Policies and Regulations

School Board of the City of Virginia Beach
Regulation 5-26.2

STUDENTS

Dropping/Adding Courses and Purging/Expunging Grades

A. Dropping Classes/Purging Grades

1. Generally

Elective courses may be dropped with the written permission of the parent or legal guardian.
Required courses may be dropped only with the permission of the principal and with the written consent of the parent or legal guardian.
A year course dropped on or after the first official day of the second grading period must be counted as an "E" and included in class rank. A semester course dropped on or after the second day after the issuance of progress reports must be counted as an "E" and included in class rank. The drop recorded as "WF".
Advanced Placement (AP) courses may be dropped at the end of the first nine-weeks or the end of the semester. If possible, the student should be moved to a lower level course in the subject area. The student’s current grade should be transferred forward to the new course. Students who drop the AP course after the last day of the first semester will receive an “E” and that grade will be included in class rank.

2. Procedure for Purging/Expunging Grades for Middle School Students Taking High School Credit-Bearing Courses:

The parent/guardian of a middle school student taking a high school credit-bearing course(s) may request that the grade for such course or courses be purged from the student's transcript and that the student not earn high school credit for the course. The request must be presented for consideration no later than August 1st after the completion of the student’s 8th grade year.

EXCEPTION: In a sequential program such as a foreign language where one course must precede the next, students who choose to purge or expunge the credit from a lower level course after successfully completing the higher level(s) of the course will not be permitted to do so without expunging all subsequent courses in that sequence.

Once the principal receives a request for the purging of such grade and credit, the student's permanent transcript will be altered so that the course, grade and credit are not reflected.

A student dropping a course pursuant to this subsection is still required to meet the prescribed graduation requirements set forth in Policy 5-30 and Regulation 5-30.1; where a course has been dropped, a course fulfilling the graduation requirement must be successfully completed at the middle school or high school level.

Beginning in school year 2000-01, students who have a grade purged from their record, but who pass the related end-of-course SOL test, will not be required to retake the SOL test to earn verified credit if they successfully repeat the related course.

B. Adding Classes

No student may add a year course after the class has been in session for fifteen (15) school days.
No student on a block schedule may add a year course after the class has been in session for eight (8) school days.
No student may elect to add a semester course after the class has been in session for eight (8) school days.
No student on a block schedule may elect to add a semester course after the class has been in session for four (4) school days.
The principal may waive the days in session requirements in the above items in justifiable cases.

C. Enrollment in Courses for More Than Six Credits

The normal maximum number of credits to be earned in one school year is six. Under special circumstances, a student may earn more than six credits.

1. Special Circumstances
Credits beyond six which satisfy the requirement of the Standards for Accrediting Public Schools in Virginia may be earned during a given school year under the following circumstances:

Classes in the gifted program which meet at a time not in conflict with the regular school schedule;
classes in certain work-study programs which permit additional courses to be scheduled during the regular school day;
college/university courses for which the student has received prior approval of the school principal; or
night school courses for credit toward a regular high school diploma offered for credit through the Virginia Beach City Public Schools.

2. Procedures

The student or parent or legal guardian will complete an application to enroll in courses for more than six credits. The student and parent or legal guardian will sign the application. A reason for the request will be cited.
A guidance counselor will review the student's previous attendance records and cumulative grade record and the student's current class schedule. The counselor will then discuss this information with the principal.
If the evaluation of the data indicates a basis for granting a waiver, the principal will approve the application.
The application will be approved prior to enrolling in the course. The student's application will be kept on file at the school.
If the request is not approved, the parent or legal guardian may appeal the principal's decision to the Division Superintendent.
Requests to enroll in more than eight credits will be reviewed by the Division Superintendent or designee.

D. Auditing Courses: High School

Auditing of courses will be permitted if space is available in the class and with the principal's recommendation to the Assistant Superintendent for High School Education. Credit will not be awarded for an audited course, and an audited course is not used in determining class rank. In addition, an audited course does not count toward the five (5) credit courses needed for Virginia High School League Eligibility. A student may drop an audited course without penalty. On a case-by-case basis, and at the recommendation of the school principal, a request may be made to the Assistant Superintendent for High School Education for authorization to permit a student to audit a course and include it in class rank provided the student receives the most recent grade. The decision of the Assistant Superintendent for High School Education is final.

Students may not transfer from school to school to audit a course. Students may arrange to audit a course at another school if space is available and with the permission of both principals.

Editor’s Note

For information on Athletic Eligibility, see School Board Regulation 5-49.1.
See Virginia Beach City Public Schools Website: www.vbschools.com

Legal Reference:

Board of Education Regulations Establishing Standards for Accrediting Public Schools in Virginia, § VAC 20-131-10 et seq.

Approved by Superintendent: July 16, 1991
Revised by Superintendent: September 21, 1993 (Effective August 14, 1993)
Revised by Superintendent: August 19, 1997
Revised by Superintendent: April 20, 1998
Revised by Superintendent: October 8, 1998
Revised by Superintendent: November 19, 2003
Revised by Superintendent: December 7, 2004
Revised by Superintendent: March 17, 2006