Option II


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RHS Guidance Home Staff Academic Graduation Requirements Transcript Requests Grading Policies Scheduling Information RHS Profile Tutoring & Academic Services RHS Program of Studies Advanced Placement Testing Career College Special Needs Students Financial Aid Forms Information for Incoming 9th Grade Students Grades 10-12 Academic Planning / Scheduling Presentations Standardized Testing Information Scholarships & Special Programs Summer Programs Option II	Option II The 120 credit requirement set forth above may be met in whole or in part through program completion (commonly referred to as “Option II”). The January 2004 amendment to N.J.A.C 6A:8-5.1(a)1 clarifies that the Board of Education, in developing their graduation requirements may use a combination of Option I and Option II rather than limiting themselves to only one of the Options. Under Option II, the Board of Education may utilize performance or competency assessment to approve student completion of programs aimed at meeting or exceeding the Core Curriculum Content Standards at the secondary level, including those occurring all or in part prior to a student’s high school enrollment. *Coursework completed outside of RHS must be completed after* the student has matriculated to high school. Therefore, no coursework may be completed during the summer prior to entering high school. Students who plan on pursuing course work for credit outside the parameters of the normal RHS curriculum must submit an online application to the Principal’s Option II Review Committee prior to June 15th for summer coursework, semester 1 and year-long coursework, and prior to November 16th for semester 2 coursework. Students who have taken course work outside of RHS for credit will have a Pass/Fail grade recorded on their RHS transcript. If the outside course work is taken at an institution which provides a transcript, the student may choose to have the outside record sent with their RHS transcript after consulting with their school counselor. The name of the course, institution and appropriate credits will be recorded on the RHS transcript for those students approved for alternative course work. No adjustment will be made to the student’s GPA. The expectation is that the courses will be completed during the time specified on the approval form. The transcript will denote coursework as per the protocol described in the RHS Program of Studies under “Grade Reporting” (page 9). This includes coursework which is not completed. Any student interested in Option II opportunities should read the following descriptions of qualifying activities carefully before beginning this application. Athletics Ridge Sports If you participate in a Ridge High School sport or Marching Band, you may elect to take a SH in lieu of PE for 2 marking periods. Fall Sport – MP1 & MP2 Winter Sport – MP2 & MP3 Spring Sport – MP3 & MP4 Marching Band – MP1 & MP2 Students must take Health when it is offered, or, they can opt to take it online at the family’s expense. Freshmen are required to participate in Project Adventure during MP1. Fill out a separate Option II form for each sport/season, and please pay attention to deadlines! This study hall may be in addition to a scheduled study hall, two study halls is acceptable, but you may not replace the PE slot with a class. New!! Ridge Sports Application Link (beginning 2012-2013 school year) “Off-Site” PE** Students who participate in an athletic activity unaffiliated with Ridge High School for a minimum of 150 minutes per week can be approved to take a study hall in lieu of PE. This study hall may be in addition to a scheduled study hall; however, students may not take an additional class in this slot. OffSite experiences can be used for PE credit, and will be graded on a Pass/Fail basis, according to the requirements of the Core Content Standards. OffSite PE does not replace health, or Project Adventure. A few examples include: Dance Team, Dance classes at Gotta Dance, traveling sports teams, or gymnastics lessons. Off-Site PE Application Link (2011-2012 school year only) New!! Off-Site PE Application Link (beginning 2012-2013 school year) Academic Courses *Acceleration* Students may enroll in a summer course with the intent to accelerate, or “jump ahead,” in a particular subject area. The student takes a full-year course over the summer so that he/she can enroll in the next level during the 2012-13 school year at Ridge High School. The course must meet for a minimum of 120 hours to qualify. New!! Course Acceleration Application Link Remediation Students who fail a course, or lose credit for any reason, can choose to remediate, or “make up,” the course during the summer, instead of taking it during the following school year. The course must meet for a minimum of 60 hours to qualify. New!! Course Remediation Application Link *Graduation Requirement* Students may take courses outside of Ridge and have them count toward a particular graduation requirement. This is typically done with elective courses. Only under extenuating circumstances might a student be approved to take an academic course outside of Ridge to meet a graduation requirement. Please note that Personal Finance is a Practical Art and must be indicated as such on the application. New!! Course Graduation Requirement Application Link *Miscellaneous/Other* Students may choose to take courses related to an area of interest, elective courses and/or courses that are not offered at Ridge (for example: Marine Biology, AP Microeconomics, Astronomy) New!! Course “Other” Application Link Experiences Internship (grade 12 only) Students may only apply for internships during their senior year. The student is responsible for arranging his/her own placement at an internship site, and for transportation. There will be no special parking accommodations at Ridge. Students do not receive credit for internships, but the experience will appear on the transcript with a Pass/Fail grade. Internships do not count toward the GPA. Internships may take place outside of the school day, or seniors may request “release time” during school hours to intern (no more than 3 periods per day). Those granted release time have additional responsibilities. They are required to attend a meeting with Mr. Howlett before the school year begins, and to keep a timesheet and monthly journal. A few examples include: Intern in an elementary school classroom, volunteer in a hospital, or intern with a company. New!! Internship Application Link *Independent Study* Students may choose to work with a Ridge faculty member to further explore an area of interest. Students can receive credit for independent studies. The experience will appear on the transcript with a Pass/Fail grade, but does not count toward the GPA. Prior to applying for Option II/Independent Study, the student and faculty member should discuss the experience in its entirety, as the following questions will be asked on the application: Why are you pursuing this particular study? What are your goals? Detailed outline of work to be accomplished. Discuss in detail the methods of assessment that the advisor will use to evaluate your work. Demonstration of student mastery: What project/demonstration, publication or final project do you propose as a culminating experience/evaluation of the independent study? A few examples include: Portfolio Development (with a member of the Art Department), Astrophysics (with a member of the Science department), International Relations (with a member of the Social Studies Department)… New!! Independent Study Application Link Online Course Providers Students may apply to take a course through any online provider. Below are some helpful links to consider when looking to take online courses. Please note that Educere is an organization of many providers that students may choose from. The Educere list of courses is not comprehensive and students may contact the organization for a list of additional courses that may be offered. All courses must be approved prior to the student beginning the course. Educere (aligned with RHS course catalogue) NJ Virtual High School (Personal Finance offered for $200 for Somerset County students) Keystone School (for Credit Recovery only)