SHP Requirements & Policies

GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS

List of 3 items.

ACADEMIC REQUIREMENTS
In order to graduate, a student must take and pass each course listed below. See below for the number of courses a student must take each semester, and for information on what are considered passing grades in the various courses at Sacred Heart Preparatory.

Computer Science

Students are required to complete the Computer Science Integration (CSI) program which will involve completing all interdisciplinary projects in other courses.

English
4 years
- English 1 (freshman year)
- US Literature (sophomore year)
- AP English Language [Thematic elective / British Classics] (junior year)
- English 4 or AP English Literature (senior year)
Fine Arts
1.5 years
- One year-long UC-approved Fine Arts course AND
- One semester of a 0.5 Fine Arts elective
Health & Wellness
1 semester
- Health & Wellness (H/W) course (freshman year)
Mathematics
2-3 years (depending on entry point)
- Algebra 1, Geometry, and Algebra 2 (if Algebra 1 is taken as a freshman) OR
- Geometry, and Algebra 2 (if Geometry is taken as a freshman) OR
- Algebra 2 and Precalculus (if Algebra 2 is taken as a freshman)
Religious Studies
Classes of 2026, 2025, 2024
- Introduction to Catholic Christianity / Personal Morality (freshman year)
- Hebrew Scriptures / Christian Scriptures (sophomore year)
- Social Ethics / World Religions (junior year)
- One semester elective (senior year)
Class of 2027 and forward
Introduction to Religious Studies / Introduction to World Religions (freshman year)
Sacred Scriptures / Relationships & Morality (sophomore year)
Social Ethics / One semester elective (junior year)
One semester elective (senior year)

Science
2 years
- Biology and Chemistry
Service Learning
4 years
- Class Service Day (freshman year)
- Community Partner Project (sophomore year)
- Social Ethics Urban Plunge (junior year)
- Senior Capstone Project (senior year)
Social Science
3 years
Classes of 2027, 2026, 2025
- Modern World History (freshman year)
- US History (sophomore year)
- Two semesters OR one year-long SHP Social Science seminar (junior/senior year)
Class of 2028 and forward
Modern World History (freshman year)
Ethnic Studies and Civics (sophomore year)
US History (junior year)
World Languages
2-3 years (depending on entry point)
- Levels 1, 2, and 3 of the same language (for students who enter at Level 1) OR
- Levels 2 and 3 of the same language (for students who enter at Level 2) OR
- Level 3 and an advanced class in the same language (for students who enter at Level 3)
Periods A-G Course Load
Freshmen and sophomores typically have seven (7) classes each semester; all students must have at least six (6) classes each semester. Some interdisciplinary courses will fulfill two (2) subject area requirements for graduation. Students will graduate with a minimum of 24 credits and a maximum of 28 credits.
SERVICE LEARNING REQUIREMENTS

In order to graduate, a student must complete the given Service Learning requirements.
PDF of Graduation Requirements

PDF version of SHP Graduation Requirements

Academic Policies

List of 5 items.

PASSING GRADES AT SHP
SHP ties some of its graduation requirements to the minimum University of California (UC) entrance requirements (i.e., the “a-g” subject requirements – see current SHP College Handbook or UC publications for details). In order to ensure that all of our graduates meet the minimum UC entrance requirements, a passing grade of C- or higher must be earned in SHP courses that are needed to meet those minimum UC entrance requirements. See below for courses in each subject area that must be passed with a C- or higher.

For all other courses taken at SHP not listed below for which grades are earned, a D- or higher is considered a passing grade. A grade of F results in no credit. Students are required to make up any lost credit.

English
An SHP student must earn a C- or higher in the following courses:
- English 1 (freshman year – both semesters)
- US Literature (sophomore year – both semesters)
- AP English Language (junior year – both semesters)
- English 4 or AP English Literature (senior year – both semesters)
Fine Arts
An SHP student must earn a C- or higher in both semesters of any one of the following year-long courses:
- Dance, Intermediate & Advanced Dance
- Filmmaking
- Digital Art & Design
- Drama
- Chorus & Advanced Chorus
- Instrumental Music
- Advanced Instrumental Music
- Photography
- Studio Art
- Technical Theater
- Ceramics
Mathematics
An SHP student must earn a C- or higher in both semesters of Algebra 1, Geometry and Algebra 2. The exception to this is for those students who meet the “validation” rule. See below for an explanation of this rule.

Science
An SHP student must earn a C- or higher in both semesters of Biology and Chemistry.

Social Science
An SHP student must earn a C- or higher in both of the following:
- both semesters of Modern World History, AP World History, or 2 Social Science seminars
- both semesters of US History
World Languages
An SHP student must earn a C- or higher in both semesters of level 1 and level 2 of French, Latin, Mandarin, or Spanish. The exception to this is for those students who meet the “validation” rule. See below for an explanation of this rule.

Validation Rule
SHP applies the University of California “validation rule” to certain Mathematics and World Languages courses. The validation rule means that a student who earns below a C- in a UC-required Mathematics or World Languages course (and thus, has not passed that course) can avoid having to repeat the course by passing a subsequent Mathematics or World Languages course that “validates” previous semesters of the course that was not passed with a grade of C- or higher.

For example, a student who earns below a C- in the first semester of Spanish 2 but who earns a C- or higher in the second semester of Spanish 2 has “validated” the first semester of Spanish 2 and thus, does not have to repeat the first semester of Spanish 2 in summer school. Both SHP and UC consider that such a student has fulfilled the requirements for Spanish 2. The student may opt to repeat the first semester of Spanish 2 in order to present a higher grade to colleges; however, there is no requirement to do so.

For questions on UC’s validation rules, contact the Assistant Principal of Curriculum & Academics.
PLACEMENT POLICIES

Matriculation
Sacred Heart Preparatory does not accept academic credit towards graduation from any other institution, except in the case of Geometry Jump. Students must complete all minimum graduation requirements at SHP. If a student does not pass a course required for graduation, the school may approve a non-SHP course to fulfill this requirement. Please see the section on Failing Grades below for details.

Placement for Entering Freshmen
All freshman applicants who wish to enroll in advanced levels of Math, World Languages, or Science must receive departmental approval to do so. Approval is dependent on a variety of factors that may include student performance on placement exams given in May, 8th grade transcripts, and/or recommendations from 8th grade teachers. SHP credit is not given for any courses taken prior to freshman year.

Placement for Transfer Students
Entering transfer students must see the Assistant Principal of Curriculum and Academics before the beginning of fall or spring semester to have their credits evaluated with respect to SHP graduation requirements.

Honors and Advanced Placement (AP) Courses
Sacred Heart Preparatory offers Honors and AP courses to qualified students. See specific course descriptions for details. In general, Honors courses are designed for the student who has the desire and the ability to pursue a subject in more detail and greater depth. AP courses are college-level courses taken at the high school during the high school years. With rare exception, AP courses require a one-year commitment on the part of the student and cannot be changed or dropped after the initial drop/add period in August. AP courses presuppose the willingness and ability to perform at a significantly accelerated level.

All students in AP courses are required to take the AP exam given in May. The AP exam score itself has no bearing on the student’s grade in the course; in fact, results are typically not available until July. A satisfactory level of achievement on the examination may result in college credit; however, each college has its own policies regarding the granting of college credit for AP courses.

For both Honors and AP courses, an additional one-third (0.333…) of a grade point is added to the letter grade points indicated in the table in the section entitled GPA Calculation.

Placement in Honors and Advanced Placement (AP) Courses
Nearly all Honors and AP courses at SHP have prerequisites that must be met for enrollment in those courses. Many of the prerequisites include a specific spring semester grade that must be met or exceeded in the given prerequisite course. Prerequisites specific to each course are included in SHP Department Descriptions.

During the spring semester, students meet with their School Counselor to enter their course requests. While the fall semester grades may give an indication of possible success in Honors and AP courses, actual placement in all courses is done in June after the spring semester final grades are posted and checked against the prerequisites. Requesting Honors or AP courses in spring does not guarantee placement in those courses.
SCHEDULING POLICIES
Course Requests
Course requests for the subsequent school year are completed during the spring semester. All course requests for the subsequent school year must be finalized within the course request period, typically the month of February. The only changes that may occur once the course request portal has closed are level changes due to placement requirements.

Schedule Changes
The Drop/Add period for fall semester and year-long courses ends at 3:30pm, two weeks after the first day of classes.

Requests to change spring semester courses must be made by the last school day in September. There is no Drop/Add period in the spring semester, with the following exceptions: level changes, dropping a 7th class, adding a 7th class, or correcting a scheduling error.

Withdrawing from Classes
For fall semester classes, a student may withdraw from a class no later than the last school day in October provided the student maintains the required number of courses. There will be no record on the transcript if the withdrawal takes place by the last school day in September. If the withdrawal occurs in October, the student will receive a “W” on the transcript.

Students may not withdraw from a year-long course at any time after the last school day in October. With rare exception, AP courses require a one-year commitment on the part of the student and cannot be changed or dropped after the first cycle of classes in the fall semester. Waivers of this policy must meet the approval of the Assistant Principal, Curriculum & Academics.

In the spring semester, a student may withdraw from a one-semester class no later than February 15 with no record on the transcript provided the student maintains the required number of courses. If the withdrawal occurs after February 15 but by March 15, a "W" will appear on the transcript. Withdrawals are not allowed in the spring semester beyond March 15.

In order to withdraw from a class after the second Friday of the spring semester, the student must go through a process in which he/she has conversations with his/her School Counselor, the teacher, and for seniors, an SHP College Counselor. The conversations are intended to make sure the student makes an educated decision concerning the withdrawal, based on significant discussion about the possible ramifications, if any, of withdrawing from the class. The Withdrawal from Class Form clearly articulates the process and must be completed and returned to them before the deadline for the withdrawal to occur.

NOTE: Seniors should be aware that College Counseling must notify colleges of any such withdrawals for those colleges that have already received information about the senior’s schedule.

MOVING FROM HONORS/AP LEVEL CLASSES TO REGULAR LEVEL CLASSES
Year-Long Courses
Students may move from a year-long Honors or AP level class to a regular level class during the first two weeks of classes in the fall semester. After the first two weeks in the fall semester, a student in a year-long Honors or AP class may request to move to the mainstream equivalent, only if the following criteria has been met:
- The move is recommended by the teacher & counselor, OR
- The student earned a C (76%) or lower on the first major assessment
- Conference required with teacher/parent/counselor(s)
- Completed paperwork signed by parent, student, counselor(s), honors/AP teacher & new teacher
A conference with the student, teacher, parent(s) and counselor(s) will be required BEFORE the level change deadline and if approved a Level Change Form must be completed. Consideration will be given to the student’s mastery of the material to date, overall workload, and/or any extenuating circumstances.

The deadline for such a move is the last school day in September. No moves can be made during the fall semester after the last school day in September, regardless of the student’s grade. Students may request to move from a year-long Honors/AP course at the semester, if their assessment average was at a C or lower during the fall semester. Students may not move from one AP course to a different AP course, with the exception of AP Calculus BC to AP Calculus AB. It should be noted a level change can only occur into the equivalent mainstream course. If there is no equivalent course a change will not be possible.

If a switch occurs by the September deadline, the transcript will show enrollment in the mainstream course only – there will be no record on the transcript that the student was in the Honors/AP level course during that semester. However, the grade(s) the student earned on major assignments in the Honors/AP course will be transferred to the teacher of the mainstream course and will be included in the student’s overall grade calculation for the mainstream course, with a .333 grade bump.
In order to move from an Honors level class to a mainstream equivalent class the student, parent(s), counselor(s), and teacher of the AP/Honors course must meet to discuss the reasons for the request and determine the best course of action. If approved, a Level Change Form must be completed to finalize the move with the registrar. A fee for the AP exam may be incurred.

Semester-Long Courses
Students may move from a semester-long Honors or AP level class to a regular level during the first two weeks of classes in the semester. After the first two weeks in the semester, a student may request to move to the mainstream equivalent, only if the same criteria has been met:
- The move is recommended by the teacher & counselor, OR
- The student earned a C (76%) or lower on the first major assessment
- Conference required with teacher/parent/counselor(s)
- Completed paperwork signed by parent, student, counselor(s), honors/AP teacher & new teacher
The deadline for semester-long Honors/AP level changes are as follows:
Fall Semester - the last school day in September
Spring Semester - February 15

No moves can be made during the semester after these deadlines. If a switch occurs by the semester deadline, the transcript will show enrollment in the mainstream course only - there will be no record on the transcript that the student was in the Honors/AP level course during that semester.
Second Semester Schedule Changes for Seniors
A senior who wishes to change his/her second semester schedule in any way after this information has been sent to colleges must go through a process in which he/she has conversations with and obtains signatures from his/her SHP College Counselor. The conversations are intended to make sure the student makes an educated decision concerning the schedule change, based on significant discussion about the possible ramifications, if any, of such a change. The Second Semester Schedule Change Form clearly articulates the process and must be completed and returned to the School Counselor before the change can occur. Seniors may not drop the second semester of year-long courses.

NOTE: Seniors should be aware that College Counseling must notify colleges of any second semester schedule change for those colleges that have already received information about the senior’s schedule.

Schedule Change Deadlines Summary
Fall Semester and Year-long Classes:
- August 1st through the last school day of the first two weeks of classes of the school year – drop/add period for fall semester and year-long courses.
- August 1st through the last school day of the first two weeks of classes – last day to move from an Honors level course to a regular level course without going through the level change process.
- The last school day in September
  - Last day to withdraw from a fall semester class without record on transcript
  - Last day to change spring semester courses
  - Last day to move from an Honors/AP level course to a mainstream level course. No record of the Honors/AP course will appear on the transcript. A fee for the AP exam may be incurred.
- The last school day in October – last day to withdraw from a fall semester class (including year-long classes). A record of the withdrawal will appear on the transcript.
Spring Semester:
- The last school day in September – last day to change spring semester courses. Exceptions to extend this deadline may be granted for one of the following reasons:
  - A level change of a year-long course at the semester, with approval
  - A level change of a semester-long course, by February 15, with approval
  - Adding or dropping a support class (ASC) at the semester with approval
  - Adding a 7th class at the semester
- NOTE: Courses may not be added after the second Friday of the spring semester.
- Dropping a 7th class – February 15 is the last day to drop a semester-long spring course, with approval
- After February 15, any course withdrawals will appear on the transcript.
- No course withdrawals are possible after March 15.
Mixed-Level Classes
In a handful of cases, two classes of different levels will be scheduled into the same classroom, during the same period, with the same teacher. When this is done, it is usually because one or both of the classes are too small to offer separately, and yet are similar enough that the expectations of the students in each level can be differentiated. This may happen in English (senior year), Fine Arts, Social Science (junior and senior seminars) and World Languages. Here are some examples of mixed-level classes.
- Advanced Photography and AP 2D Design in Photography
- Ceramics and Advanced Ceramics
- Drama and Actors Showcase
- Russian History/Russian History Honors
- French 2/2 Honors
- Latin 3/3 Honors
- Mandarin 4/4 Honors
NOTE: This list is not exhaustive, and classes that are mixed-level one year are not necessarily mixed the next year, and vice-versa.

COURSE CREDIT, GRADING, TRANSCRIPT, & ELIGIBILITY POLICIES

Course Credits

SHP courses are worth 0.5 credits per semester.

Grading Scale

The numerical grading scale acts as a guideline for the issuing of letter grades. Those guidelines act as an assurance to students achieving at a certain numerical level that they will receive at least that letter grade equivalent. Please note, teachers are not required to round up student grades.

A	if 93.0 < Numerical Grade	C	if 73.0 < Numerical Grade < 77.0
A-	if 90.0 < Numerical Grade < 93.0	C-	if 70.0 < Numerical Grade < 73.0
B+	if 87.0 < Numerical Grade < 90.0	D+	if 67.0 < Numerical Grade < 70.0
B	if 83.0 < Numerical Grade < 87.0	D	if 63.0 < Numerical Grade < 67.0
B-	if 80.0 < Numerical Grade < 83.0	D-	if 60.0 < Numerical Grade < 63.0
C+	if 77.0 < Numerical Grade < 80.0	F	if Numerical Grade < 60.0

Courses Graded on a Pass/No Pass Basis

The following course is graded on a Pass/No Pass basis: Academic Support Center - ASC.

Grade Point Average (GPA) – Definition

SHP uses final semester course grades earned through SHP classes (except those few courses that are graded Pass/No Pass) to compute the student’s GPA. The SHP Semester GPA and Cumulative GPA only include credits earned through SHP and appear on the student’s report cards and transcript.

Please note that all colleges use their own criteria to calculate the GPAs of applicants. The GPA calculated by each college will differ in virtually all cases from the SHP-calculated GPA.

GPA Calculation

A student’s GPA is calculated by dividing the Total Grade Points by the Total Credits.

A student’s Total Grade Points is calculated by adding up the grade points earned in each class. The grade points earned in a non-Honors/AP course that is worth 0.5 credits are given below.

A = 4.0
A- = 3.667
B+ = 3.333

B = 3.0
B- = 2.667
C+ = 2.333

C = 2.0
C- = 1.667
D+ = 1.333

D = 1.0
D- = .667
F = 0

For an Honors or AP course, an additional one-third (0.333…) of a point is added to the grade points shown above (e.g., an A- in an Honors class earns 4.0 grade points, since 3.667… + 0.333… = 4.0).

Incomplete Grades

When a student is unable to complete required coursework by the end of the semester due to circumstances beyond his/her control, a mark of “Incomplete” may be given at the end of the semester. If the work is not made up within a reasonable period of time (two weeks into the spring semester for an “Incomplete” earned in a fall semester course and two weeks after the end of the spring semester for a spring semester course), the student may lose credit in the course. The teacher must notify the student’s School Counselor when it becomes apparent that the student may have difficulty completing the required coursework. It is the student’s responsibility to work closely with the teacher and the School Counselor to complete the work in as timely a manner as possible.

Failing Grades

If a student does not pass a course that is a graduation requirement for that particular student, the course must be repeated either at SHS or at an approved off-campus institution. If the student intends to repeat the course off-campus, the student must complete the Application for Off-Campus Course in which written prior approval from the School Counselor and appropriate department head must be obtained in order to insure that the off-campus course is an acceptable replacement. The Application for Off-Campus Course may be obtained from the SHP Registrar or may be downloaded from the Students-Resources page on the school's website. The student must have the off-campus institution send an official transcript with a grade for the class to the SHP Registrar when the course has been completed. The transcript will be attached to the SHP transcript; but as the case with any course taken off campus, the grade will not be included in the SHP Overall GPA.

Transcripts

The only courses included on the SHP transcript are courses taken during A-G periods at SHP or through Global Online Academy and Sophie Connect.

Students may request through the College Counseling Office that transcripts from other institutions be sent to the colleges to which they apply, so colleges will continue to have access to all relevant coursework done by SHP students – whether the courses were taken at SHP or elsewhere. In order to be included with SHP school documents, the official transcript must be received in the College Counseling office no later than the second Friday in September of the senior year.

Online Learning courses, GOA and SC, earn letter grades which will appear on the student’s official transcript.

Off-Campus Courses

Sacred Heart Preparatory does not accept academic credit towards graduation from any other institution, except in the case of Geometry Jump, or if a student is entering SHP as a transfer student or repeating a course that was previously attempted on campus. Students must complete all minimum graduation requirements at SHP. While students may take classes off-campus for their own interest and enrichment, off-campus courses may not replace courses taught at SHP except in very special circumstances. Consult the appropriate School Counselor for specifics. Geometry is the only course that SHP allows students to take off-campus during the summer for advancing within a department. Such students must complete an Application for Off-Campus Course and obtain approval from the Mathematics Department Head. Courses taken off-campus for any reason are not included on the SHP transcript or in GPA calculations.

Academic Permanent Record Policy

The policy of Sacred Heart Preparatory is in compliance with the HEW regulations as stipulated in the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (PL. 90-247, Sec. 438) of August 21, 1974 (popularly known as the Buckley Amendment). The Administration, faculty and staff are committed to safeguard and respect the individual’s right to privacy regardless of the age of the individual.

Release of Records

All requests are regulated by the Privacy Act. Therefore, all requests may be submitted in writing or online via the Sacred Heart Schools website and include a date and signature. For students under 18 years of age, requests must be signed by a parent/guardian. Transcripts are mailed by the Registrar and the Office of College Counseling. Hand-carried copies given to a student or parent are sealed as official and are not official if opened in transit.

NON DISCRIMINATORY POLICY

Sacred Heart Schools, Atherton is an equal opportunity academic institution and makes all academic decisions on the basis of merit. In accordance with applicable law, the School prohibits discrimination based on race, color, creed, sex, gender, natural origin or ancestry, physical or mental disability, medical condition, sexual orientation, or any other consideration protected by federal, state or local laws. All such discrimination is unlawful.

Online Learning

List of 4 items.

Available Programs

SHS is a member of two international consortia of leading independent schools. Global Online Academy (GOA) is a global network of premier independent schools, including 54 from across the United States and 13 from Canada, China, Germany, Guatemala, India, Indonesia, Japan, Jordan, Mexico, Singapore, Slovakia, and South Africa. SophieConnect (SC) is a network of 24 Sacred Heart schools from the United States and Canada. Students have the opportunity to take innovative web-based courses from world-class faculty and to learn in collaboration with students from around the globe. SHP Online Learning is an optional enrichment to the SHP academic program.
Learn more about Sophie Connect and its available courses here at SHS.
Eligibility

Online Learning courses are open to SHP juniors and seniors in good academic standing. Students should request approval by their SHP Advisor and the Director prior to the GOA and SC registration process. The Online Learning registration process will be coordinated in tandem with the student’s SHP course registration process.
Registration Process

The Director will offer Online Learning information sessions for interested students and parents to better understand the GOA and SC course offerings and the Online Learning experience. SHP students will work with their SHP Advisor to select Online Learning courses and the Director will manage the specific enrollment process with GOA and SC. Enrollment in Online Learning courses is limited to one per semester. Students may only take an Online Learning course if a similar course is not offered at SHP; a registration reference guide will be provided in January each year.

The Director will alert SHP students of important add/drop dates in advance and in a timely manner. There may be fee implications for dropping an Online Learning course, and these fees will be delineated in the student’s Online Learning registration form. All Online Learning courses follow SHP scheduling policies as presented in the Scheduling Policies section above. Please refer to the Scheduling Policies section on page 8 above for more information on course adjustments.
Expectations, Cost, Commitment

Online Learning Expectations
SHP students who typically thrive in Online Learning courses are self-directed, motivated, technology proficient, and independent learners. Students must be comfortable with or willing to develop skills to: participate in online discussions and collaborate virtually and across time zones; produce and submit coursework online and in multiple formats; manage global synchronous and asynchronous course expectations; and organize their independent learning in an online environment. They must have regular access to a computer and the internet for the entire duration of the course. While online learning has flexibility, these courses require regular online participation, meeting submission deadlines, and may require some time specific online meetings at mutually agreeable times as determined by the course instructor. All Online Learning courses have asynchronous components (students participate regularly on their own schedule) and synchronous components (students collaborate together or work with their teacher, generally using video conferencing software).

Online Learning Cost
SHP pays the membership and course fees, thus there is no additional fee to students taking an Online Learning course. However, if a student withdraws from a course after the published late withdrawal date, the student will be responsible to reimburse SHP for the prescribed portion of the course fee. As part of the registration process, each student will sign a SHP Online Learning Registration Agreement that specifies the specific fees and dates for dropping GOA and SC courses. There may be required texts, software or supplies, which are the responsibility of each student.
Online Learning Time Commitments and Calendar
Online Learning courses should be given the same level of respect for time, commitment, and learning outcomes as SHP courses. Students should expect to commit a minimum of 7-10 hours per week for Online Learning instruction and completion of course assignments. Online Learning courses have approximately the same calendar as the SHP academic year. Each SHP student will be given a flex-period in their A-G daily schedule. This flex-period is to be used wisely by the students to manage their coursework and other responsibilities.