Students who have failed a subject for the year often ask if they must attend summer school. The answer to that question can be either a yes or a no. Students and parents should be aware that Cliffside Park High School does not have a summer school program of its own and the cost of a summer school course will be paid for by the student’s family and they must provide transportation to and from the summer school. Moreover, any student who chooses to attend a summer school program must first get approval from his or her guidance counselor.
After each final exam in June, teachers notify the guidance department which students have failed for the year. [Any student who does not take a final exam fails that course for the year.] Guidance counselors then contact the student regarding that failure and request that the student and parent come in to discuss options. The parent and the student always have the final decision regarding summer school. Please keep in mind, to receive a diploma, a student must earn at least 130 credits as well as pass the required subjects and the High School Proficiency Test. Each year, a list of the required subjects is given to every student.
Here are some typical summer school examples, but please note: every student’s situation is unique and the parent and student should always speak to the counselor before making any decision regarding summer school.
If a student fails a single non-required course, then he or she probably does not have to attend summer school. The student probably has enough credits to still be promoted.
If a student has multiple failures and does not attend summer school, he or she might be retained. The promotion guidelines are:
To be considered a sophomore, a student must have earned at least 30 credits.
To be considered a junior, a student must have earned at least 65 credits.
To be considered a senior, a student must have earned at least 90 credits.
If a student fails a required course, it may be best if the student attends summer school. If the student does not attend, he or she must make up that course, usually the following year. Depending on what grade the student is, he or she may have to “double-up” that is, take two of the same type of courses, in order to remain on track to graduate on time. This doubling-up is difficult as the student would have to take two courses in a subject he or she already finds challenging.
Summer schools do not offer all of the courses that the high school has. Sometimes, even though a student may want to attend summer school, he or she cannot attend because the course is not offered. For example, Health classes, which are required courses for graduation, are not offered in summer school.
A senior who fails a required course cannot receive a diploma, nor can that senior participate in the graduation exercises. If the failed course is available in summer school, the senior can attend. If he or she passes the failed course in summer school, the Guidance Department, after receiving official notification of the passing grade, can present the diploma to the student.
If students fail a course because they are withdrawn for absences, they are not permitted to attend summer school for that course. If students are auditing a course because they began school too late to receive credit, they are not permitted to attend summer school for that course. Only courses that a student has failed after having been in the class the entire year can be made up in a summer school.
The summer school program a student attends must be approved by Guidance. The three closest approved summer school programs are Fort Lee, Tenafly, and Fairlawn. If a student wants to attend a summer school program other than those three, the student must present that summer school’s official announcement, which must include how many hours the class meets and a description of the course the student intends on taking.
Summer schools send their applications to us in early June, not before. The Guidance Department must fill out our part of the application. We also give the student our official approval form for the summer school. Both of these forms must be completed before the student goes to the summer school to register. Complete payment for the summer school is always made at the time of registration at the summer school itself. Schools have attendance policies. Students who do not meet the policy receive no credit.
When CPHS receives the official summer school grade report, the Guidance Department will change the failing grade to a passing grade if the student has passed the summer school course. The failing grade will be changed to a “D” on the student’s permanent record. It will also be noted that the student attended summer school. The grade of “D” is given regardless of what passing grade the student received in summer school.
Finally, occasionally, a student can take a summer school course for new credit, that is, take a course that they have not taken before and receive credit. In order to receive new credit, the number of hours a student attends must equal the number of hours a student would attend during the regular school to receive credit. Most summer schools do not offer courses for new credit.