- Part-time or postgraduate students are not normally enrolled.
- A student entering HKIS in Grade 12 must attend the entire 12th Grade year at HKIS to receive the HKIS diploma.
- Course Load
Grade 9 Course Load: Yearly course load for students in Grade 9 is between 6.75 and 7.75 credits. The high school recommends Grade 9 students have a free block in their schedule during one semester of the year to help them transition well and balance the academic workload of high school.
Grade 10, 11, 12 Course Load: Yearly course load for students in Grades 10-12 is between 6.25 and 7.75 credits.
Variation from the four-year academic requirement would result from a counseling process in with the following factors would be considered:- Compelling reasons for a shortened High School career.
- Intellectual development and social maturity of the student.
- Uniqueness of the overseas setting.
- Satisfactory alternative plans or programs for the balance of the normal term.
- The school reserves the right to make the final decision.
- AP Course Maximum
Grade 10 – 1 AP credit
Grade 11 – 3 AP credits
Grade 12 – 3 AP credits
* In some cases Grade 12 students can apply for up to 4 AP credits IF the course is the next logical step in a sequence. All requests must be made in discussion with the counselor and approved by the Associate Principal for Academics.
- AP Designation
To receive AP designation on the transcript, a student must complete the AP curriculum by fulfilling the requirements of the course and sitting for the College Board exam in May.
- Adding a Course
Normally, a student may not enter a new course after the first cycle (8 days) of class periods.
- Dropping and Withdraws
Dropping for any reason prior to the end of the first quarter of a course would not result in a W (withdraw) designation on the transcript.
Withdrawing a course after the first quarter of a class results in a W mark on the transcript. Withdrawing is intended to be for exceptional cases (e.g., hospitalization and may require a recommendation from the Student Support Team). Approval from the high school Associate Principal for Academics will be needed to withdraw from a course beyond the quarter.
Note: Yearlong courses represent a commitment on the part of teacher and student to develop skills over the long term. They may not normally be dropped after one semester.
-
Student School Withdrawals
If a student withdraws from HKIS prior to the end of the term, HKIS will award a grade upon withdrawal only if there is enough evidence of learning to warrant a grade. The decision regarding acceptance of transfer credit rests with the receiving school. -
Student Course Selection
- For returning students, the course registration process for the next academic year begins in late January and ends in late February.
- The High School administration, in consultation with Teacher Leaders, determines the program of courses to be offered for the following academic year.
- If a student in grades 10-12 desires to challenge a course placement recommended by the school, they must complete a Course Override process with the Associate Principal for Academic Programs. (See more information in Prerequisites below.)
- Major factors in determining course offerings are student interest as well as faculty availability and expertise.
- Students needing additional assistance with course selection are encouraged to consult with their community counselors.
- Students new to HKIS will have schedules created once enrolled. If enrolled over a vacation, schedules will be created once faculty return to campus.
- Academic Warning and Probation
Students experiencing academic difficulties may be placed on academic warning or probation. A student’s continued enrolment at HKIS is determined by the High School administration in consultation with classroom teachers, counselor, homeroom teacher and parents. For more information please see this link.
- Attendance and Summative Assessments
Students are expected to be present for all summative assessments in a course. Absence for any summative assessment must have a compelling reason in order to be excused and contingency plans arranged with the teacher. Excessive absences for summative assessments will be referred to administration.
- Repeating Classes: Only a student who earns a D or F in a course (or who is required to retake a sequential course in math or languages) may repeat it. A record of the first course remains on the transcript with a “NC” (no credit) replacing the previous grade. Only the grade earned in the repeated course is factored into the GPA.
Prerequisites
Many of our courses have prerequisites. Prerequisites are set based on years of course data and teacher experience in working with students. They ensure that a student has the content knowledge and skills necessary to meet the demands of the next level course. Students must meet the previous course grade requirement.
Students not meeting the prerequisites will not be able to take the next level course unless there are extenuating circumstances. In these cases, the student must meet with the Associate Principal for Academics and apply for a Course Override. The final decision on course placement is made by the school.
Grading and Assessment Practice
Definitions
Assessment, grading and reporting are elements of a feedback cycle that supports learning. ASSESSMENT is the ongoing process of gathering a variety of evidence of student learning, and is embedded within the cycles of teaching and learning. Evidence may be collected through a range of developmentally appropriate methods, for example observation, conversation with students, and reviews of student work and performances. GRADING is the process of evaluating student evidence against a set of standards/criteria in order to provide feedback to students about their progress toward the intended learning. REPORTING is the communication of learning progress, growth, and achievement to students, parents and the wider community.
Evidence of Learning
All learning assessments are considered “evidence of learning”. HKIS uses a standards-based approach to teaching and learning. All learning provides a story of a student’s learning journey over time. Whether the learning tasks are small or large in nature, all learning tasks give students the opportunity to show what they know and can do. The learning feedback is always tied to standards and over time students can see how they are performing on certain groups of standards (which we call Measurement Topics) in each class.
Language of Feedback
We give feedback on assessments using the General Academic Scale.
| Emerging | Developing | Exhibiting | Exhibiting Depth |
|---|---|---|---|
|
The student demonstrates emerging proficiency in the standard. The student is beginning to demonstrate foundational knowledge and skills. |
The student demonstrates The student demonstrates the foundational knowledge and skills required to exhibit the standard but is not yet exhibiting proficiency in the |
The student exhibits The student demonstrates the targeted understanding of knowledge and skills. |
The student exhibits depth in the standard. The student is able to transfer learning to authentic or a typical situations. The students can draw upon their conceptual understanding to solve real problems that show a level of creativity and sophistication. |
Final Grades
The final grade for the course (at the end of a semester for semester classes, or the end of the year for yearlong classes) will be determined by considering the student’s body of learning evidence over the duration of the course. Students will be given an overall proficiency indicator for each Measurement Topic (a group of standards) and then an overall proficiency for each Reporting Category (a larger bucket of skills and knowledge standards that is communicated on the report card).
In Schoology (our learning management system and online grade book), students will see an overall proficiency score for Measurement Topics and Reporting Categories. Learning Goals and Learning Targets are used in class lessons.
|
Reporting Category |
Measurement Topic #1 |
Learning Goal #1.1 |
Learning Target |
|
Learning Target |
|||
|
Learning Goal #1.2 |
Learning Target |
||
|
Learning Target |
|||
|
Learning Target |
|||
|
Measurement Topic #2 |
Learning Goal #2.1 |
Learning Target |
|
|
Learning Target |
|||
|
Learning Target |
|||
|
Learning Goal #2.2 |
Learning Target |
||
|
Learning Target |
|||
|
Learning Goal #2.3 |
Learning Target |
||
|
Measurement Topic #3 |
Learning Goal #3.1 |
Learning Target |
|
|
Learning Target |
All learning evidence is stored in Schoology. Schoology uses ‘averaging’ as a way to determine an overall proficiency indicator. Teachers may dismiss early learning from the average if there is evidence that the student has progressed in knowledge and skills. By dismissing early work the overall proficiency will be based on the most recent and/or most consistent performance and will be an accurate reflection of student learning.
A student’s participation, effort, behavior and attendance will not inform the achievement grade. Those aspects will be measured using the Approaches to Learning reported quarterly. Performing Arts and PE use different learning habits criteria.
Approaches to Learning (ATLs)
Learning at HKIS is communicated with proficiency indicators and letter grades but also in our Approaches to Learning. The Approaches to Learning descriptors highlight a student’s ability within the class to actively engage in the learning experience and fulfill their potential as self-motivated, lifelong learners. They are behaviours that facilitate, broaden, or extend learning. “These may be things that enable learning, such as performance on formative assessments, homework, and class participation. They also may reflect extended learning goals related to noncognitive social-emotional learning skills such as collaboration, goal setting, perseverance, habits of mind, or citizenship” (Guskey, 2020). At HKIS, our Approaches to Learning measure a student’s ability to demonstrate Self Motivation, Collaboration, and Respect and Responsibility. These learning habits are given on report cards, quarterly, with ratings of “consistently”, “inconsistently”, and “rarely”.
Report Card and Transcript Grades
Letter Grades are determined by using the Letter Grade Translation Table. The table translates the overall proficiency scores for each Reporting Category into one overall letter grade. The letter grade a student receives must be backed up by learning evidence and must clearly link to our Grade Descriptors.
Grade Point Average (GPA)
A student’s Grade Point Average is calculated each semester, only taking into account completed courses. Yearlong courses will be calculated into the GPA only at the end of the school year. (The student’s YEARLY and CUMULATIVE GPA is recorded on the Report Card and includes HKIS grades only.)
The GPA is calculated using an algorithm based on the following grade scale. Note that a semester-long course is 1/2 the value of a full-year course. To determine GPA, add all the course GPA points at the end of the year, and divide by the total credits gained. Students can find their GPA on PowerSchool. Ask a counselor if you have questions about the GPA.
Letter Grades and Grade Point Average (GPA)
| Letter Grade | GPA Equivalent for 1 Credit | GPA Equivalent for 0.5 Credit |
|---|---|---|
| A | 4.000 | 2.000 |
| A- | 3.670 | 1.835 |
| B+ | 3.330 | 1.665 |
| B | 3.000 | 1.500 |
| B- | 2.670 | 1.335 |
| C+ | 2.330 | 1.165 |
| C | 2.000 | 1.000 |
| D | 1.000 | 0.500 |
| F | 0 | 0 |
| IE (insufficient evidence) | 0 | 0 |
| W (Withdraw) WMED (Medical Withdrawal) |
- | - |
| IP (In Progress) | - | - |
| P (Pass; credit granted, no GPA value) | - | - |
| SC (Successful Completion; no credit granted, no GPA value) | - | - |
| NC (No credit granted) | - | - |
| AD (audit - no credit granted) | - | - |