Academic Standards

All students are required to be taking a full course load of required and elective courses. In terms of performance, the basic requirement is to maintain a cumulative grade point average of 2.0 (the equivalent of a “C” average). Anything below a 2.0 is considered to be below the standards of our school. In the high school, students performing at below a 2.0 level, who have earned two D's or one F are considered as “at risk” students and will be placed on “Academic Probation.” In the middle school, students are considered "at risk" when they have earned one D or one F.

Academic Probation is used to help students meet the ASA’s minimum performance requirements. Probation lasts for one semester and incorporates a monitoring system designed to help the student get organized, and prioritize his/her goals. The objective of academic probation is to assist the student so that he/she successfully meets ASA's academic standards.

Academic Probation

At the end of the semester, the Counseling Office reviews all the report cards and identifies all students who are at academic risk. Those who have not met the minimum criteria to be a student in good academic standing will be placed on academic probation. In the middle school, a student is placed on probation when he/she has 3 or more “D´s” and/or an “F” in the subjects taken. In the high school, a student having two
or more “D´s” and/or an “F” in the subjects taken will be placed on probation. In order to be taken off probation, the student will have to achieve a minimum of a C average in each of his/her subjects.

New students are automatically placed on probation for the first evaluation period so that their progress can be more closely monitored as they adapt to ASA’s learning environment.

Students may be placed on probation at the beginning of a semester or during a semester if performance indicates that he or she needs regular monitoring. This will be determined by the Secondary Principal upon recommendation from the Guidance Department. A probationary contract is written up and made known to the parents and student with specific steps designed to better monitor and help the student. Probation lasts for an entire semester and requires special attention from all involved, designed to raise student performance and help the student achieve good academic standing.

In the High School, students on academic probation are allowed to be involved in extracurricular activities until such time as progress reports or quarterly report cards indicate continued poor performance. Once removed from a team for poor academic performance students cannot participate until quarter grades are issued. In the Middle School, academic probation does not affect participation in extracurricular activities.

The probation system includes guidelines and a variety of activities for students, teachers, counselors, administrators and parents. The following is a list of these:

• Students on probation are encouraged to meet with the teachers of the subject areas in which the student has demonstrated weak performance. Teachers will assist her/him in learning and applying strategies to improve their learning.

• In the middle school, a weekly group meeting is held with the counselor to discuss the student’s performance during the previous week. The counselor assists the student in acquiring essential study skills as needed, such as organization of materials and time management. During the meeting, planning agendas are checked and a discussion takes place about tips to better use the agenda.

• Parents are called for a conference at the end of every 4 ½ week period if students are not improving. Students participate in these meetings, to evaluate their own performance, and agree on goals and strategies for the next marking period.

• If specific areas need addressing beyond weekly teacher assistance, private tutoring can be recommended.

• In those cases where the weak academic performance seems to be generalized or its causes are not discovered, the Counseling Department may require specific psychometric testing done in order for the causes and treatment to be diagnosed.

• In specific cases where there are emotionally-based problems interfering with study, private psychotherapy can also be required.

• Parents are expected to follow the school's recommendations promptly to assure their student's academic success.

It is always important to keep in mind that academic probation has as its purpose to help our ASA students be successful. Should probation fail to achieve that goal, consideration must be made by the administration as to what will be the next step in meeting a student’s need for successful learning. Generally students who, despite probation, cannot maintain a 2.0 GPA after 3 semesters on probation will be exited from ASA so that they may attend a school that better meets their educational needs.

Failed Courses

In high school, students who fail courses will be required to make up those courses through a variety of options. These include taking a test at the end of a certain stipulated time period to determine if the required learning has been accomplished, making up certain required evaluated work, or having to retake the course, either through rescheduling the course as a part of the student’s schedule or having to take the course over the internet or through some outside institution. Any extra costs involved in making up coursework will be covered by the student in question. In middle school, students will take make-up exams for each failed course at the beginning of the following semester.

Lost credits can be made up through prior approved correspondence courses or summer school courses offered in the United States.

College Testing

The school uses a standardized testing program in order to gather comparative data that may be used in the evaluation of the school program, as well as applied to individual student cases. All students are required to participate in this program, which shall be conducted during school time as one of the regularly scheduled activities of the school. ASA applies the Stanford OLSAT to the 7th and 9th grades, the PSAT to grades 10 and 11, and the SAT to the 11th grade. These are required exams for all students.

Exam Exemptions

There are situations where students may be exempt from final exams. In their junior and senior year, upperclassmen are given the opportunity to be exempt from their final exams under the following conditions:

• Juniors in their second semester or seniors in their first semester who have a 95% or better average based on both quarters are eligible to be exempt from taking the final exam in that course. This exemption is applicable to all courses that are considered “junior” or “senior” level courses. Underclassmen who are advanced and taking these courses are also eligible for this exemption. There are certain courses that do not have this exemption, the teacher will advise students of this at the beginning of the semester through the course syllabus.

• Seniors in their second semester are eligible to be exempt from exams in the courses where they have achieved a 91% or better average based on both quarters.

• Students in any grade who are leaving before for a program of academic study, before final exams are given, (this does not include summer camp) and who have a 95% or better average based on both quarters are eligible to be exempt from taking the final exam in that course, at the teacher's discretion.

• Students who withdrawal from school due to family relocation to another country may be exempt.

In the case where a student is exempt, the student’s grade for that semester is the average of the two quarter grades.

Program of Study

The chart that follows contains the entire program of study for the students enrolled in high school.