guidance Department or a building administrator to set up a scheduled conference with one teacher or a number of teachers.

Alternative Means of Earning Credit

In addition to enrollment in courses of study, students may earn credit toward a diploma through enrollment in college courses, community study, work-study, credit by examination, independent study, and summer school programs.

College Courses

Seniors wishing to take college courses for high school credit and/or supplement the high school curriculum may make this request of their school counselor.  You must request written permission to take college courses for high school credit from the High School Principal, who specifies the number of high school credits allowed upon successful completion of the college course.  The student receives one-half unit of high school credit for satisfactory completion of a one semester, three-credit college course.  A student may not take a college-level course if LHS offers a similar course.

Independent Study

Students may elect to earn high school credit on an independent study basis provided we offer the course, and they enter into a written agreement (standard form) signed by all parties (student, parent/guardian, teacher, school counselor, and high school principal), which identifies the specific areas of study, time allocation, procedures, credit to be awarded, and manner of evaluation.  All independent study courses will follow the same rules as all other courses (add/withdraw policy, grading, exams, etc.). There are no independent study options for college courses. The form is available in the Guidance office and the student must complete the form prior to the start of the course.

Summer School Programs

Students have the opportunity to attend the Liberty Summer School Program to make up failed courses and earn credit for these courses, provided they have achieved at least a 60 overall average during the regular school year and they have a maximum of 18 unexcused absences.  Students may also earn credit for accelerated courses by attending summer schools offering accelerated courses in nearby communities.  Students should finalize summer school plans with school counselors before enrollment in summer school.

Early Graduation

Occasionally, it is in the best educational and personal interests of a student to complete diploma requirements in less than four years. A student who is interested in graduating early must:

  1. Indicate interest in early graduation to his/her school counselor by midyear of the second year of high school study. The teacher, counselor, and principal recommendation form should be completed in the month of  May, of  9th or 10th grade.
  2. Discuss with their school counselor:
    • School achievement to date
    • Post-secondary plans
    • Career goals
    • Benefits of early graduation
    • Plan for completing diploma requirements in three or three and one-half years
  3. Complete a Liberty High School Request for Early Graduation Application with the assistance of their school counselor.
  4. Participate in a conference with their parent/guardian and the high school principal to discuss the request for early graduation.

Within one month following the student-parent-principal conference, the high school principal will notify the student and the parent/guardian of the decision regarding early graduation.

Grading System and Calculation of Cumulative Averages

Policy for High School Grades 9-12 Grading System

  1. Numerical Grading System: All high school level credit-bearing courses receive numerical grades.
  2. The calculations used for final grades and cumulative averages follow:
    1. Calculation of Final Grades
        • The calculation of the final grade of full-year course consists of adding the four marking period grades and final exam or regents exam grade and then dividing by five (20% each)
        • The calculation of the final grade of half-year course consists of adding each of the two marking period grades and multiplying by two. You add those two quantities to the final exam grade giving a total and then divide by five.
    2. Calculation of cumulative average (Implementation of this procedure began with the class of 2000)
      • All high school level credit-bearing courses receiving a numerical grade are included in calculating cumulative averages.
      • The calculation of the GPA consists of taking quality points multiplied by the GPA factor. Quality points are the same as the student’s numeric grade. (A student receiving a grade of an 85 will receive 85 quality points.)
    3. The GPA Factor is as follows:
      1. Regents: 1.00
      2. Honors: 1.05
      3. College/Advanced Placement: 1.07
      4. Examples:
        1. A student receives an 85 in English 11R as a final average – 85 (quality points) times 1.00 (GPA factor) = 85 (cumulative average)
        2. A student receives an 85 in English 11H as a final average – 85 (quality points) times 1.05 (GPA factor) = 89 (cumulative average)
        3. A student receives an 85 in English 11AP as a final average – 85 (quality points) times 1.07 (GPA factor) = 91 (cumulative average)
      5. After all grades receive a weight accordingly, a straight mathematical average is calculated. The school uses this average for class ranking.
  3. Passing Grades
    • A final grade of 65 will be required for the passing of the course and awarding of the appropriate number of credits.
  4. Number of Marking Periods
    • All full-year courses will have four ten-week marking periods. Each marking period will have a mid-marking period progress report. All half-year courses will have two ten-week marking periods with a mid-marking period progress report.
  5. Incompletes
    • Students receiving a grade on incomplete (I) have two weeks from the end of the marking period to submit the missing work to earn credit. After the two-week period, the teacher must submit a Grade Change Request and change the grade to the higher of the actual grade or 50.

High School Courses and Grading

Grading Policy for Change of Program

If a student transfers from one level of instruction to another in the same subject, all marks for the year must be used to obtain the yearly average. At the time of transfer, the initial teacher is responsible for indicating the grade of the student transferred to another level. For extenuating circumstances, see the Building Principal.

Grading Policy for Elective Courses

Teachers will grade each elective as an independent course. This means that the teacher will record the mark in the appropriate column and in the Final Grade column. Each course shall receive ½ unit for the twenty-week course.

Grading Policy for Home Tutoring

Students placed on Home Tutoring status for more than five weeks will receive their grades from the Home Tutor unless the Home Tutor makes other arrangements with regular classroom teachers. Final average will include the grade of regular classroom teacher and Home Tutor (see guidelines for Home Tutoring for specifics).

Grading Policy for New Students

If a student transfers to Liberty from another school, the school counselor will evaluate his/her transcript and list the proper number of units on his/her permanent record card. If he/she enters during the year, the teacher will use any marks received from the previous school along with grades achieved at Liberty High School to obtain the final average.

Minimum Grades Given

Students must be given a 50 the first 2 quarters where a students’ grade is lower than said 50, except in the last quarter of a year-long course or the second quarter of a semester course. For semester courses a student will be given a 50 the first quarter where a students’ grade is below said 50. The following criteria apply in order to receive a grade of a 50:

  • Minimum Attendance:
    • Minimum in person period attendance of 50%
    • Minimum remote period attendance of 50%
      • Remote instruction: students must show participation in class.
        • For example one or more of the following: camera on, answering questions verbally, in chat, completing assignments). Not including excused absences for school activities.
  • A 50 cannot be given in the last quarter of a year long course or the second quarter of a semester course.
    • We have the following semester courses-  Forensics, Physics of Toys, Adv. Studio Art, Personal Finance, Sports Entertainment Marketing, Entrepreneurship, Career and Financial Management, Government, Economics, College US History, College Political Science, Honors Economics, and Comp/Speech.
  • Grade of 0 is a disqualification to receive a 50.
    • Extenuating circumstances will always be a point of consideration.
  • Minimum grade of 50 does not apply in honors, college classes and AP courses.
    • Rationale: These courses require high expectations. Additionally, alternative courses are offered in nearly all honors, college, and AP courses if students are misplaced in a class that they are not motivated to do well in.

Grades Given For Missed Work and Alternate Setting

Students who are absent will be given the opportunity to make up a test or other missed work and/or turn in a late assignment for inclusion in their final grade. Make up opportunities must be completed by a date specified by the student’s teacher for the class in question. (If the child has been in an alternate setting- hospital, etc only 25% of the work will be required to be made up over an extended period).

Senior Privileges

Seniors, who maintain an average of 75 percent, have no incompletes, and demonstrate good school citizenship will be granted privileges. A student may leave school at the end of period 8, if the student has a study hall period 9. The student must sign out in the Main Office. Students signing out may not return to the building until after dismissal. Abuse of this privilege will result in loss of the privilege.

After Failure-Options

  1. If a student fails a required course the following options apply:
    • The student may retake the course in summer school if the eligibility criteria to enroll in summer school, which are a 60 average and a maximum of 18 unexcused absences, is met.
    • The student may retake the course the following academic year.
  2. If a student fails a Regents exam, yet passes the course, the following options apply:
    • The student may retake the Regents exam, whenever available.
    • The student may retake the course and Regents’ exam in summer school. Both grades for the regents exam will appear on the student’s transcript. The teacher will use the first grade to calculate the grade point average.
    • The student may retake the course and Regents’ exam the following academic year. The school uses the higher average of the two grades in the calculation of the final average for the course. The final average for the course does not change if the student retakes the exam only. Both course grades and Regents’ exam grades will appear on the student’s transcript.

Senior Class Averages, Ranks, and Honors

All students receive a six-semester cumulative average and rank-in-class during the second week of October of their senior year. These averages are computed according to the guidelines established in the grading policy (for Grades 9-12), which appears earlier in the “General Information” section.

Seniors with the highest and second highest cumulative average computed after the third marking period of the senior year will receive the designation as valedictorian of the graduating class and salutatorian of the graduating class, respectively.

The first three marking period grades will be treated and consequently weighted as if they were full-year courses for the purposes of computing final averages, class rank, and class valedictorian and salutatorian.

Honor Roll

For each report card period, the school computer the honor roll as follows

  • High Honor Roll: Students must have attained a marking period average of 89.5 or better and have no failing or incomplete grades.
  • Honor Roll: Students must have attained a marking period average of 84.5 or better and have no failing or incomplete grades.

National Honor Society

Sophomores, Juniors and Seniors who have achieved a minimum cumulative average of 90.00 (scholarship) are academically eligible for admission to the National Honor Society (NHS).  Admission to the National Honor Society is also contingent upon a faculty council review of each candidate’s character, service, and leadership.  Upon induction into the NHS, members must maintain a cumulative average of 90.00 and complete an approved service project.

If a member fails to live up to the four ideals of membership; scholarship (average falls below 88), leadership, character, and service, he/she may be removed by a majority vote of the five members of the faculty council or he/she may be placed on probation for one marking period in order to correct the situation.  If he/she fails to do so, then the faculty council may remove him/her from the National Honor Society.  The faculty council is a five-person committee mandated by the National Honor Society Chapter and selected by the High School Principal. 

Graduation Requirements

For a Regents diploma all students need a minimum of 22 units of credit distributed as follows: 4 ELA, 4 social studies, 3 science, 3 mathematics, ½ health, 1 arts, 1 language other than English (LOTE), 2 physical education, and 3 ½ electives. In addition, each student must pass (65) 4 required Regents exams (one in each discipline: English, math, science, social studies); and successful completion of 1 pathway or a 5th Regents exam. Diploma requirements can be found on the NYS Department of Education’s website.

Enhanced diplomas and distinctions

Enhanced diplomas and distinctions (Advanced, honors, etc.) are attainable and require additional achievement/coursework/regents exams. Diploma requirements can be found on the NYS Department of Education’s website.