Academics

High School Graduation Requirements

TOPS UNIVERSITY DIPLOMA PATHWAY

Course Requirements	Scheduling Details
English = 4 Units	English I, English II, English III (or equivalent), English IV (or equivalent)
Mathematics = 4 Units	Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II, and one of the following: Advanced Math—Functions and Statistics Advanced Math—Pre-Calculus Algebra III DE AND Trigonometry DE (These are paired classes.)
Science = 4 Units	Biology I, Chemistry I, and two of the following: Environmental Science Physical Science Agriscience II Chemistry II (or equivalent) Chemistry II DE part I and part II (These are paired classes.) Physics (or equivalent) Biology II (or equivalent)
Social Studies = 4 Units	U. S. History (or equivalent), Civics (or equivalent), and two from the following: World History (or equivalent) World Geography (or equivalent) Western Civilization DE part I AND part II (These are paired classes.)
Health Education = ½ Unit	Comprehensive Health
Physical Education = 1 ½ Units	P. E. I (1/2 Unit), P. E. II (1 Unit)
Foreign Language = 2 Units	Spanish I AND Spanish II Spanish I (DE) and Spanish II (DE)
Arts = 1 Unit	Art, Music, Dance, Theatre, or Fine Arts Survey
Electives = 3 Units	Allied Health I      $25 fee Allied Health II     $25 fee Emergency Medical Responder Quest for Success Survey of Arts Principles of Business Desktop Publishing Agriscience I Agriscience II Agriscience III Agriscience IV LA Wetlands Ecology and Conservation Cyber Society Speech I FACS I P. E. III P. E. IV Introduction to Remote Controlled Vehicles (Drones) Psychology Publications I Publications II Dance I (Band Guard) Advanced Band Percussion Ensemble Introduction to Business Computer Applications (IBCA) Business Computer Applications (BCA) VWE II Nutrition and Food Child Development
TOTAL = 24 Units	Additional details are available at A Guide for SMP Schools / TOPS University Diploma (stmaryk12.net) (/Page/9249)

 

 

JUMPSTART TOPS TECH DIPLOMA PATHWAY

Students in this pathway must attain an approved statewide or regional credential as part of their graduation requirements. 

Course Requirements	Scheduling Details
English = 4 Units	English I, English II, and two of the following: English III Business English Technical Writing
Mathematics = 4 Units	Algebra I (or equivalent) and three from the following: Geometry Math Essentials Financial Mathematics Business Math Algebra II Advanced Math—Functions and Statistics Advanced Math—Pre-Calculus
Science = 2 Units	Biology I and one from the following: Chemistry I Environmental Science Physical Science Agriscience I and II (one unit combined)
Social Studies = 2 Units	U. S. History (or equivalent) and Civics (or equivalent)
Physical Education/Health = 2 Units	Comprehensive Health (1/2 Unit), Physical Education (1 unit), and ½ unit from one of the following: P. E. II Marching Band Extracurricular Sports Cheering Dance Team
Electives = 9 or more	Courses prescribed by the state for the student’s chosen pathway
TOTAL = 23 Units	Additional details are available at A Guide for SMP Schools / JumpStart TOPS Tech Pathway (stmaryk12.net) (/Page/9139)

 

 

 

 

Credit Recovery Courses and Units

• Classes are offered to at-risk students to receive credit for classes previously taken and failed. Courses are aligned with Louisiana Student Standards and the comprehensive curriculum. A student must successfully complete the course requirements and examination to receive credit.
• Students who fail a course have the option of repeating the course either during a succeeding session or during summer school. Once the course is successfully completed, both grades remain on the transcript.
• Students may enroll in approved St. Mary Parish School System distance learning courses/classes for repeat credit, new credit, or to improve their grade point average (GPA). Permission must be granted from the school administrator and the Supervisor of Secondary Education prior to enrolling in course/class. All courses taken remain on the students' transcripts. ALL course work is calculated into the cumulative grade point average for district requirements. For specific T.O.P.S. questions and/or consideration, check the website at www.lsofa.state.la.us . Courses that are scheduled through the St. Mary Parish School system will be posted on the student's cumulative record upon completion of the course.

Academic Honors

 

Honor Roll and Principal’s List

The Principal’s List shall consist of students who earn all A’s for the nine weeks.

The Honor Roll shall consist of students who have at least a B (3.0) average for the nine weeks. 

To qualify for either list, a student cannot have a D or F on the report card for the nine weeks.

Student of the Year

Berwick High School will, by committee, select a student of the year in accordance with the guidelines set forth by the Louisiana Department of Education and St. Mary Parish district personnel. Students meeting the requirements given will be given the opportunity to compete at the school level. The Berwick High Student of the Year will go on to compete at the district level.

End of the Year Awards Ceremony

The student with the highest average for each course offered will be recognized at the end of the year awards ceremony.

 

Graduation Ceremony

Berwick High School’s graduation ceremony will be May 16, 2024, at 7:00 at Geisler Stadium. Graduating seniors are required to participate in mandatory graduation practice on May 15, 2024, starting at 9:00 in the Berwick High School Gym. No guests are allowed at graduation practice. Students not attending graduation practice will not be allowed to participate in the graduation ceremony. Graduates will have no limit on the number of guests that can attend the graduation ceremony if it is held at the stadium.  If conditions necessitate the movement of the graduation ceremony from the stadium to the gym, students will be issued a limited number of tickets for guests. The number of tickets will be determined during the week of graduation based on gym occupancy requirements and the actual number of graduates. Graduates are required to purchase, at a minimum, a graduation gown, cap, and stole from Josten’s. This is to insure uniformity. Further details (attire, location, number of tickets) will be disseminated during the months of April and May as needed.

St. Mary Parish Pupil Progression Plan

Berwick High School follows the St. Mary Parish School Board’s grading scales and promotion requirements outlined in the district’s Pupil Progression Plan, which can be found on the district website under Policies or at http://www.stmaryk12.net/ppp.

Grading Policies

High school credits are awarded based on Carnegie units, which require a minimum of 7,965 instructional minutes with students in attendance for a minimum of 7, 515 minutes for one credit.

• Students in grades 9-12 will earn letter grades (A, B, C, D or F) each nine weeks for evaluative and reporting purposes. To pass, a student on block schedule shall make a 1.0 (D) average by earning two quality points, with at least one quality point being earned in the second nine-weeks of the semester. Final course grades will be determined by adding the quality points of grades earned from the two nine weeks and dividing the sum by two. To be eligible for Carnegie credit, a final grade of at least a "D" must be earned.

• Any student who has earned an overall 1.0 GPA but fails due to district policy shall be subject to a review by the SBLC. Upon review, the SBLC may recommend a waiver for the student.

 • In grades 9-12, the nine-week grade shall be based on a minimum of 600 points from at least 6 major grades

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

•Dual enrollment course grades will be derived from assignments, assessments, and exams listed on the university course syllabus. DE instructors will provide university course syllabi on the first day of the course. There are some DE courses that are designated by the Louisiana Department of Education as 5-point courses. If that is the case, the course will be factored on a 5-point quality point scale (A=5, B=4, C=3, D=2, F=0). Two examples are provided below:

Example 1	Grade	Quality Pts		Example 1	Grade	Quality Pts
Math DE (5pt Class)	A	5		Math DE (5pt Class)	A	5
Math	A	4		Math	A	4
Science	A	4		Science	A	4
Social Studies	B	3		Social Studies	A	4
Elective	A	4		Elective	A	4
Quality Pts/Credits=GPA 20/5=4.0 GPA		20 total		Quality Pts/Credits=GPA 21/5=4.2 GPA		21 total

 

The Honors Grading Scale will be used for the following courses:

• Any course designated as Honors
• Dual Enrollment and Advanced Placement courses
• Advanced Math, Calculus, Trigonometry
• Foreign Languages
• Biology II, Chemistry II, Physics
• Students Teaching and Reaching (STAR)

 

Determining Final Course Grade

Quality points will be used to determine final averages for courses in Grades 9-12. 

 

 

 

 

 

STATE TESTING

LEAP 2025 End-of-Course test scores will be included as 15% of a student’s overall grade in the following courses:

• Algebra I
• Biology
• English II
• English III
• Geometry
• U. S. History
• Civics

 

 The LEAP 2025 exam is taken at the end of the course and counts as 15% of the overall course grade (5% for April Dunn students). The conversion charts provided by the LDOE for each LEAP 2025 test will be used to determine the student’s grade on the LEAP 2025 tests.

Example	9 Weeks	9 Weeks	Course	LEAP	LEAP
Letter Grade	D	D	D	Unsatisfactory	F
Quality	1	1	2÷2+1		0

Final Grade Calculation: D(1) x 0.85 + F(0) x 0.15 = 0.85 (F)

 

Determining Grade Point Average in Grades 9 – 12

• A grade point average is defined as an average of all subjects together, using the Quality Point Average Chart.
• A student's grade point average (GPA) is based upon the final letter grades in all courses attempted.
• If a student repeats a course failed, the grade received in the failed course shall still be computed in the GPA. Students will not be permitted to repeat courses previously passed. Special circumstances concerning seniors qualifying for scholarships must be reviewed by the principal and the assistant superintendent.
• All grade point averages will be carried out four places behind the decimal.
• Student rank in class will be used for guidance purposes only and determined by numerically placing students in rank order according to an overall letter grade average obtained by averaging final letter grades in all courses attempted.
• Graduation Honors for Grades 9-12

 

 

Grade-Level Classifications

High school students will be classified by Carnegie Units earned and sessions attended:

 

• Seniors must schedule a minimum 2 classes per semester. Seniors enrolled in off-campus programs can include travel as one of these class periods. Waivers to this policy can be appealed to the superintendent based on extenuating circumstances.
• All credit is considered as earned on the last test date. All final grades from correspondence courses and virtual learning courses must be received by the last senior test date.
• Proficiency credit for a Carnegie Unit credit will be allowed as approved by the LDOE. Students meeting requirements for Carnegie credit based on proficiency shall have the course title, year proficiency was demonstrated, P (pass), and the unit of credit earned entered on their transcript. Credit awarded is not used to compute the GPA.
• Early Graduation Program: Students may graduate in December or May with full participation in high school graduation programs/ceremonies. All early graduates must be approved by the superintendent and will be based upon extenuating circumstances.
• Dual Enrollment is offered on all high school campuses allowing students to earn both high school and college credit. Dual enrollment is offered through high quality instruction ensured by Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS/CASI) teacher credentialing and dual course curriculum alignment.
• CLEP testing is offered on all high school campuses allowing students to earn both high school and college credit. The LDOE list of allowable CLEP to Carnegie Unit credit opportunities will be followed.
• Middle school Carnegie credits completed become part of a student’s high school transcript. Grades earned in those courses are averaged in the cumulative high school GPA.

 

Progress Reports and Report Cards Schedule

 

 

Individual Graduation Plan

By the end of the eighth grade, every student, with the assistance of his parent or legal guardian and school personnel, will begin to develop an Individual Graduation Plan (IGP) to guide the selection of courses and assist students in exploring educational and career possibilities. Students will be following one of two pathways:  TOPS University Diploma Pathway or Jumpstart TOPS Tech Pathway.

 

Financial aid

Louisiana requires public school students to take one of the following steps as part of their individual graduation plans:

 

• complete the free application for financial student aid (fafsa) https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa

 

 

• complete the Louisiana TOPS form

https://mylosfa.la.gov/students-parents/scholarships-grants/tops/tops-forms/

 

• certify a waiver in writing to opt out https://www.louisianabelieves.com/docs/default-source/course-choice/fafsa-parental-opt-out.pdf?sfvrsn=2

 

• receive a waiter through the district hardship waiver process. 

WiseCats Program

The WiseCats Program pays tribute to academic excellence. These students have earned honor roll without a “C” in the four nine weeks that makes the school year.  Students are awarded for their efforts at the beginning of the next school year with a certificate depicting the degree earned.  The levels run from 1^st to 4^th degree.

 

PowerCat of the Month Program
This program recognizes those students who are constantly and consistently following and striving to meet the PowerCat philosophy.  Each month, students will be nominated by the staff.  After a list has been complied, names will be drawn (one per grade and one faculty).  PowerCat Citizens of the Year will be voted upon from the monthly winners.

Here is a link to the entire St. Mary Parish Public Schools Pupil Progression Plan. This document will demonstrate how students at each grade level are graded, how final grades are determined, and how students are promoted from one grade to the next. This document also includes graduation pathways and outlines programs and needed assessments at each grade level. /Page/16354

 

 

Student Progress Center Information

The Student Progress Center is a secure site that helps parents and/or guardians view student information such as grades and attendance.

The Student Progress Center can be accessed from the link on our school’s website or by browsing to this address: https://jpams.stmaryk12.net/progress/. Complete instructions and helpful videos can be found by selecting the Help option. 

Registering a New User

To establish an account, a parent or guardian will need to provide the following information for verification:

• The user's relationship to the student
• The user’s Last and First Name
• The PSN number of a student (the last five digits of that student’s Social Security number)
• The home address that is listed with the school for that student.

 

If the information entered in the Verification step does not match the information on file at the school, the parent or guardian must contact the school secretary to verify/update the information on file.

If the information entered in the Verification step matches the information on file at the school, the user will be asked to create a username and password. These credentials will be used to access the Student Progress Center.

Linking Additional Students

After logging into the Student Progress Center using the credentials created in the previous step, the parent/guardian can click the drop-down arrow on the top right of the screen and select ‘Link Students.”  To link other children to this account, you will need the following information:

• The student’s first and last names
• The student’s Social Security number
• The student’s date of birth

 

If a match is made, the student will be linked to this account. If some of the information does not match with the date on file, the parent/guardian should contact the child’s school.

 

St. Mary Parish Pupil Progression Plan

Berwick High School follows the St. Mary Parish School Board’s grading scales and promotion requirements outlined in the district’s Pupil Progression Plan, which can be found on the district website under Policies or at http://www.stmaryk12.net/ppp.