Academic Policies

Course Descriptions

Academic Policies and Requirements

List of 17 items.

  • Advisor Program

    The Advisor Program is designed to give all students a "go-to" adult on campus for support and advice. This program provides opportunities for our students to take advantage of Wesleyan's greatest resource - our faculty.

    All high school teachers serve as advisors, and advisor groups typically contain between five and ten students. Regular meetings are designed to help faculty members actively support students' academic, social, and spiritual needs and to help them identify and address issues with the students they advise. Freshmen are assigned to advisors upon entering high school, and, at the end of their freshman year, students can request potential advisors by providing a list of faculty they would like to be assigned to during the remainder of their high school career. Advisors meet with their groups each week for twenty minutes, and they have one extended meeting each month during a program time.
  • Course Change Policy

    Students can choose to drop or add a new course during the scheduled drop/ add period, which occurs at the end of the spring semester.

    Teacher-initiated drops can happen after the first week of classes with the approval of the department chair, grade chair and principal, but these changes cannot happen after the midterm except in rare instances, usually due to health reasons. Occasionally, teachers or department chairs recommend or consider additional schedule changes later in the term, which usually involve the appropriate placement of students. After ten school days from the start of the course until the end of the first grading period, students who are withdrawn from a course will receive a “W” on grade reports / transcripts. Within one week after the end of their first grading period, students who are withdrawn from a course while not passing will receive a “WF” or, if passing, a “WP” on grade reports / transcripts.
    All withdrawals are at the discretion of the principal.
  • Course Load

    Students take a minimum of six classes per semester. Ninth and tenth graders will be in study hall when they do not have a class. Eleventh and twelfth graders have a “free period” during this time. Free periods can be taken away from upperclassmen at the grade chairs’ discretion.

    Classes at Wesleyan will average eighteen per class and must have a minimum of ten students per class to make (excluding core curriculum and advanced placement courses).
  • Drop and Add Policies

    Class schedules and teacher assignments are determined on the basis of information provided during registration the previous spring; therefore, students should carefully consider their selections in registering for the following year.

    There is a defined Drop and Add period in late May prior to the end of the school year during which schedule change requests can be submitted to grade chairs. Not all requests may be granted. All schedule requests are granted or denied at the choosing of the school with numerous factors taken into consideration, including teacher load, class size and balancing the master schedule. Although student choices of electives will be honored to the greatest extent possible, balance in class size and numbers of requests may preclude granting a first choice in all instances.
  • Elections and Offices

    Student Government offices and the post of class representative both require students to have passing grades and to maintain good standards of personal behavior. The decision regarding a student’s eligibility to serve as a class officer, Student Government member, or other student leader ultimately rests with the administration.
  • Eligibility

    In accordance with the Georgia High School Association regulations, students who do not pass five subjects in a given semester and who fail to meet the following cumulative credit minimums are ineligible for interscholastic competition during the succeeding semester:
    • 4 credits by the end of ninth grade
    • 10 credits by the end of tenth grade
    • 16 credits by the end of eleventh grade
    Students who become ineligible at the end of the first semester may not participate in any tryouts or spring practices that occur before the end of the school year. Additionally, students who do not meet GHSA eligibility requirements are also precluded from participating in school-sponsored plays and theater productions as well as serving in Student Government.

    At interim grading periods, the student’s academic record comes under review, and the student may be advised to discontinue his or her extracurricular involvement.

    A student who fails in the second semester may make up the credit in summer school and be eligible the following fall. A student may not make up more than two credits in summer school and remain eligible the following semester.
  • Exam Exemption

    Only seniors may exempt exams.

    The Wesleyan policy for exemption of senior exams is as follows:
    • Exemptions in year-long courses occur only during the second semester.
    • Exemptions for one-semester courses are at the discretion of the teacher.
    • Students may exempt ONLY with an average of 90 over the course of the two semesters (or a 90 average for a one-semester class). The second semester average must be a minimum of a 90.
    • Students may not have over 5 absences (excused or unexcused) in a course (college visits excepted).
    All exemptions are at the discretion of each teacher, who will evaluate the performance of the student in both course and behavior.
  • Exams

    At the end of each semester (Fall and Spring), students are required to take a final examination in each class. Students are allotted approximately two hours to complete each exam.

    Lower-level or Freshmen-level exam grades will account for 20% of each student's final grade for the semester.
    Exam grades in 10th through 12th grade courses will account for 25% of each student's final grade for the semester.

    Students who are ill and cannot take an exam should:
    • Supply a parental note
    • Call the grade chair who will schedule a make-up exam
    No students may take exams early.
  • Failures

    Any grade below 70 is a failure. To receive a passing grade and earn credit in a year-long course, students must:
    • Earn a two-semester average of 70, and
    • Have a passing average for the second semester.
    A student failing more than two courses for the year will be dismissed from Wesleyan.

    High school students who have a failure in a one-semester course or in the spring semester for a year-long course as a result of an exam are eligible for a re-exam under the following conditions:
    • Student must have a passing pre-exam average (i.e., 70 or above).
    • Examination grade must be no lower than 50.
    • Student must take the re-exam at a specified time and date.
    • In a year-long course, student must have had a passing average for the first semester.
    To receive a passing grade for the course, the student must pass the re-examination. The maximum semester grade, based on passing the re-examination, is 70. If the student passes the re-exam, both the exam grade and the semester grade will be recorded as 70.

    Senior English
    Students in Senior English must earn a passing grade on the Senior Thesis paper to pass the course. High school students who have a failing grade on the Senior Thesis are eligible for a re-write of the Senior Thesis under the following conditions:
    • Student must have a passing pre-thesis average (i.e., 70 or above).
    • Senior Thesis grade must be no lower than 50.
    • Student must re-write the paper by a specified time and date.
    To receive a passing grade for the course, the student must pass the re-write of the paper. The maximum semester grade, based on passing the re-write, is 70. If the student passes the re-write, both the thesis grade and the semester grade will be recorded as 70. Students who do not receive a passing grade on the re-write receive their original Senior Thesis grade and final average.
  • Grade Reporting

    Each semester, grades will be reported as follows:
    • 1st grading period – grades for all students and comments for students whose class average is 75 or below
    • Mid-semester grading period – grades and comments for all students in all subjects
    • 3rd grading period – grades for all students and comments for students whose class average is 75 or below
    • Semester grading period – end-of-semester grades for all students
    Comments will be written for those classes that the student failed.
  • Homework

    At Wesleyan School, meaningful homework is designed to help our students achieve at the high academic level necessary for college preparation. The objectives of homework are to assist and improve learning, and strengthen skills and understandings gained from the classroom experience. Schoolwork completed at home provides training in study habits, skills, and discipline; it increases background knowledge and conceptual understanding, while providing experiences in problem solving and self-monitoring. A respectful balance between family and community obligations and homework is desired, while achieving the overall goal of college preparation.

    Meaningful homework assignments are carefully and deliberately planned. The overall goals of homework assignments include: class preparation, practice, elaboration, reflection, exploration, reading, and studying. As students grow and mature, their capacity to reap benefits from meaningful homework increases; therefore, each of our school divisions has graduated expectations with regard to student responsibilities for homework. As student responsibility and abilities increase, parent involvement in homework should decrease.

    No assignments are given over Thanksgiving break, Christmas break, winter break, spring break, Easter break, Family Nights, or on other occasions specified by the principal.
  • Honor Roll and Merit List

    The following semester grade averages are required for Honor Roll and Merit List distinction:
    • Honor Roll - a weighted average of 90 or above with no failures 
    • Merit List - a weighted average of 87 to 89 with no failures
    Note: Averages are not rounded up in order to make Merit List or Honor Roll.
  • Honors and Advanced Placement Course

    Honors courses receive a four-point addition to the final grade at the end of the semester; AP courses receive eight. These points will be reflected only in the overall weighted semester and cumulative averages on the report cards and the transcript; they will not be reflected on the individual course grades on report cards or the transcript. At the end of the semester, points will be added to averages on honors and AP courses when the student earns a grade of 70 percent or better.

    Sophomores may take a maximum of one AP course/exam; juniors, a maximum of two AP courses/exams; seniors, a maximum of three AP courses/exams. The AP Capstone Program courses count toward the allowed number of AP classes for junior and senior students. All students enrolled in an AP course are required to sit for the exam.
  • Office Hours

    Students are encouraged to attend office hours as needed. This period allows time to ask questions, to clarify ideas, to practice or reinforce skills, to make up work or tests missed due to absences, or to pursue a special topic of interest. It is a time of individualized help. Any student having difficulty scheduling extra help should see the grade chair.
  • Schools and Colleges

    The College Advising Office will respond to any inquiry from colleges regarding disciplinary or honor infractions resulting in out-of-school suspension. After applications are submitted, Wesleyan reserves the right to report any change in academic or behavioral status to colleges.

    Should a senior be dismissed or withdraw from Wesleyan after applying to colleges, the College Advising Office will give the student one week to notify colleges of the change in status. After one week, the College Advising Office will notify colleges that the student has been dismissed or withdrawn.
  • Senior English

    Students in Senior Seminar will compose a senior thesis throughout the school year. This paper will be written in lieu of taking a final exam in the Spring. Students must earn a passing grade on the senior thesis in order to pass the course. High school students who have a failing grade on this paper are eligible for a rewrite of the senior thesis under the following conditions:
    1. Student must have a passing non-thesis average (i.e., 70 or above in other graded materials and assessments)
    2. Senior thesis grade must be no lower than 50
    3. Student must rewrite the paper by a specified time and date
    Since the due date will precede graduation, there will be sufficient time for this option.

    To receive a passing grade for the course, the student must pass the rewrite of the paper. The maximum semester grade, based on passing the rewrite, is 70. If the student passes the rewrite, both the thesis grade and the semester grade will be recorded as 70. Students who do not receive a passing grade on the rewrite receive their original senior thesis grade and final average. Students must pass at least two semester English courses in order to achieve the requisite number of English credits for graduation.
  • Summer School

    • Make-up credit
      Summer school courses may only be taken for make-up credit. Grades earned in approved summer school programs do appear on the transcript for the purposes of earning credit. However, grades earned in approved summer school programs do not replace the “F” from the school year, nor are summer school grades averaged in with grades earned during the school year. A student who fails two credits in one year will be considered in academic jeopardy and will have to make up at least one credit in summer school. The student’s academic progress in the following year will be closely monitored, and if, in the judgment of the school, there is no sufficient improvement, the student may be asked to withdraw from Wesleyan. Please note that in order for a student to pass a year-long course and receive credit for it, that student must pass the course for the year (the average of both semesters’ numerical grades) and pass for the second semester.