Information and Reference

THE BLOCK SCHEDULE

The Block Schedule is based on four semester-long courses that meet each day until the end of the term. Students will take four courses in the fall and four different courses in the spring. Generally, students are scheduled for courses so that at least two academic required core courses are taken each semester. Students will register for a math, science, English, and history course each year. Students commit to completion of 18-week and/or 9-week courses respectively. If a student registers for an 18-week and/or 9-week remote course, the student commits to completion of the course virtually. If a student commits to an 18-week and/or 9-week traditional, face-to-face course, the student commits to completion of the course. Electives or additional core courses may complete the remaining blocks in the schedule each semester. Consideration will be given to the student's diploma option.

REGISTRATION FORMS

A grade-level specific AHS Registration Form is provided. Students should use the appropriate grade level form to select their individual class schedule. Completion of this form DOES NOT GUARANTEE classes at any specific time, only that students will have the class or an alternate selection.

GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS

In order to receive an Athens High School Diploma, all students must:

• Complete the required core curriculum and selected electives.
• Take and pass the Civics Exam, as per the ALSDE, earning a grade of 60 or higher. If A failing score is received on the first attempt, the student is required to retake the exam a second time. 
• Complete the FAFSA application or FAFSA Opt-Out Form.
• Beginning the 2024-2025 school year, all students shall complete a multiple-choice financial literacy assessment.
• Beginning the 2025-2026 school year, students are required to earn one or more of the Alabama State Department of Education approved College and Career Readiness Indicators (CCRI) before graduation.

ADVANCED PLACEMENT  (AP)      

Advanced Placement courses are accelerated in rigor and pace.  Advanced Placement (AP) allows students to complete college-level studies while in high school. Post-secondary institutions throughout the nation and internationally grant credit, advanced placement, or both on the basis of qualifying AP exam scores.  For more information visit the following website: www.collegeboard.com/ap/creditpolicy. AP course experience favorably impacts 85% of admission decisions of selective colleges and universities. AP coursework increases scholarship opportunities and improves the chances of college admission. The cost of the AP exam is less than most college textbooks. Students who take AP courses and exams are much more likely than their peers to complete a college degree on schedule in 4 years.  For more information visit www.collegeboard.com/research. Students participating in Advanced Placement are required to participate in the exam. Students participating in Advanced Placement are required to participate in study sessions that may or may not be conducted outside of the regular school day.  Students are required to take the National AP Exam as part of the course’s curriculum.  The testing fee is approximately $100.00.  It is highly recommended that students consult with the college of choice, as college credit may be earned by scoring a 3, 4, or 5 on the exam.  Careful attention should be given when selecting an AP course or courses as students will not be able to drop an AP course.  Consult the grading scale to view the weight given to the rigor of the AP program.  All students registering for AP courses should complete the AP Student Agreement and return it with their registration form. The Advanced Placement (AP) Program is a cooperative educational endeavor of secondary schools, colleges, and the American College Board.  AP courses are recognized by colleges and universities which grant credit, advanced placement, or both to students who have performed satisfactorily on AP Examinations.  Athens High School offers the following Advanced Placement courses:  Calculus, English, Biology, Chemistry, Spanish, and United States History, Government, Macroeconomics, Environmental Science, and Psychology (course offerings based on student requests).    It is recommended that students take no more than two AP courses per term.  To qualify, students must meet all prerequisites.  If you are interested in taking an AP course, please see your counselor.

HONORS/ADVANCED

Honors courses are designed for college-bound students.  The curriculum is covered at an accelerated pace and provides students with opportunities to take advanced-level courses in English, Spanish, math, science, and social sciences.  These courses follow the Alabama Course of Study and include enrichment activities, extra projects, research, and/or laboratory experiences.  Honors/Advanced courses are noted in the course description and receive Honors/Advanced weighted GPA credit per the current grading scale. These courses may be taught with AP courses within the master schedule.

DUAL ENROLLMENT 

Dual Enrollment/Dual Credit allows eligible high school students to enroll in college classes concurrently with high school classes to receive both high school and college credit.  Students are responsible for all fees, tuition, transportation, and other related expenses for dual enrollment.  The student must be in the 10th, 11th, or 12th grade and the student must have a “B” average overall in high school core courses.  The student must have written approval of the principal and the local superintendent of education before college registration.   The student must meet the entrance requirements established by the participating college/post-secondary institution. Students must successfully pass three semester credit hours at the post-secondary level in the same or related subject.  English courses require six semester hours at a post-secondary institution for one high school credit.  Dual enrollment courses are offered with the following post-secondary institutions: Calhoun Community College, Wallace State Community College, University of Alabama, University of North Alabama, University of Alabama, and University of Alabama/Huntsville. These courses may be taught with AP courses within the master schedule.

UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA EARLY COLLEGE ENROLLMENT PROGRAM 

SCHEDULE CHANGES 

To provide the greatest probability for students to receive requested courses, students are given an opportunity to review the AHS Curriculum Catalog and complete a Student Registration Form.  From there, a master schedule is constructed and teachers are hired to ensure that what was requested would be received. Knowing that not every course request can be honored due to conflicts in the student’s schedule, the above procedure provides the greatest potential for requests to be honored.  Student registration cards indicate a commitment to completion of the course requested. Once a schedule is assigned students commit to course completion as defined in the student schedule. Schedule changes should be requested during the first three days of each term.  The principal may approve course changes due to extenuating circumstances.  There will be a $20.00 charge for each student/parent-initiated schedule change.  All elective schedule changes will incur a $20.00 fee.

SCHEDULE CHANGES AT 9 WEEKS

For students demonstrating unsatisfactory progress is defined as a numerical grade of 60 or below,  a parent can request a conference with the teacher, counselor, and administrator to discuss student progress and determine placement in a regular course of equal value.

SCHEDULE CORRECTIONS

Schedule corrections will be made and only when approved by the following criteria: duplication of courses, courses out of sequence, or Sports PE/Band, etc. to be entered due to auditions.

TRANSFER STUDENTS

Students who transfer to Athens City Schools must complete all state-mandated minimum graduation requirements and any additional local graduation requirements.  For mid-year or mid-semester transfer students from non-block scheduled high schools, credits earned or coursework completed shall be correlated to the block-scheduled courses.

NCAA REQUIREMENTS FOR COLLEGE ATHLETICS

Not all courses offered at Athens City Schools meet the NCAA eligibility requirements.  It is the student’s responsibility to review the requirements, schedule classes accordingly, and make sure the NCAA Initial-Eligibility Clearinghouse has the documents to certify eligibility. Courses taken through the Credit Recovery Program are not accepted by the NCAA Eligibility Center.

GRADUATION PARTICIPATION

The goal of Athens High School is to prepare all students for college and/or career pathways utilizing individualized four-year high school plans built for each student based on the results from academic and career interest assessments and middle school coursework.  Students must be enrolled full-time at Athens High School. Students should take math, English, social studies and history each year.  At the beginning of their junior year, students will choose what diploma option they would like to pursue.  Students may not take a lower-level course than one already completed.  Students pursuing a Career Ready Endorsement are encouraged to achieve a credential within their field of interest.  Athens High School conforms to all U.S. and Alabama Laws, ALSDE Administrative Code, and ACS Policies.  Throughout the years, Athens High School has maintained high standards to better prepare its graduates for their future college and/or career plans.  The Athens High School principal and administrative team will be happy to meet with parents and students on the importance of following AHS requirements.  They may opt out of these requirements to pursue the state minimum program as long as both parents and students agree and sign the appropriate consent forms.  Individual cases regarding the number of credits required for graduation will be handled on a case-by-case hardship basis. 

SELECTION OF HONOR GRADUATES

The determination of honor graduates is as follows:

• All 12th-grade students with an overall GPA of 4.0 or above who have earned the Advanced Diploma at Athens High School will be designated Honor Graduates and have a ranking of #1 in class. No Valedictorian or Salutatorian will be named.
• Athens High School will determine how to recognize these Honor Graduates at the commencement ceremony.
• The individual(s) who will make commencement remarks at the graduation ceremony will be selected from the pool of Honor Graduates by the principal with input from the senior counselor, senior sponsor(s), and honor graduates.
• In the event that no student in the graduating class has a GPA of 4.0 or higher, up to the top 10% of students (with a 3.75 or higher GPA) may be designated as Honor Graduates.
• The rank of the next student below those designated as Honor Graduates should be determined by the total number of students whose average exceeded his/hers. For example, if three students in a class of 100 students are designated as Honor Graduates, each holds a rank of 1/100. The next holds a rank of 4/100.
• In order to be considered for the designation of Honor Graduate, a student must be enrolled in Athens High School where this designation is made for the entire senior year.
• Final determination (grade point average) will be made at the end of the first nine-week grading period of the second semester (block schedule) of the senior year.
• Final determination of both numerical and standard grade point averages will be carried three (3) decimal places, with no “rounding”. The system will be based on the ACS Secondary Grade Point Average (GPA) Scale. 
• A minimum number of twenty-eight (28) courses must be attempted and counted in determining GPA. Full credit courses will be multiplied by 1.0. One-half credit courses will be multiplied by .5 for determining overall GPA.
• Any extraordinary situation or circumstance that may arise will be resolved by the school principal in consultation with the superintendent. 

GRADING SCALE

GRADE POINT AVERAGE (GPA) SCALE

Students electing to participate in rigorous academic courses such as Honors, Dual Enrollment, and Advanced Placement (AP) are given additional weight in the GPA calculation.  Due to increased expectations, grades earned in Honors, Dual Enrollment, and Advanced Placement Courses are weighted for class ranking purposes only as reflected in the overall numerical (GPA) grade point average.  The actual grade earned in the Honors, Dual Enrollment, and Advanced Placement courses shall appear on both the report card and the official transcript. The following system shall be utilized as the method of weighting numerical grades that will be reflected in the numerical GPA used for class ranking only:

• Honors/Dual Courses:  Numerical Grade + 5 Points 
• Advanced Placement Courses:  Numerical Grade + 10 points

To accommodate those colleges and universities whose scholarship guidelines require a standard GPA (Grade Point Average) instead of a numeric GPA, each transcript will include the weighted standard GPA (i.e., a passing grade in an Honors/Dual Enrollment class receives a weight of .5, while the passing grade earned in an Advanced Placement (AP) course receives a weight of 1). The standard GPA shall not be used for class ranking purposes.

Secondary credits for regular, Honors, Dual Enrollment, and AP shall be awarded GPA Quality Points according to the following scale: