Frequently Asked Questions about High Stakes

What is high stakes?

In general, this means that all students attending school in Provo School District must pass all terms of their “core” classes: math, English, science and history in both 7^th and 8^th grades in order to attend Timpview or Provo high schools.

What is considered to be a passing grade?

At Centennial, students must achieve a grade of 70% or higher to “pass” a class. If a student receives less than 70%, this will be reflected as an “I” grade.

What if a student receives an I grade in one or more terms?

If a student receives an I grade and the percentage is between 40% and 69%, he/she may be enrolled in Credit Intervention the following term to make up the grade.

What is Credit Intervention?

Students are removed from an elective for one class period per day to work on the previous term’s assignments in a Credit Intervention classroom with teacher aides.

Teachers provide Credit Intervention staff with the assignments the students must complete in order to pass the previous term. Students will only have until the end of the Credit Intervention term to complete the work from the previous term. If a student receives a passing grade in Credit Intervention, the I grade will be changed to a C-. If the student completes Credit Intervention prior to the end of the term, the student will be allowed to return to the elective from which they were removed.

If a student does not pass Credit Intervention, or if a student receives a term grade of below 40%, the I grade will remain and the student must make up the class in summer school.

What if a student receives an I grade in 4^th term? Can he/she make it up the next year?

No. Credit intervention is only available in terms 2, 3, 4 to allow students to complete work from the most recent previous term. In other words, if a student fails 1^st term with a 40% or more, he/she can attend Credit intervention in term 2 only. If he/she fails 2^nd term, then the I grade must be made up in Credit Intervention during 3^rd term. If he/she fails 3^rd term, then the I grade must be made up 4^th term. I grades cannot be made the next school year. Any I grades from 4^th term or from the previous year must be made up in summer school.

What if my student cannot attend summer school or does not pass the class in summer school?

If an I grade cannot be made up for any reason, the student will not be eligible to attend Timpview or Provo High school and will be referred to Independence High School.

Students may also make up credits by completing coursework through BYU Independent Study. For more information about available classes and tuition costs, please contact BYU Independent Study at 801-422-2868.

How can I help my student get better grades?

Please encourage your student to stay after school for Academic Assistance or Assisted Studies. Also, please stay informed by reviewing your child’s grades on Powerschool and regularly communicating with your child’s teachers.

Academic Assistance: Offered each week Monday through Thursday after school until 3:45 (late busses are available). A certified teacher from each core subject area is available to help students get caught up and receive one-on-one tutoring. Students may attend any teacher’s Academic Assistance. (Note: Academic Assistance is not available the first week of a term.) Schedules are posted on bulletin boards throughout the school, and are available in the counseling office.

Assisted Studies: Individualized help is available in every subject every day before and after school in Room 37 (Mr. Austin). Assisted studies is held from 6:45 am to 7:45 am and 2:30 pm to 4:30 pm every day (late busses are available in the afternoon).

Powerschool: You can review grades, check assignments and attendance, and correspond with teachers via email links by logging in to Powerschool.

Go to: http://ps1.provo.edu/public

Username: your student’s ID number

Password: your student’s birthday in this format: x/xx/xx (NOTE: slashes are needed; preceding zeros for January through September are not.)

Communicating with teachers: Many teachers regularly send home student progress reports which require parent signature. If you don’t receive any of these, please notify the teacher by telephone or email (email links are available on Powerschool). Also, please plan on attending SEOP (Student Educational and Occupational Plan) meetings and twice-yearly parent/teacher conferences. Also, please make sure your child’s teachers have updated telephone numbers and email addresses for you in case there are concerns or questions about your student.

What if I have more questions?

Please call 370-4621 and ask to speak to your student’s school counselor. Or, you may visit the CMS website at www.cms.provo.edu for valuable information, including school calendars, school rules, links to teacher websites, and much more.