Introduction to Ashworth High School

Transcription

1 Introduction to Ashworth High School E d u c a t i n g M i n d s. C h a n g i n g L i v e s.

2 Copyright 2009 by ASHWORTH HIGH SCHOOL Professional Career Development Institute, LLC. 430 Technology Parkway Norcross, Georgia Accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. Accredited by the Commission on International and Trans-Regional Accreditation. Accredited by the Accrediting Commission of the Distance Education and Training Council. au.1 IMPORTANT NOTICE Policies and procedures described herein are subject to change without notice.

3 CONTACTING ASHWORTH HIGH SCHOOL ONLINE Education Services Student Advisor Technical Support Teacher MAIL Norcross, GA Given in course Ashworth High School P.O. Box FAX PHONE BUSINESS HOURS Monday-Friday 9a.m. to 10p.m. EST Remember to provide your student number with all communications.

4 TABLE OF CONTENTS WHY AN EDUCATION IS WORTH THE EFFORT... 1 ABOUT ASHWORTH HIGH SCHOOL ONLINE... 2 ADMISSIONS... 4 JOINT ENROLLMENT... 5 DIPLOMA PROGRAMS... 6 GETTING STARTED TRANSCRIPTS INTERNATIONAL STUDENT GUIDELINES EXAMS AND GRADING COURSE ACCESS TUITION PAYMENTS AHS, THE MILITARY, AND OTHER AGENCIES GRADUATION RELEASE OF STUDENT RECORDS COLLEGE ADMISSIONS STUDENT REMOVAL CANCELLATION POLICIES COURSES AND PACE CHARTS FORMS... 34

5 ASWORTH HIGH SCHOOL WHY EDUCATION IS WORTH THE EFFORT What made you decide to earn a diploma at this moment in your life? Each person has his or her own personal reason. Whatever your reason, you know that education is important and worth the time and effort required to earn a diploma. In this information and technology-dominated society, education is a ticket to getting ahead, at least for most people. You ve set your mind on gaining the knowledge you ll need to succeed. Congratulations! You ve taken the first step on the road to achieving your personal and professional goals. The next step is to make sure that you continue to move steadily toward your goal a high school diploma. Certainly you ve heard and maybe even said yourself What s a diploma, anyway? It s just a piece of paper. Although that s true, a diploma is also an important symbol. It represents the tremendous effort you put into your achievement. It s a source of self-esteem and confidence that graduates use to succeed in a highly competitive world. Just a piece of paper? Hardly! A high school degree is a symbol of the tremendous effort you put into your studies and the confidence you earned to prepare for success in a highly competitive world Therefore, let Ashworth High School Online help you reach this extremely important goal of earning a high school diploma. To support your learning, we have prepared this handbook. It answers many of the questions that will arise about your Ashworth High School Online program. Get to know it well, and after you have read it completely, let us know if you have any questions! 1

6 ABOUT ASHWORTH HIGH SCHOOL ONLINE MISSION STATEMENT Ashworth High School Online (AHS) provides a nationally and regionally accredited education to distance learners that uses proven Web and computer technologies to deliver an exciting, academically challenging curriculum online, preparing graduates for post-secondary education and careers of the future. Our mission is to offer comprehensive, superior quality courses that are enriched with the boundless visual, aural and interactive capabilities of the Internet. Unhindered by classroom walls, students are encouraged to enhance their knowledge and approach learning as a positive, lifelong activity. The flexibility of self-paced study motivates students to develop self-discipline and responsibility. Guided one-on-one by our caring, expert faculty, students of Ashworth High School Online are given the freedom to achieve their true scholastic potential. HISTORY AND ACCREDITATION STATUS In 1996, James Madison High School, now known as ASHWORTH HIGH SCHOOL, was established to aid those who need a flexible approach to a high school education. AHS provides correspondence courses needed for students to complete from one to four years of high school course work leading to a high school diploma. Students from all over the world are enrolled in the AHS program. In 2004, the staff of AHS began the development of a new online program, launched in Ashworth High School Online provides a college-preparatory diploma program, general diploma program, and single courses from both programs for high school students in a virtual setting. Ashworth High School Online is accredited by: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) Commission on International and Trans-Regional Accreditation (CITA) Distance Education and Training Council (DETC) 2

7 Ashworth College, the parent company, offers more than 45 certificate programs, the Ashworth High School program, the Ashworth High School Online program, and Associate, Bachelors and Masters Degree programs. COURSE ACCESS You can access your course(s) by going to this URL: This webpage has many options. Be sure to click onto each one to see the features that are available. You will be able to do many things without having to call for assistance. We hope that you will use these features for a faster response to your needs. If you encounter any problems, please contact [email protected] for assistance. 3

8 ADMISSIONS Enrollment Age International Students Special Education Students Basic high school skills in reading, writing, and understanding English Must be at least 14 years of age.* Students who have graduated from a school outside the United states must take a minimum of eight classes, or a two year program, in order to graduate Ashworth High School does not accept students who have previously taken special education courses for a learning disability. No entrance or exit exam Students under the age of 18 must provide verification of passing the 8 th grade and/or promotion to 9 th grade Must be able to read, write, and understand English If a student was placed in special education for nonacademic reasons (i.e. health, behavioral issues), appropriate documentation (i.e. IEP, examination results) MUST be mailed directly from the previous school to AUHS. *In addition to the minimum age requirement, it is a parent and/or guardian s responsibility to comply with the compulsory school attendance laws of the state in which they reside. Each state has its own rules and regulations for applying credit earned by correspondence to a resident school 4

9 diploma. If a student should decide to return to a resident school after having completed work at ASHWORTH HIGH SCHOOL, AHS will upon request send a transcript of the student s work and information concerning its program to the resident school. JOINT ENROLLMENT HIGH SCHOOL If a student is enrolled in another high school, he or she may take single courses concurrently from AHS. Students usually do this for getting ahead in their classes, credit recovery from a failed class, summer school courses, and other reasons. It is the policy of Ashworth High School not to allow students to be enrolled in another high school while still enrolled in the AHS diploma program. A student who is still enrolled in a public or private high school must first withdraw from that school if he or she plans to continue studying with AHS. If a student wishes to enroll in a local high school, the AHS diploma account must be cancelled and all obligations must be fulfilled before AHS will release a transcript. If a student decides to cancel his or her enrollment in the AHS diploma program to continue studying in another high school program, he or she should call to cancel. Please Note: ASHWORTH HIGH SCHOOL students are allowed to attend their local high school for drivers education, music, or art. However, AHS will not be able to grant credit for these courses. If a student would like to show a college that these courses have been taken, he or she should mail separate documentation of the courses, as well as an AHS transcript to the admissions department. COLLEGE There are some circumstances when students may need to take a course that AHS does not offer. Depending on the situation, we may grant a student permission to take courses at a college or university while still enrolled with AHS. Usually students take advantage of this opportunity when they need an advanced level course, such as Advanced Physics or Calculus, to gain admittance to a particular post-secondary educational institution. Students who feel that they may need to enroll at a local college while still maintaining their status with AHS should contact the AHS Student Advisor. These students will need to get the joint enrollment documents from the college registrar in order to qualify. 5

10 DIPLOMA PROGRAMS COLLEGE PREPARATORY PROGRAM The College Prep Diploma Program, 22 credits, is for students planning to continue their education at a postsecondary institution. The courses offer more challenges, demand more of the high school student, and have written assignments, research projects, and more problem solving assignments than a non-college prep program. 22 credits must be earned by taking or having previous credit for the 24 courses required by AHS. Every student will be required to take a minimum of 6 courses. Each student is allowed 12 months from the start of a course to finish. In extenuating circumstances, a student may apply for a three-month extension beyond the 12 months to complete a course. Approval is at the discretion of the Principal of Ashworth High School Online. A fee is charged for the extension. A minimum of six courses, or the one-year program, is required of all students to graduate from Ashworth High School Online. The minimum completion time for receiving an Ashworth High School Online diploma is six months, regardless of transfer credit or how soon the student completes his or her work. 6

11 AHS COLLEGE PREPARATORY CURRICULUM Code Credit AUV01 Introduction to Online Learning 1 SSV09 World History 1 SCV09 Biology 1 ENV09 Survey of Literature 1 BUV01 Introduction to Computers and Applications 1 MAV09 Algebra I 1 HEV09 Health and Life Management 1 ENV10 World Literature 1 SCV10 Marine Science 1 MAV10 Geometry 1 LAV11 Spanish I 1 ENV11 American Literature 1 SSV11 American History 1 LAV12 Spanish II 1 SCV11 Chemistry 1 MAV11 Algebra II 1 BUV11 Business Systems Technology 1 ENV12 British Literature 1 MAV12 Pre-Calculus 1 SCV12 Physics 1 SSV12 American Government.5 SSV13 Economics.5 ENV13 Journalism 1 TOTAL CREDITS 22 7

12 GENERAL DIPLOMA PROGRAM The General Diploma Program is 16 credits. The courses are not as rigorous as in the college preparatory program. 16 credits must be earned by taking or having previous credit for the 16 courses required by AHS. Every student will be required to take a minimum of 4 courses. The program can be completed in less than four years if a steady work pace is set. A pace of one to two units per week is good. Each student is allowed 12 months from the start of a course to finish. In extenuating circumstances, a student may apply for a three-month extension beyond the 12 months to complete a course. Approval is at the discretion of the Academic Principal of Ashworth High School Online. A fee is charged for the extension. A minimum of four courses, or the one-year program, is required of all students to graduate from Ashworth High School Online. The minimum completion time for receiving an Ashworth High School Online diploma is six months, regardless of transfer credit or how soon the student completes his or her work. See table on the next page. 8

13 AHS GENERAL DIPLOMA CURRICULUM Code Credit AUV01 Introduction to Online Learning 1 SSG01 World History 1 BUG01 Introduction to Computers 1 ENG01 Introduction to Composition 1 HEG01 Health, Fitness, and Nutrition 1 SCG01 Physical Science 1 MAG01 Explorations in Mathematics 1 SSG02 United States History 1 ENG02 Everyday Language and Literature 1 SCG02 Basics of Biology 1 MAG02 Consumer Math 1 SSG03 American Government and Economics 1 ENG03 American Literature and Language 1 SCG03 Environmental Science 1 MAG03 Fundamentals of Algebra 1 ENG04 World Literature and Language 1 TOTAL CREDITS 16 9

14 GETTING STARTED WELCOME You will receive a Welcome soon after you enroll. As a student of AHS, you will then begin to receive communications by from the school. Many have instructions for processes you must follow. Please read each carefully. COMPLETING THE ADMISSION PROCESS One of the s will give instructions for completing your admission process. Please be sure that you follow these carefully. Complete your admission process with Ashworth High School Online by sending the necessary information to the appropriate persons. Forms can be downloaded from our website, You may not need to send every form. Please read carefully to determine what forms you need. Your program of study will not be set up and you will not have access to a second course until the forms are completed, your account is current, and we have all of your records. The forms are described below. They can be downloaded from PREVIOUS SCHOOL OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT REQUEST FORM You need to send this form to your previous school(s) immediately to request that an official transcript be sent to Ashworth High School Online. Completely fill it out, including your maiden name, if your name has changed since you graduated. Your previous school(s) may charge a fee for having your transcript sent to Ashworth High School Online. Please send any fees along with the Transcript Request Form directly to your previous school(s) and not to Ashworth High School Online. COMPUTER REQUIREMENTS For best performance we recommend the following minimum hardware and software specifications: Windows 98 or Higher Microsoft Office 2000, XP, MB RAM 20GB hard drive or larger 56.6 kps modem, or DSL, or cable modem Super VGA (800 x 600 or higher resolution) video adapter and monitor 10

15 Sound card with speakers CD ROM (CD-RW recommended for saving large files) Internet service provider (ISP) account A current anti-virus application (Norton Antivirus preferred) Microsoft Internet Explorer Version 5.0 or later (free download from Java 2 Runtime Environment (free download from Flash Player 6 (free download at Adobe Acrobat Reader (free download at The required office applications that each student and teacher will need are: Microsoft Office which includes Microsoft Word (Not WordPerfect), Microsoft PowerPoint and Microsoft Excel Adobe Acrobat Reader (free download at Java 2 Runtime Environment (free download from Flash Player 6 (free download at ASHWORTH HIGH SCHOOL ONLINE STUDENT HANDBOOK Please read this handbook very carefully. Keep it handy so that you can refer to it when you have questions. You are responsible for and will be held accountable for all rules and regulations. Please be sure you follow the rules. FIRST COURSE Every Ashworth High School Online student must successfully complete the first course, Introduction to Computer Applications for the College Preparatory program or Introduction to Online Learning for the General Program. No transfer credits will be allowed for these courses. You will have access to your course soon after your enrollment. ETIQUETTE There are basic rules and common courtesies that students and teachers should follow when sending . Please remember to review the student handbook on appropriate language. Any inappropriate behavior will be reviewed by the Principal. Listed below are examples of proper etiquette. Make sure the address you use to correspond with your teachers and your school is appropriate. If your address is inappropriate or offensive you may be asked to change it or use a different address. Do not type in all CAPS. This can be perceived as yelling or screaming. Do not leave the subject field blank. It is very important that the subject line states a brief description that is relevant to the . 11

16 Please do not forward chain letters to teachers or students. Do not use offensive or racist language. If you use offensive language you will be contacted and given a warning. If it continues, your continued enrollment will be at the discretion of the Principal. Do not overuse delivery or read receipts. Use correct spelling, grammar, and punctuation. Be concise and to the point. Do not overuse punctuation marks such as exclamation marks!!! Don t flame people by using abusive messages. Do not use abbreviations and emoticons. For example; BTW (by the way) and LOL (laugh out loud), and. Read the before you send it. Respond swiftly. Be polite. Be careful with formatting and use a font color and background color that is easy to read. If your teacher s rules vary from this, please follow his or her rules. CURRENT ACCOUNT You must be current with your payments. Your monthly tuition payment is still due, whether or not we have evaluated your transcript, and regardless of whether you have started your course. Please call Education Services at for questions regarding your account. If you do not have any records to send to Ashworth High School Online, please call for assistance. Under special circumstances, some students may be able to qualify for admission. If you have been homeschooled, see the section in this handbook regarding Transfer Credit for Homeschooled Students. 12

17 TRANSCRIPTS HINTS FOR LOCATING YOUR TRANSCRIPT(S) YOUR SCHOOL NO LONGER EXISTS If the school has been changed to another school, contact the new school and ask them where the records were transferred. If they do not know, or if the school no longer exists, contact the Board of Education in the county or state. Be sure to provide them with your name as it was when you were in school, your date of birth, the name of the school you attended, and the dates you attended. YOU DON T HAVE ANY HIGH SCHOOL CREDITS If you did not attend high school, contact your middle school for a copy of your records. If you only attended a few days of 9 th grade, have the school send this information with your middle school records. It is important for AHS to have your school records. Please include any education records such as GED, grade school, or testing information. If you are 18 years or older, completion of the 8 th grade is not mandatory. However, we do need to review your most recent educational records, regardless of the year. YOU HAVE AN INTERNATIONAL TRANSCRIPT Even though schools in other countries have different standards, we will still need a transcript from the one you attended in order to review the courses you took. If you have an international transcript, please see the section for international students in this handbook. YOU HAVE BEEN HOMESCHOOLED If you were homeschooled, please read the homeschool information in this handbook. You may also call for assistance. YOU OWE A FEE TO YOUR PREVIOUS SCHOOL You need to settle your account with your previous school so that they will send your official transcript. If we receive notice that you owe fees, we will send you a letter informing you of this. AHS respects the right of your previous school to collect any owed fees. AHS will not evaluate your transcript until notified by your previous school that your account is settled and/or your official records are received. If you tried these suggestions and were unsuccessful, please call for assistance. 13

18 AHS will make every effort to ensure that all students have conducted a thorough search for their transcript(s). Students will not be evaluated and will not continue to receive coursework until documentation of a previous schooling experience has been submitted. RETURN OF STUDENT TRANSCRIPT If you need a transcript for your own records, please request one from your previous school. AHS is unable to provide a copy of the transcript from the previous school. If you are sending unofficial records, please do not send the only existing copies to AHS. Make copies and keep the originals for your records. TRANSFER CREDIT FOR TRADITIONAL STUDENTS For you to be eligible for transfer credit, the Student Advisor at Ashworth High School Online must receive all official transcripts from other schools. An official transcript is one that comes directly from your former school(s) to the Student Advisor s office at Ashworth High School Online. If you cannot get an official transcript, send an unofficial transcript or records with an explanation of why an official transcript is unavailable. Also, have your previous school write a letter explaining why you cannot get an official transcript. These records may include report cards, withdrawal slips, GED scores, or career certificates, or the official school letter. This information may be sufficient for placement in the four year program. Your program at AHS is based on the number of transferable courses you completed at your previous school, not on your grade level. You must have received a passing grade in a course in order to transfer credit. The previous school must have awarded the credit and this must be clearly shown on the transcript. Students may receive transfer credit for courses that directly or closely correspond to those Ashworth High School Online requires for graduation. Combining half, or partial, credits for a full credit is at the discretion of the AHS Student Advisor. Nonacademic courses, such as physical education, fine arts, practical arts, vocational/career courses, etc. are not transferable. No credits will be awarded for GED certificates and programs. 14

19 No credits will be awarded for on-the-job training, including specialized training, certificates received, etc. No credits will be awarded for Job Corp programs. No credits will be awarded for classes taken at a college or university, unless they were taken for high school credit. If you failed an exit, or graduation, exam at your previous school, you will be required to take an appropriate course in that subject area at Ashworth High School Online. TRANSFER CREDIT FOR HOMESCHOOLED STUDENTS Many students who enroll in Ashworth High School Online were educated at home and therefore do not have a traditional transcript. AHS will admit homeschooled students who submit a complete portfolio of their work or proper documentation. A nonrefundable fee of $50 is charged for the evaluation of portfolios for homeschooled students. This fee will need to be paid before the portfolio will be evaluated. Keep in mind that the regulations on transfer credit for traditional students also apply to homeschool students. A complete homeschool portfolio will consist of the following: 1. A photocopy of the front cover of the textbook or software used for instruction. Please provide one for each course. 2. A photocopy of the table of contents, which will document the curriculum of each course. 3. Three representative samples of work per course. Please include a sample of work from the beginning, middle, and end of the course. This is a crucial element in the evaluation process. No credit will be given without work samples. Examples of appropriate work samples include written essays, research projects, laboratory reports, and exams. Please do not submit multiple-choice answers. 4. Payment of $50 for evaluation of the portfolio. 5. Please send all materials and the $50 payment to the attention of the AHS Student Advisor. Do not send originals; we will not be able to return portfolios. Please check twice to verify that the student s name and student number are clearly listed 15

20 on each page of the portfolio. Note: AHS reserves the right to deny credit for coursework if insufficient documentation is provided. In addition to the portfolio, we would like to look at the following documents: 1. Homeschool registration and/or attendance forms (usually filed with your local school board or state education agency). 2. Any documentation you may have from a certified tutor or teacher, including the credentials and/or certificate of the teacher or tutor. 3. Any current testing or evaluation results. If you have further questions pertaining to our admission and evaluation requirements, please send an to [email protected] or call MULTIPLE TRANSCRIPTS If you attended more than one school, we need all of your transcripts. This will enable us to give you a thorough evaluation of your credits. We need all of these before we can properly evaluate the courses you previously completed. Please have all transcripts sent in immediately AFTER EVALUATION After your transcript is evaluated, you will need to log into your account to view your program of study. PROGRAM OF STUDY Your program of study will include the course credits that were transferred to AHS and the list of courses you will need to complete in order to earn a diploma with AHS. Please read the section in this handbook about transfer credit very carefully. It describes what types of courses are transferable to Ashworth High School Online. You may also contact your Student Advisor for assistance. DISPUTE OF EVALUATION 16

21 If you believe that there is an error in the evaluation, please contact your Student Advisor. This must be done within 30 days of the evaluation. We will not be able to do evaluation disputes after 30 days. INTERNATIONAL STUDENT GUIDELINES REQUESTING TRANSCRIPTS Ashworth High School Online expects students to make every attempt to obtain transcripts or records from either the country they are currently residing in or the country in which their previous high school is located. Ministries of Education, similar to the United States Boards of Education, within a country should have the student records. Even during times of social or political turmoil, students have had success retrieving records. Please contact AHS if you are having difficulty obtaining your international transcript. ACCEPTABLE INTERNATIONAL RECORDS ATTESTED DOCUMENTS These are the equivalent of official transcripts in the United States. When transcripts are attested, they have been officially notarized by an education official. These are the preferred documents, so that the original will not be damaged or lost. OFFICIAL DOCUMENTS OR ORIGINAL DOCUMENTS These documents are usually a student s only copy, and, at times, the ONLY copy in existence. These usually arrive on special, delicate paper. If these documents need to be sent back to a student, we will honor this request. AHS will make a copy for the student s file and return the originals to the student. However, we prefer that you make a copy and keep the original. We will evaluate the photocopy. OFFICIALLY TRANSLATED DOCUMENTS It is not necessary for students to have their transcript translated into English. AHS has enough resources to conduct a proper evaluation of the transcript s contents. However, AHS will accept translated documents. INTERNATIONAL EVALUATION GUIDELINES The evaluation process for international transcripts is somewhat different from the evaluation process for transcripts from schools within the United States. Different countries often have different educational systems and require different courses for graduation than those required in the United States. For instance, English courses taken internationally are comparable to English as a Second Language courses taken in the United States. Even if a student has completed four English courses at another high school, at least two English courses will still be required at AHS. Also, students educated 17

22 internationally have probably not completed American History, American Literature, and American Government and Economics, and will need to with AHS. The evaluation process for international transcripts has been established to ensure that a student has earned all of the necessary credits for a United States High School Diploma. Students enrolled in AHS who have earned a diploma or certificate of secondary education will be required to complete 16.5 credits, or the 3-year program, for the College Prep program and a minimum of 8 courses, or the 2-year program, for the General program. Students who have earned a vocational or technical training diploma or certificate, however, will not be given any credit and will be required to complete the 4-year program, unless documentation of the specific courses completed is sent. Even if a list of specific courses completed is provided from the vocational or technical school, there is no assurance that a student will be awarded enough credits to be placed in the 3-year (College prep) or 2-year (General) program. Students who have earned an 11 th grade United States equivalency or less at an international secondary school will receive no credit in the College Prep program and will be required to complete all 22 courses, or the 4-year program, with AHS. General program students will be required to take a minimum of 12 courses, or the 3-year program. The evaluation guidelines for international students are meant to provide a basic understanding of the evaluation process for students who previously attended an international high school. Based on the information a student is able to provide, these guidelines may be adjusted so that AHS can be confident that a student will gain the academic skills necessary for the awarding of a United States High School Diploma. APOSTILLATION Apostillation consists of a notarized document, which is attached to your diploma, and serves the purpose of legalizing and authenticating a diploma. This document states that the attached degree document has been fully earned, approved, and granted. Also, the Apostille will be signed and sealed by the Secretary of State or embassy for the attachment of the Apostille. Students who have earned a high school diploma with AHS and wish to return to their native country either to work or to pursue a post secondary education may need to have their diploma Apostilled. Please contact your Student Advisor for more information concerning Apostillation. A fee of $50 is required for this service. 18

23 EXAMS AND GRADING PROGRESSING THROUGH THE COURSE We recommend that you set aside a regular time each day to study. Your goal should be to maintain steady progress toward graduation, even if you cannot study each day. You must follow the order of the course and you may not skip ahead to the next assignment or quiz. All exams, quizzes, assignments, and activities must be completed before credit can be earned for the course. Please review the Pace Chart Section of this handbook to help keep you on track with your studies, even if you don t follow it completely. Find a pace that works well for you. Your teacher may recommend a pace chart that is course specific. If so, please follow the instructions of the teacher. Do not rush through your courses! Don t work so fast that you don t give yourself enough time to absorb your lesson material. If you progress very quickly through your lessons, you may be contacted regarding the pace at which you are completing your exams. ASSESSMENTS You will be given a complete description of the assignments, quizzes, and exams for each course. This will be found in the Course Intro link in each of your courses. Please note that some of the assessments are hand-graded. This means that the results will not be returned to you as quickly as with a computer graded assessment. After the assignment is downloaded by the teacher, it may take approximately one week to grade. The assignments that you have to complete are found in the lessons within each Unit in the Modules. In order to complete this course successfully, you need to do all the assignments in each lesson. VERY IMPORTANT: Please do not ask for rush-grading at the last minute. We are unable to accelerate the grading time of assignments. Plan ahead. Don t be disappointed if you miss a job or college deadline because you neglected to plan ahead. This is your responsibility. You are aware of what is required for graduation and how long assignments take to be graded. Take this information into consideration and submit your work in a timely manner. Failure to pass examinations can lead to academic probation and even academic termination from the AHS Program. For more information concerning Academic Termination, please carefully read the Termination Policy section of this handbook. 19

24 GRADING SYSTEM Each course is graded by dividing the total number of points earned in a course by the number of total points possible. The total number of points will differ for each course. Please see your Course Introductions for detailed information. The following point totals correspond to the following grades: PERCENTAGE POINTS GRADE A B C D Below 65 F FINAL COURSE AVERAGE Students will receive a course average upon completion of a course. This average is based upon all exams, assignments, and quizzes in the course. If a student earns a 65% or better in the course, he or she has passed the course. If a student earns below 65%, he or she has failed the course. If the student is trying to earn a diploma from AHS he or she must contact the Student Advisor to discuss the proper steps needed to replace the course. If a student fails a course and is planning on graduating with Ashworth High School Online, he or she will be required to retake the course and pay the single course price. ACADEMIC HONESTY To maintain the high quality of education at Ashworth High School Online, the Faculty and Administration must address any instances of academic dishonesty to keep the integrity of the school program from being compromised. While students accused of academic dishonesty will have access to due process procedures, any student found guilty of academic dishonesty will be permanently terminated from AHS. 20

25 The following issues deserve close attention because they summarize various acts of academic dishonesty. Students must strive to honor the following regulations to preserve the integrity of their grades and diploma. PLAGIARISM AND CHEATING Students are not permitted to receive, attempt to receive, knowingly give, or attempt to give any unauthorized assistance in the preparation of any work required to be submitted for credit as part of a course (including examinations, laboratory reports, essays, themes, term papers, etc.). When students use direct quotations, they should use quotation marks and cite the relevant source(s). Students must also cite sources for any use of other people s language, ideas, theories, data, figures, graphs, programs, and electronic information or illustrations. COPYING MATERIAL FROM THE INTERNET IS PLAGIARISM! All exams and projects must be done by the student alone, with no help from anyone. UNAUTHORIZED ACCESS TO OFFICIAL SCHOOL MATERIALS Students may not take, attempt to take, or in any unauthorized manner gain access to, alter, or destroy any materials pertaining to the administration of the educational process (including tests, examinations, grade records, etc.). MISREPRESENTATION, FALSIFICATION OF SCHOOL RECORDS OR ACADEMIC WORK Students will not knowingly provide false information in completing school forms or applications (including admissions forms, enrollment agreements, false or counterfeit transcripts, etc.) or in any work submitted for credit as part of a course. MALICIOUS/INTENTIONAL MISUSE OF COMPUTER FACILITIES AND/OR SERVICES Students are strictly prohibited from the malicious or intentional misuse of computer facilities and/or services. [Violations of state and federal laws (including copyright violations, unauthorized access of systems, 21

26 alteration/damage/destruction or attempted alteration/damage/destruction, use for profit, etc.) or the school s rules regarding computer usage (including account violations, damage or destruction of the system and/or its performance, unauthorized copying of electronic information, use of threatening or obscene language, etc.) will result in immediate prosecution.] STUDENT IDENTIFICATION NUMBERS Student numbers are issued to specific people for the purpose of conducting school business. Any abuse of these numbers (including obtaining for malicious use or attempting to obtain for malicious use, false identification or attempted false identification, etc.), like the other issues above, shall be cause for permanent dismissal from the school. STUDENT PASSWORD Students will be directed to choose a password to log onto the AHS student site. This will also allow access to the courses. Students and parents or guardians should have access to this password. It should not be given to anyone else without the knowledge of AHS. TERMINATION FOR ACADEMIC DISHONESTY Academic dishonesty will result in the following consequences: 1. Immediate academic termination. 2. Credits may or may not be given from Ashworth High School Online. This is at the discretion of the Principal. 3. Payment of any applicable cancellation fees per the Enrollment Agreement. 4. No reenrollment in Ashworth High School Online. Students who feel that they have been falsely terminated for academic dishonesty should carefully read the Termination Policy section of this handbook for suggestions on filing an appeal/complaint with Ashworth High School Online. COURSE ACCESS COURSE ACCESS POLICY 22

27 Students receive one course at a time but can work on up to 4 courses if the tuition for those courses is paid in advance. Please contact your Student Advisor if you would like to request additional courses. ACCESS TO THE SECOND COURSE To have access to your second course, the following must be completed: Evaluation of your transcript. Tuition payments are current. If you have met these conditions, you will be given access to your second course. You will need to contact your Student Advisor if you want to take more than one course. TUITION PAYMENTS MONTHLY PAYMENT PLAN Unless you elected to prepay your total tuition, you will be billed monthly for your tuition. As a reminder, we will mail each month s invoice to you 20 days before your due date. Payments will be due on the same day of each month. Late payments are subject to a late fee of $5.00. Be sure to plan so each monthly payment arrives on time. Occasionally, you may forget to send in a tuition payment. If that happens, the school will send you a payment reminder . However, if you fail to respond to this reminder, the total tuition due under your contract will become payable, based on the number of courses you have completed. IMPORTANCE OF PAYMENT You must remain current with your monthly payments to the school or you will not have access to your courses, transcript, other documents you may need, or to any services provided to students. Your monthly payment is still due, whether or not we have received your transcript, and regardless of whether you have access to your second course. Your tuition is based on monthly payments, not on the number of courses completed or in progress. If you progress very quickly through your lessons, we will require that you send us accelerated payments to keep up with the cost of materials and instruction. PAYMENT GUIDELINES 23

28 To make sure that your monthly tuition payments will be credited to your account accurately, please follow these guidelines: 1. The preferred method of payment is done online with a credit card. 2. If you need to mail payments, send them to: Ashworth High School Online. P. O. Box Norcross, GA Include the remittance slip from your invoice with your payment and write your student number on the check or money order. Send checks or money orders in U.S. funds. Do not send cash by mail. 3. You may call and pay by credit card or check-byphone. You can also make a payment online. AHS, THE MILITARY, AND OTHER AGENCIES MILITARY Each branch of the military has its own stipulations regarding the acceptance of a distance education diploma. We suggest you contact a recruiter and have him or her call the AHS Student Advisor for more information about Ashworth High School Online. You may refer to page 2 when describing our accreditation to a recruiter. SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION The Social Security Administration requires a student to be enrolled in a program that requires at least 20 hours attendance per week. Since AHS students work at their own pace, we cannot verify that students work 20 or more hours per week. We suggest contacting your local Social Security office and explaining the AHS program. We have found that there may be exceptions for students who classify as homeschool or independent study students. It is at the discretion of the SSA office as to the acceptance of the AHS program. INSURANCE COMPANIES Some insurance companies require forms to be filled out by a student s school. Please send the form to AHS so that we can determine if it is a form that we can complete. Please write your student number on the form. We are unable to classify you as full- or part-time due to the fact that AHS is a self-paced program. DRIVER S LICENSE BUREAU/DEPARTMENT OF LABOR-WORK PERMITS 24

29 Most states require minor students to provide proof that they are attending school and/or receiving instruction on a regular basis. Since AHS students complete all work at home, we are unable to verify that you are adhering to the compulsory attendance laws of your state. Therefore, Ashworth High School Online is unable to complete the form from the Driver s License Bureau or the Department of Labor. It is important for you to contact your local school district or Board of Education to find out what steps you need to take to ensure that you are acting within the limits of the law, thus enabling you to become eligible to receive a driver s license or work permit. 25

30 GRADUATION GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS To earn a high school diploma from Ashworth High School Online, you must meet the following requirements: You must complete at least six courses (College Prep program) or four courses (General program) with Ashworth High School Online. You must complete 22 credits for the College Prep program or 16 credits for the General program. This includes credits that were transferred from your previous school. You must pass all courses. You must complete all quizzes, exams, assignments, and activities in every course. You must meet all of your financial obligations with Ashworth High School Online by paying your balance in full. You must be enrolled for a minimum of six months in order to graduate. GRADUATION ITEMS Upon graduation, you will receive the following: Diploma (usually in 2-3 weeks) Unofficial transcript (usually in 2-3 weeks) Ring (usually in 8-10 weeks) RING ORDERING PROCESS You will be sent a ring order form before your last course. Please fill out the form carefully. This is the sizing and gender information that is used to order your ring. Rings are only available in half and whole sizes. You must provide a street address for shipping. Rings are shipped via UPS, and UPS cannot deliver to a postal box. Your ring is ordered once you have graduated (all lessons completed and all fees and tuition paid in full). It will be shipped directly to you from the ring manufacturer and will take approximately 8-10 weeks to arrive. If you change your address before the ring is shipped, you must notify the school. There will be a reshipment fee if you do not notify AHS of the address change and it is shipped to your old address. Please be sure that you order the correct ring size. If you order the incorrect size, you are responsible for the cost of replacing the ring. 26

31 STUDENT RECORDS CONSENT TO RELEASE INFORMATION Your records with Ashworth High School Online are confidential. We release educational and financial information only to our students. Parents or guardians listed on a student s account will be able to access that account only until the student is 18 years old. Once a student reaches the age of 18, he or she must sign a Consent Form to allow anyone, including parents or guardians, to access information. The form may be downloaded from our website, or you may contact your Student Advisor for assistance. STATUS LETTER If you need Ashworth High School Online to verify your status as a student, contact the school and request a status letter. Your transcript must have been evaluated and you must be working on your second course before we can send a status letter. Also, your account must be current. UPDATE YOUR NAME, ADDRESS, PHONE, OR If you need to edit your current student contact information, go to and log in. Click on Profile and then the "Edit My Profile" button. It is very important to keep your records updated. GRADE REPORT If you need the school to verify your progress through your diploma program, contact your Student Advisor and request a grade report. Your account must be current in order to receive a grade report. TRANSCRIPT All AHS transcripts will be mailed or faxed on Tuesday or Friday only. All transcript requests must be submitted on an AHS form, which can be downloaded on the AHS website at ed or phoned requests will not be honored. The first AHS transcript will be free of charge, but each additional request after the first will be $5. The transcript will not be sent until the payment is received. 27

32 You may receive a copy of your transcript if your account is current. If you are no longer a student at AHS, no transcript will be sent if you have any outstanding fees. If you need a transcript sent to a high school and you are a current student at AHS, your transcript will not be sent because of our policy on joint enrollments. Please read the section on Joint Enrollment for an explanation of this policy. Please specify whether you need an official or unofficial transcript. Official transcript Unofficial transcript sent by Ashworth High School Online directly to an institution or employer. An official transcript will be sent only if your courses have been completed and your account is paid in full. sent by Ashworth High School Online directly to the student. An unofficial transcript will be sent only if your account is current. Due to the large number of AHS transcript requests, we will strictly adhere to these regulations. DIPLOMA You will be considered a graduate of Ashworth High School Online when you have successfully completed all of your lessons and have paid all fees. Your diploma will be sent to you within two to three weeks after your graduation date. There is a $25 fee for another copy of your diploma. Contact the school for assistance. 28

33 COLLEGE ADMISSIONS CONSIDERING COLLEGE? Many of our Ashworth High School Online graduates use their high school education and diploma to help them get into a college or university. While hundreds of postsecondary institutions have accepted AHS graduates, it is beneficial to learn more about the admission process before applying. First, remember that AHS is a distance education high school. Alternative forms of education are growing around the country. However, not all college registrars and admissions specialists may be aware of our form of high school. It is important for you to contact your school(s) of choice now to determine what their policy is concerning distance education credits from AHS. This is especially important because of the variations in the admittance policies at postsecondary institutions. Here are some helpful facts that may be useful to repeat when speaking to a registrar: 1. AHS is regionally accredited by the Southern Association of College and Schools (SACS) and the Commission on International and Trans-Regional Accreditation (CITA), and nationally accredited by the Distance Education and Training Council (DETC). 2. AHS offers a college preparatory diploma track or general diploma track. We recommend that you call the specific college or university you are interested in attending now to discuss admissions requirements. 3. We have a profile of our high school and a letter describing our accreditation listed on the website at Please download these forms (or contact the school for a copy) so you have them with you when you are speaking with the admissions representative at the school.. As stated in our Enrollment Agreement, we cannot guarantee admission into every school. While a distance education diploma from AHS is widely accepted, there are some states and institutions in which it may not be honored. Many of these will simply require you to pass a GED (General Educational Development Test) or other form of examination to be considered for admittance. For these situations, we recommend you contact the admissions representative at the school or your State Board of Education to discuss eligibility guidelines and registration procedures. Colleges and universities have individual admissions policies and a large part of the admissions process is based on the individual student. The state of New York has certain policies regarding distance education diplomas. Currently, many state agencies, colleges, and universities in NY have restrictions regarding earning your diploma at a distance. If you plan to 29

34 enroll at a postsecondary institution in NY or possibly work for the government, please be advised that you may need to first pass the GED before admittance or being hired. You may go to or call (518) to research your state s current laws regarding distance education. Some NY students enroll in AHS to prepare for the GED. TRANSFERRING CREDIT TO ANOTHER INSTITUTION If you wish to use your coursework from Ashworth High School Online for transfer credit to another institution, please review the following points carefully: You may not transfer credit to another institution while still enrolled with AHS. See the Joint Enrollment section in this handbook for more information. Each school determines its own policy for accepting transfer credits. You should contact schools early in order to determine their acceptance of credits. This is explained in your enrollment agreement. To transfer credits from Ashworth High School Online, you must request that an official transcript of your completed Ashworth High School Online coursework be sent to the new institution. The Transcript Request Form must be used. Ashworth High School Online will not release an official copy of your transcript unless your account is paid in full. To send or receive an unofficial copy of your transcript, your account must be current. Ashworth High School Online will only send a transcript of your work done or transferred to AHS. If a school needs your other credits from a previous school, please contact your previous school and have them send an official copy of their transcript. Be sure to keep your study materials in case they are needed for transfer credits, documentation, or review. SAT AND ACT REGISTRATION AHS offers registration packages for the SAT and ACT examinations, a variety of college pamphlets and brochures, as well as scholarship search tips. Please contact the school to request that one be mailed to you. You will need Ashworth High School Online s College Board code number for form completion. It is STUDENT REMOVAL POLICY TERMINATION FOR NO TRANSCRIPT 30

35 As stated in our course literature, on the Enrollment Agreement, and on our website, AHS requires you to submit your official transcript(s) to the school for evaluation. A transcript allows us to give credit for the high school (grades 9 12) academic courses that you have previously completed. If we do not receive your transcript, we will not be able to plan your course of study and cannot allow access to additional courses. TERMINATION FOR NOT PASSING 8 TH GRADE Students under the age of 18 need proof that they have passed the 8 th grade and/or were promoted to the 9 th grade. Students who are unable to provide proof will be terminated from the school. Termination will be by the contract between the student and the school. TERMINATION FOR INAPPROPRIATE CONDUCT Ashworth High School Online expects all students to communicate with the school in a courteous manner. No calls, s, or written communication may be made in a profane manner. No work submitted for grading may contain profanity or be of an inappropriate subject. Parents and/or guardians may speak on the behalf of minors. Students may not impersonate their parent/guardian on the phone, or in any form of correspondence. AHS is an educational institution. Please be sure that your address is appropriate for use in a school. If it is not, we will request that you change to one that is appropriate. Any student violating the above policies will be terminated from the program. Termination fees will be determined by the Enrollment Agreement between the student and the school. Any credits earned will be awarded only when all fees are paid in full. A transcript will not be sent until all fees are paid in full. TERMINATION FOR ACADEMIC DISHONESTY Academic dishonesty will result in the following consequences. 1. Academic termination will result immediately. 2. Students may or may not receive any credits earned with Ashworth High School Online, according to the discretion of the Principal. 3. A student who is terminated for academic dishonesty will be required to pay any applicable cancellation fees per the Enrollment Agreement. 4. The student may not reenroll in Ashworth High School Online. 31

36 APPEAL/COMPLAINT PROCEDURES When students wish to file a complaint with Ashworth High School Online, they should submit the issue to the Student Advisor within 30 days of occurrence. The specific issues of the complaint will be addressed and answered within 30 days. CANCELLATION POLICY CANCELLATION BY STUDENT The cancellation policy entitles the student or parent/guardian to initiate the cancellation procedure. Only the student or parent/guardian may initiate this procedure. If you cancel your enrollment, you may be entitled to a refund or you may owe the school additional tuition. This is based on the number of courses you ve completed and the tuition you ve paid. Any amount you owe or are due will be determined by the Tuition Protection Agreement printed on your Enrollment Agreement. COURSES AND PACE CHARTS Course descriptions may be found on the Ashworth High School Online website, Ashworth High School Online reserves the right to substitute course materials of equal or superior value. PACE CHARTS Pace Charts can be found in your courses. They are meant to be used as an extra tool for the students that need more structure in their courses. They will guide you in setting a pace that will allow you to finish the course in the timeframe of a traditional school year. The pace charts for the 1 credit courses will allow a student to finish in 40 weeks and the ½ credit courses will allow a student to finish in 20 weeks. Follow the time schedule indicated to complete the module and you will be on track to finishing the course. We recommend you print the chart for your current course. Keep in mind that these pace charts are not mandatory. They are meant to be used as an extra resource for your benefit. Your teacher may recommend a pace chart that is course specific. If so, please follow your teacher s instructions. FORMS ASHWORTH HIGH SCHOOL ONLINE TRANSCRIPT REQUEST FORM 32

37 Send this form to Ashworth High School Online to request an official (all fees have been paid) AHS transcript to be sent to a school of your choice. You may also request an unofficial copy (account must be current). Include the necessary fees, if applicable, with the form. Do not send this form if your account is not current; the form will not be accepted. You can download this form on our website, CONSENT FORM Ashworth High School Online respects the privacy of all students. Send this form to your Student Advisor and Teacher if you want additional people to have access to your records. The consent policy rules are listed on this form. If you are a minor (under 18), we will speak only with your parent or guardian who signed the Enrollment Agreement until your 18 th birthday. Please send a consent form for a second parent or guardian. We will only speak with the student or listed guardian until this form is received. You can download this form on our website, PREVIOUS SCHOOL OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT REQUEST FORM This form is used to request an official transcript from your previous school. Send this form to your previous school(s) immediately. You will not receive access to any other courses until AHS receives your records. You can download this form on our website, 33