MS/US Academic Policies

A student appearing on the Student of Concern list for the first two, consecutive quarters to start the school year will be placed on Academic Probation, starting immediately, in the second semester in January.

Students who appear on the Student of Concern list for any two, non-consecutive, quarters (nine weeks) in one school calendar year will be placed on Academic Probation for the following academic year.

Students on Academic Probation will meet with parent(s), Principal, Grade Level Counselor, and extra-curricular coaches or mentor(s) to coordinate expectations and agree upon a contract that outlines:

1. Continued academic support
2. Athletic and extracurricular participation
3. Standards to remove oneself from Academic Probation
4. Consequences of not fulfilling expectations, including the potential of not being offered a re-enrollment contract for the subsequent year or being asked to withdraw in January, if started the year on Academic Probation.

If a student successfully matriculates from Academic Probation, the expectation is to maintain Good Standing; if an appearance on the Student of Concern list occurs again (just once), Academic Probation automatically is reinstituted and students have the following semester to amend their status, before re-enrollment is not offered or a withdraw is requested. Students who require a second Academic Probation will remain on probation for the entirety of their HHCA career.

Athletic eligibility will be determined by a student’s ability to maintain good standing  (see section on “Good Standing” below) as well as in accordance with the SCISA Blue Book.    

• If a student is ineligible at the beginning of a quarter, the student will have from weeks 2-4 of the respective quarter to become eligible. If by mid quarter a student does not earn eligibility, the student remains ineligible for the remainder of the quarter. Another review of eligibility will take place for the upcoming quarter and so on throughout the school year.

• End of year final grades will determine good standing and, hence, athletic eligibility for Quarter 1 of the new school year.

HHCA utilizes the South Carolina Uniform Grading Policy (SC UGP) for all students. The upper school also utilizes the SC UGP for computation of GPA (grade point average).

Class Rank is calculated based upon cumulative GPA for each student at the end of the ninth through twelfth grade academic years and is posted to all final transcripts. 

Class rank is used for such purposes as determining Valedictorian and Salutatorian and Palmetto Scholars. A student must be enrolled full time in both junior and senior year to be eligible for this honor and must have attended both their junior and senior years at HHCA.

Mentor communicates with parent(s) when a student performs significantly below acceptable performance level and is in jeopardy of becoming a Student of Concern (SOC).

This is at the discretion of the mentor and proactively completed throughout the grading period with the intent of providing remediation to keep students from becoming a SOC.

• Recommended students attend their respective after school extra help sessions.
• Mentor refers a student to a grade level counselor if other factors are identified or additional support is needed.

Admission into honors or AP courses is selective. Student placements are evaluated according to: 

1) Academic record at HHCA 

2) Mentor recommendations 

3) Standardized test scores 

4) Student agency  

Academic Record

In the competency-based grading system, the expectations for students to matriculate to honors and AP levels include the following performance markers:

From college prep to honors:  A course grade at or above 90 would be considered ready for an honors advancement.  Students may advance with a strong mentor recommendation.

From honors to honors:  A course grade at or above 85 in the preceding honors course would be considered ready to continue in the honors sequencing.  Students may be recommended for subsequent honors classes with a strong mentor recommendation. 

From honors to AP:  A course grade at or above 90 in the preceding honors course would be considered ready for an AP-level advancement.  Students may advance with a strong mentor recommendation.

Dual Enrollment Courses: See Mrs. Artime or Mrs. Robbins in the Guidance office for information.

Preliminary invitations to participate in honors and AP classes will be communicated to parents during the spring as students begin to enroll in classes for the following term. These students are recommended and hold first priority for placement.

A lot of care is put into placing students in the best position for success; students who do not receive an initial recommendation, yet would like to matriculate, into honors or AP courses may issue a written appeal to the Guidance Director stating their rationale behind their requested placement.

Keeping in mind that honors classes are selective and that it will not be possible to approve all applications for honors placement, each request will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis with the best interest of the student at heart.  If an appeal is not granted, an agreement waiver can be requested and will be completed by parents, students, and a member of Guidance that discusses periodic monitoring and understanding that if the student does not meet the overall 75 percent threshold two weeks and four weeks into the school year, the student will be moved back to a CP or Honors section, depending on the acquiesced request. 

Matriculation into the honors program necessitates a high level of commitment and a large degree of personal sacrifice. In an effort to ensure the most appropriate fit for each student, an honors or AP student may be withdrawn from a class- and moved to a corresponding section of CP or honors- upon receiving a midterm (October or March for semester courses; December for AP courses) grade lower than 70.  Final approval for admission into any honors or AP level courses must come through the lead mentor and Director of Guidance approval. In addition, students approved for AP level courses will be required to sign an AP contract along with their parents as the school year begins.

• Credit is awarded only if the course is passed with a 60 or higher.
• Upper School courses can only be repeated if the student earned a 69 or below in that course. Students may retake the same course. Both courses and grades will be listed on the student's transcript; however, only the second grade will factor into the student's GPA.
• If a required course is failed, a student must complete a credit recovery course before the start date of the next school year.

Transfer Credits

• Upper school credits, including those taken in middle school, are accepted for students transferring to Hilton Head Christian Academy from private, public or home schools with an official transcript issued directly from the student’s previous school or from the school approved home school association.

• Grades are converted using the South Carolina Uniform Grading Policy and in accordance with HHCA's GPA calculation policies.

• In the event only letter grades are available, GPA will be calculated using a conversion chart provided by the state.

• Credits from previous schools are listed on the HHCA transcript with the issuing school designated. In some instances, a college or athletic organization may request transcripts be provided directly from the institution a student attended prior to enrolling at HHCA.

Students may drop/add a non-required class 10 days into the course for a year-long class and 5 days into the course for a semester class.

No grade or credit will be given for classes dropped prior to that time. Upper school classes dropped after that time period will be marked Withdrew Pass (WP) or Withdrew Fail (WF) on the student transcript.

The HHCA Dual Enrollment (DE) Program offers eligible students the opportunity to take college courses while in high school, up to 30 hours of credit. HHCA partners with the following institutions* to provide Dual Enrollment opportunities: 

• The University of South Carolina - Beaufort (USCB)

• Technical College of the Lowcountry (TCL)

*Dual credit courses may only be taken with these pre-approved HHCA college partners.

learn more and view the HHCA Dual Enrollment Handbook Here

Middle School

Middle School students are referenced to be in Good Standing at the end of each quarter if, in that quarter, they meet all of the following criteria:

• complete curricular expectations for five courses, including electives
• earn a minimum overall numeric average of 70
• have no more than two Ds (60-69)
• have no grade of 59 or below (Failing)

Upper School

Upper School students are referenced to be in Good Standing at the end of each quarter if, in that quarter, they meet all of the following criteria:

• complete curricular expectations for at least five courses, including electives
• earn a minimum overall numeric average of 70
• have no more than two Ds (60-69)
• have no grade of 59 or below (Failing)

The following grade scale applies to all students at HHCA and is based on the South Carolina Uniform Grading Policy (UGP). The upper school also utilizes the SC UGP for computation of GPA (grade point average). In line with the state of South Carolina's instruction, calculations of upper school GPAs are calculated using the grade scale noted below.  Beginning with the Class of 2026, and high school transfer students who enrolled in the 2021-22 school year, high school credits earned in middle school will be posted to student transcripts. 

GRADE SCALE

• A: 90-100
• B: 80-89
• C: 70-79
• D: 60-69
• F: 59 and below
   

SOUTH CAROLINA UNIFORM GRADING POLICY

Grades in middle and upper school courses will be calculated through the use of formative and summative assessments. 

Formative assessments (60% of the overall grade) are seen through different stages of problem and project development; they typically include demonstrations of learning, such as quizzes, class discussions, homework assignments, draft constructions, and varied written or oral contributions to class.  Summative assessments (40% of the overall grade) showcase student work through project presentations, end-of-unit checks for understanding, summative discussion contributions, and final drafts of written work.  Lower school grading will focus more upon individual learning standards, but will frame overall grading of each content component with a similar framework to middle and upper school.

Within the competency-based system, students are challenged to master sets of learning objectives.  Formative assessments are designed to track student progress that indicates competency with outlined standards and learning landmarks within units.  These steps in the learning process help students navigate their individual paths to the final (summative) artifacts that they will produce.  Learning, adapting, and refining one's learning is at the core of our inquiry-based design; therefore, it provides a greater overall contribution to one's final grade.

Summative assessments still hold a prominence, as it is important for students to be able to articulate the reasons for and outcomes of their learning to peers, adults, and the community.  Rubrics will be generated, with the input of the student, to guide the expectations for these summative assessments- learning will be assessed through the lens of the five major contributors:  agency, collaboration, knowledge and thinking, oral communication, and written communication.  At least one reflection that utilizes the established rubric should be provided by the mentor before a final grade is formulated on any summative assessment.

Students in grades 6-12 are eligible for end of the year honor roll if they meet the criteria listed below. Upper school students must be enrolled in two HHCA graded and/or graduation core requirement courses per semester to be considered for honor roll.

"A" Honor Roll: The student must have a cumulative average of 90 or higher with no grade less than a B (80).

"B" Honor Roll: The student must have a cumulative average of 80 or higher with no grade lower than a C (70).

Principal's Honor Roll: The student must have a cumulative average of no less than a 90 with no grade below an A (90).

Criteria for the honor societies in which HHCA participates are listed below: 

BETA CLUB

• Students in Beta Club are in grades 6-8.

• Students must have an overall average of 93 or above.

• Students must have grades no lower than 90 in each of their classes.

• Students must maintain a positive spirit throughout the school year.

• Students need to be enrolled at HHCA for at least six months prior to be selected to the Beta Club.

INTERNATIONAL THESPIAN SOCIETY

The minimum eligibility requirement for Thespian Society induction is one hundred hours of quality work in theater arts and related disciplines. One thespian point represents approximately ten hours of work.

• Half of the initial points must come from school related activities.

• Up to five points may be earned in middle school experiences.

• Students must be involved in at least two full-length productions.

• Two of the following areas must be represented: acting, production, business, directing.

• After 60 points are earned the student receives Honor Thespian designation.

SPANISH NATIONAL HONOR SOCIETY

• Student must be actively enrolled in a Spanish class (3rd semester of high school Spanish or higher).

• Student must have a 90 average in all Spanish classes.

• Student must not have failed a class due to attendance or grades.

• Student must participate in the National Spanish Exam at least one time while a student at Hilton Head Christian Academy.

• Student must demonstrate good character, leadership, cooperation, honesty, service and commitment to others.

NATIONAL HONOR SOCIETY

• Students must be a sophomore, junior or a senior for the spring induction and complete the application by the stated deadline.

• Students must have a 4.0 or higher cumulative GPA.

• Students must maintain a positive Christian testimony both in school and out of school.

• Students need to be approved by the upper school faculty.

• Students need to be a student at HHCA for at least one full semester prior to being inducted.

All HHCA offerings are rigorous, college preparatory courses in their scope and sequence. Honors classes are designed to take the accelerated student an extra step in terms of analysis, depths of coverage, and pace.

Advanced Placement (AP) courses are college level courses available to all upper school students. These courses are audited by the College Board to ensure rigor and adherence to college level curricular standards. AP students have the opportunity to earn college credit during their high school years (grades 9-12) through successful completion of the end-of-course AP exam, with each university defining its own policies regarding the awarding of credit.  In addition, students may accrue college credit by successfully completing the dual enrollment program through University of South Carolina-Beaufort and Technical College of the Lowcountry

Dual enrollment credits count for both high school and college credit and follow the typical AP weighting in GPA calculations. 

Honors and AP students are expected to demonstrate high-level critical thinking skills, independent study habits, strong reading, analysis, and discussion abilities, and mastery of both basic and advanced skills.

Students are provided scaffolded projects, rubrics, and expectations that provide appropriate challenges for the assigned course level; assignments, assessments, labs, and group collaborations are all distinguished, in advance, as honors or college preparatory. Honors classes are designed to become more rigorous each year, demanding an increase in the students’ commitment to the subject matter, not just intellectual capability. Therefore, students must continue to be motivated and meet expectations to participate in the honors program.

On-line courses/independent study/dual enrollment courses are facilitated to supplement the academic curriculum provided by HHCA; however, a student taking an online course must take the HHCA course unless the required course is not offered by HHCA.

Exceptions to this will be considered on a case by case basis by the Director of Academics and/or the Director of Guidance.

An independent study course will be considered on a case by case basis by the Director of Academics and/or Director of Guidance. For dual enrollment course guidelines, reference the HHCA Dual Enrollment Handbook here.

Approved courses will be included in an upper school student’s numeric average and cumulative GPA and posted to their transcript with the issuing institution noted.

Failing one of these courses will carry the same academic penalty as an on-campus course in terms of good standing and eligibility.

Students taking these courses are ineligible to receive academic awards at the end of the year for the course they are taking independently.

Junior Marshals comprise the top 20% of the junior class, capping at 12 students. This honor is based on grades through the first semester of junior year.

School Related Planned Absences: Partial Day

• Students who will have a planned absence should inform their mentors prior to being absent. For absences of early release and absences of one day, please notify the mentor no later than one day in advance. For absences of 2 or more days, please notify mentors no later than 3 days prior to absence.

All Absences

• Students who are absent will be required to complete and turn in all homework and classwork assignments on the Monday following their absence. If work is not completed in this time frame, a 20% reduction in grade will occur for each day. No work will be accepted after the Friday following the “new” Monday due date. Any exception to the reduction in grade will only be considered with the approval of the department’s lead mentor and after the classroom mentor and parent/guardian have discussed. Students and parents need to communicate with the mentor, in advance, if there will be difficulties for the student to complete the makeup work by the following Monday. 

• Students will be responsible for quizzes and tests on the return to school, at the earliest possible time scheduled by the mentor. 

• Student’s make-up assignments will be marked with a “0” and missing from the original due date.  The student's grade will be updated once the assignment is completed and turned in. 

• If a student is absent on the day a test or quiz is given, but were present for all days leading up to the assessment, they are expected to take the assessment on the day they return to school.

•  Students are responsible for regularly checking MyHHCA in order to be aware of tests and assignments scheduled during their absence.  

•  If a student misses a scheduled test due to arriving late, he or she will take the test at the earliest possible time scheduled by the mentor, including the scheduled test day. 

• If a student has an early release due to any absence, homework from the previous day (due on the day of early dismissal) should be turned in prior to leaving.

Report cards are posted to parent and student MyHHCA accounts at the end of each quarter.  Final transcripts and report cards may be held if financial obligations have not been met.

Grades and attendance records are reviewed at mid quarter and end of quarter.  At these points, students not in Good Standing will be placed on a Student of Concern list. (See +GOOD STANDING section above.)

Parents of students as well as the Mentor(s) are notified via email from the Director of Guidance. Email will state that students must attend a mandatory study table with a designated proctor.

• Study Table occurs with a designated proctor on M/T/Th 3:15-4:00 PM.

• Students must remain in the Study Table from mid quarter until the end of quarter or end of quarter to mid quarter (4.5 weeks).

Students will be closely monitored by the athletic department or extracurricular organization. Students in danger of not achieving Good Standing at midterm will also be strongly encouraged to utilize this academic support.

• Upper school students are recommended to take the SAT and/or ACT a minimum of three times.

• Students are responsible to schedule their SAT and ACT exam dates and pay for the tests.  SAT School Day opportunities are provided for students in grade 12.

• Students in grades 8 through 11 will take the PSAT/NMSQT or PSAT 8/9 on the nationally scheduled date in the fall.

• Middle and Upper School students take the MAP test throughout the year.

• Students who are absent on a scheduled assessment day will be required to complete the assessment upon their return to school, no later than the number of days missed during the absence. If assessments are not completed in this time frame, including homework and classwork, they are subject to a deduction. Students who have been ill will be required to make up all missed work within the time period agreed upon by the mentor and principal. Students who have been ill will be required to make up all missed work within the time period stated by the mentor and the principal.
• If a student is absent on the day a test or quiz is given, but was present for all days leading up to the assessment, they are expected to take the assessment on the day they return to school.
• Students are responsible to regularly check MyHHCA in order to be aware of tests and assignments scheduled while they were absent.
• If a student misses a scheduled test due to arriving late, he or she will have to take the test at the earliest possible time scheduled by the mentor.
• Students who miss school due to an extracurricular activity should take any tests or quizzes scheduled on the next day they are in full attendance for that class by scheduling it with the mentor (either during or outside of class). Failure to do so may result in a 10% reduction for the test and/or quiz, unless prior approval is given by the mentor.
• Homework should be turned in prior to leaving for a game or activity.

Spanish is the only world language currently taught at HHCA. 

All students will enroll in Spanish. Exceptions will be made for transfer students who have a year or more of a world language other than Spanish. All other cases will be reviewed by the Director of Academics and/or the Director of Guidance.