Eligibility Calendar

The following is guidance for school districts to consider when developing eligibility calendars:

6 Week Grading Calendars

Find the end of the 1st six weeks as marked on the school calendar (can be less or more than 6 actual weeks at ISD discretion). This is the first grade check…..

Students lose or regain academic eligibility after the seven calendar day grace period.

Count three school weeks to determine where the progress report check will occur. Be mindful of holidays, especially if there is more than 1 week of the 3 week evaluation that has a holiday, see excerpt from Side by Side to follow:

For purposes of the law, "three school weeks" is defined as 15 class days. Exception: One, but only one of the three school weeks may consist of only three or four class days, provided school has been dismissed for a scheduled holiday period. Two class days does not constitute a "school week" for purposes of this law except Thanksgiving week if schools are on holiday Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.

Note the end of the 3 week evaluation period. Academically ineligible students regain academic eligibility after the seven calendar day grace period.

Find the end of the 2nd six weeks as marked on the school calendar (can be less or more than 6 actual weeks from the end of the 1st six weeks at ISD discretion). This is the next grade check…..

Students lose or regain academic eligibility after the seven calendar day grace period.

Count three school weeks to determine where the progress report check will occur. Be mindful of holidays, especially if there is more than 1 week of the 3 week evaluation that has a holiday as noted above.

Repeat this process until you reach the end of the 6th six weeks.

Remember these important concepts – 

• Grace periods will usually run Friday to Friday, unless the school week ends on a day other than Friday (see holiday rule exception to this below). 
• All students are academically eligible during a school holiday of a full calendar week or more. When the bell rings to dismiss students for the December holidays, all students are eligible until classes resume in January. The same is true for summer recess and fall and spring breaks provided those breaks consist of at least a full calendar week. 
• If a grading period or three school week evaluation period ends on the last class day prior to a school holiday of one calendar week or more (e.g. spring break, winter holidays), the seven calendar day grace period to lose eligibility and the seven calendar day waiting period to regain eligibility begin the first day that classes resume. In this case, the grace period will usually run Monday to Monday (like it usually runs Friday to Friday, many schools miss this so watch for it!). 
• Bad weather days can influence 3 week grade check dates in some circumstances (as this may impact whether or not there are 2 short weeks in an evaluation period). If this happens, make a note of what the dates could be if they are in school on that weather day.

9 Week Calendars

The first grade check: Find the end of the sixth week of school (week 1 must be at least 3 school days long to count).

Students lose or regain academic eligibility after the seven calendar day grace period.

Find the end of the 1st nine weeks as marked on the school calendar (can be less or more than 3 actual weeks from the six weeks check at ISD discretion).

Students lose or regain academic eligibility after the seven calendar day grace period.

Count three school weeks to determine where the first progress report check will occur. Be mindful of holidays, especially if there is more than 1 week of the 3 week evaluation that has a holiday, see excerpt from Side by Side to follow:

For purposes of the law, "three school weeks" is defined as 15 class days. Exception: One, but only one of the three school weeks may consist of only three or four class days, provided school has been dismissed for a scheduled holiday period. Two class days does not constitute a "school week" for purposes of this law except Thanksgiving week if schools are on holiday Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.

Note the end of the first 3 week evaluation period. Academically ineligible students regain academic eligibility after the seven calendar day grace period.

Count three school weeks again to determine where the second progress report check will occur. Be mindful of holidays, as noted above. Note the end of the second 3 week evaluation period. Academically ineligible students regain academic eligibility after the seven calendar day grace period.

NOTE – there will only be 2 progress report checks in a nine week grading period (after three and six school weeks). If the grading period is longer (or shorter) than nine weeks, there still are only 2 progress report checks in any single nine week grading period.

Find the end of the 2nd nine weeks as marked on the school calendar (can be less or more than 9 actual weeks from the end of the 1st nine weeks at ISD discretion). This is the next grade check….. Note that date.

Students lose or regain academic eligibility after the seven calendar day grace period.

Repeat this process until you reach the end of the 4th nine weeks.

Remember these important concepts – 

• Grace periods will usually run Friday to Friday, unless the school week ends on a day other than Friday (see holiday rule exception to this below). ·
• All students are academically eligible during a school holiday of a full calendar week or more. When the bell rings to dismiss students for the December holidays, all students are eligible until classes resume in January. The same is true for summer recess and fall and spring breaks provided those breaks consist of at least a full calendar week. 
• If a grading period or three school week evaluation period ends on the last class day prior to a school holiday of one calendar week or more (e.g. spring break, winter holidays), the seven calendar day grace period to lose eligibility and the seven calendar day waiting period to regain eligibility begin the first day that classes resume. In this case, the grace period will usually run Monday to Monday (like it usually runs Friday to Friday, many schools miss this so watch for it!). 
• Bad weather days can influence 3 week grade check dates in some circumstances (as this may impact whether or not there are 2 short weeks in an evaluation period). If this happens, make a note of what the dates could be if they are in school on that weather day.

* Four-Day School Week Information

2022-23 Academic Eligibility for the Beginning of the School Year

Students beginning grade nine and below must have been promoted from the previous grade prior to the beginning of the current school year.

Students beginning their second year of high school must have earned five (5) credits that count toward state high school graduation requirements.

Students beginning their third year of high school either must have earned a total of ten (10) credits which count toward state high school graduation requirements or a total of five (5) credits which count toward state high school graduation requirements must have been earned during the twelve (12) months preceding the first day of the current school year.

Students beginning their fourth year of high school either must have earned a total of fifteen (15) credits which count toward state high school graduation requirements or a total of five (5) credits which count toward state high school graduation requirements must have been earned during the twelve (12) months preceding the first day of the current school year.

Students who do not meet the above requirements are academically ineligible for participation the first six (6) weeks of the school year. Grades are checked at the end of the first six (6) weeks and if the students are passing all classes, they could regain academic eligibility after the seven (7) calendar day grace period.

When a migrant student enrolls for the first time during a school year, all criteria cited above apply. All other students who enroll too late to earn a passing grade for a grading period are ineligible.

High school students transferring from out-of-state may be eligible the first six weeks of school if they meet the criteria cited above or school officials are able to determine that they would have been eligible if they had remained in the out-of-state school from which they are transferring.

The dates provided in this document are just examples of eligibility dates, and should be used as a guide only. Actual school calendars may vary from this information.

*If there are multiple holidays in the 3-week evaluation period, it could alter the end of the evaluation and the date for regaining eligibility.  Schools on 6 week grading periods must check at the end of the first 6 weeks of the school year and students can lose or regain eligibility. The next grade check for a 9-week grading period will occur at the end of the 9-week grading period (even if it is more or less than 3 weeks).

 

2022-23 Academic Eligibility Information Holiday Eligibility Date Examples

(When six or nine weeks ends prior to winter break)

The dates provided in this document are just examples of eligibility dates and should be used as a guide only. Actual school calendars may vary from this information.

*If there are other school holidays in the 3-week evaluation period (other than MLK) it will affect the 3-week grade check and regaining eligibility dates especially if 2 of the school weeks are less than 5 days.

*In the event two of three school weeks are shortened, one of the shortened weeks (which must consist of at least three school days) may be counted as five days with ten other actual class days making up the fifteen class days.

November examples: 

• Grading period ends Friday, November 18. Students are on holiday from the end of school on the 18th until school resumes Monday, November 28. All students are academically eligible during a school holiday period consisting of at least seven consecutive calendar days. The seven-calendar day grace period begins on Monday, November 28 and the students lose/regain eligibility on Monday, December 5 at the time the school day normally ends. •
• Grading period ends Tuesday, November 22. Students are on holiday from the end of school on the 22nd until school resumes Monday, November 28. The seven-calendar day grace period begins on Tuesday, November 22 and the students lose/regain eligibility on Tuesday, November 29 at the time the school day normally ends.

January example (when six or nine weeks ends after winter break): •

• Grading period ends Friday, January 13. Students lose or regain eligibility at the end of school Friday, January 20. Three-week grade check is Friday, February 3, students regain eligibility Friday, February 10. (If there are multiple holidays in the 3-week evaluation period, it could alter the end of the evaluation and the date for regaining eligibility.)

Spring Break example: 

• Grading period ends Friday, March 10. Students are on holiday from the end of school on the 10th until school resumes Monday, March 20. All students are academically eligible during a school holiday period consisting of at least seven consecutive calendar days. The seven calendar day grace period begins on Monday, March 20 and the student’s lose/regain eligibility on Monday, March 27 at the time the school day normally ends.