Most students will take college prep courses while some take more rigorous courses, such as honors, dual enrollment, and/or advanced placement, to increase their overall GPR. International Baccalaureate courses are not available to home school students. The following table reflects the differences between a typical college prep course and an honors course.
This Grading Table Is To Be Used As An Example Only
| Average |
Grade |
College
Prep/Tech
Prep |
Honors |
Advanced
Placement/International
Baccalaureate |
| 100 |
A |
4.87 |
5.37 |
5.87 |
| 92 |
B |
3.87 |
4.37 |
4.87 |
| 84 |
C |
2.87 |
3.37 |
3.87 |
| 76 |
D |
1.86 |
2.36 |
2.86 |
College Preparatory/Tech Preparatory: Courses are intended for the student who anticipates enrolling into an institution of higher education with goals of obtaining a four year degree. Tech Preparatory courses are for students seeking additional training, usually a two year degree in a technical college.
Honors: Courses are intended for students who have the competence to think in complex ways and to apply their knowledge and skills. They are able to think analytically, fully understanding a situation by breaking it apart, into smaller pieces, analyzing step by step before drawing a conclusion. Students are able to demonstrate rational decision making and inductive reasoning skills when solving complex problems.
According to the South Carolina Department of Education’s approved Uniform Grading Policy, school districts may designate honors courses and give assigned weighting under the following conditions:
- An honors course must have a published syllabus that verifies rigor that is sufficiently beyond the college prep or tech prep requirements.
- Textbooks and/or other course materials must be differentiated and more rigorous than those used in college Honors courses may be offered in English,
- Additional honors courses may be designated in other content areas for courses where students are earning their third of fourth Carnegie unit in the content area. Provided the standards listed above are met.
- Transcripts will reflect honors designation for any honors course taken.
Important Note: It is important parents understand these conditions should their high school student return to the public school system. Any courses you have awarded as honors courses may not be accepted as an honors course by the receiving school unless you are able to meet the conditions outlined above.
Dual Enrollment: Courses are offered through participating institutions of higher education and may be awarded the same weight as honors courses.
Dual enrollment courses are more advanced than the regular high school curriculum. Students who participate are able to earn both high school credit toward graduation from the high school and academic credit toward their degree in an institution of higher education.
Visit the Commission on Higher Education's Web site for further details concerning their dual enrollment policy.
http://www.che.sc.gov/New_Web/Students&Parents.htm
The South Carolina Department of Education provides a copy of the South Carolina’s Uniform Grading Policy from their Web site.
http://ed.sc.gov/agency/Standards-and-Learning/Academic-Standards/old/hsr/UGP.html
Advanced Placement: Courses are available to homeschool students. The College Board’s Advanced Placement Program enables students to pursue college-level studies while still in high school. Over thirty courses in 19 subject areas are offered. Based on their performance on rigorous AP Exams, students can earn credit, advanced placement, or both, for college.
Because the College Board is committed to providing home schooled students and students whose schools do not offer AP access to the AP exams, it does not require students to take an AP course prior to taking an Exam.
Some AP courses are available to home schools through various curriculum publishers. Parents must use caution when choosing these courses. For a course to qualify as an AP course, it must follow the content and curricular goals outlined in the College Boards AP Course Description booklets, as required by the College Board. A course that fails to follow the AP Course Description in a particular subject is not, and should not be designated as an AP Course.
The College Board provides information concerning Advanced Placement policies from their Web site.
http://www.apcentral.collegeboard.com
International Baccalaureate: Courses are not available to home school students.
http://www.ibo.org/ibo/index.cfm
Transferring Courses: If your student plans to seek a two year degree through a technical college and then transfer to a college/university to complete their four year degree, you should check with the institutions before hand for information concerning their transferring policies.
Colleges, universities, and the states two year technical colleges have different requirements. Therefore, the parents and students should thoroughly check their admission policies well ahead of time. Visit the Commission on Higher Education and Tech Systems Web sites to learn more about the transferring policies in South Carolina.
http://www.che.sc.gov/AcademicAffairs/TRANSFER/Transfer.HTM
http://www.sctechsystem.com/default.htm