High School Grading Policies, Absences, and Expectations

The classes offered by the Upstate Homeschool Co-op should be viewed as graded tutorials. Parents should not attempt to change a student’s grade once it is entered into the Jupiter Ed system. When reporting UHC classes to an accountability group or other institutions, it should be clearly noted that grades for co-op classes are given by the UHC teacher. It is expected by the Board, Staff, and Teachers of UHC that course credit is the desired end, and that this will be sufficient incentive for the completion of all required coursework.

  • In order to receive a Carnegie credit (1 course credit) for high school courses offered through UHC, it is expected that the student will be required to complete 3-5 hours of “homework” assignments each week for each class taken.
  • Students will receive a 0 (zero) for graded assignments that are not turned in.
  • Completion of assignments is not optional.  If a student habitually does not turn in assignments, the parents will be contacted to meet with the appropriate Director (and possibly the teacher) to work out an implementation plan for parents that should result in completion of assignments. If the parent does not respond to the meeting request, or if meeting with the Director does not result in assignments being turned in, it may result in the student being dismissed from the class without a tuition refund.
  • Assignments should be turned in at the beginning of the class period on the day that they are due or at the appointed time in JE if indicated by the teacher. If graded assignments are not turned in on time,  it will result in a zero for the assignment unless the teacher has been contacted BEFORE class time on the day the assignment is due and has given permission to turn it in late. 
    • Teachers may choose to use the backslash (/) to represent graded work that was not turned in. The backslash is computed as a 0. The backslash will not be removed if/when work is turned in late. It will remain in JE to be computed as a zero.
  • The reasons for students not having work done on time are many and varied. Whether or not the teacher accepts a reason as valid is up to her discretion.
    • Involvement in sports, clubs, church, theater, family planned vacations, etc. are NOT reasons for acceptance of late assignments.
    • Teachers will not give extensions on Friday – Sunday for assignments due Monday that have been on the calendar for 2 or more weeks, as students have had plenty of time to finish them.

Homework and Grading Expectations

  • Teach new concepts
  • Answer questions for previous and upcoming lessons
  • Lead class discussions
  • Provide assignments for the students to complete at home.
  • Teach at home on the days that UHC classes do not meet
  • Check JE calendars to make sure that ALL assigned homework is completed by the student each day and ready to turn in on the specified due date
  • Go through each lesson, writing assignment, vocabulary, or whatever the current topic of study may be and review the material with their students as needed in order for the student to complete assignments
  • Help your student set aside time during the week to complete reading assignments and coursework by utilizing and checking daily assignment calendars with student
  • Check answers to homework and study guide questions
  • Help your student study for tests and quizzes
  • Proctor tests sent home by the UHC instructor per the UHC High School Testing Policy and Procedure
  • Help your student follow the UHC Absence and Tardy Policy (see below)
  • Print the student report card  and any other needed information before July 1.  Student grades are not accessible after this date.
  • Send grades to their accountability group who will record this grade on their student’s transcript.  No permanent records will be kept by UHC.  SC law does not allow Co-ops to issue transcripts or Diplomas.
  • Check JE for assignments and messages communication from the teacher and staff.
  • Complete and submit assignments by the designated deadline.
  • Message your teacher on Jupiter Ed with questions or challenges with the lesson or assignment.
  • When a class is missed, the student should check JupiterEd, contact a classmate, and/or message the teacher to get the work missed.
  • Make arrangements with the teacher if a quiz, presentation, lab, or test is missed due to an absence.

The UHC High School grading policy will follow the South Carolina Uniform Grading Policy for High Schools.  

A = 90-100

B = 80-89

C = 70-79

D = 60-69

F = 0-59

Planned Absences:

  • The student should inform the teacher at least 2 class periods prior to the expected absence so that the teacher can supply the student with the work to be done. This should be followed up by an email from the parent.
    Assignments should be turned in before the absence unless prior arrangements are made with the teacher to turn them in on the day the student returns to class.

Absence due to Illness:

Note: This applies to student illness ONLY (not to absences due to trips, family events, sports, plays, jobs, etc.) 

If a student becomes ill over the weekend or on the morning of a co-op class day:

  • The parent should communicate on the day of the absence informing all the student’s teachers of the student’s sickness.
  • High School students may communicate with teachers themselves unless they are too sick to do so. If this is the case, the parent should communicate with the teachers.
  • Assignments due on the date of the absence must be turned in that day at the beginning of the class it is assigned for, or by the due date and time of online assignments or Juno pods. It should be attached to the parent or student’s message to their teachers regarding the student’s absence. OR the assignments due can be brought to UHC and turned in by a sibling or parent. This should be communicated to the teachers in the student’s or parent’s message regarding the student’s absence that day.
  • If the student did not wake up sick, but has been ill before a Co-op day/is too sick to complete all of the assigned work on the due dates, the parent should work directly with the teacher to make a plan for the student’s missed work. Unless arrangements are made with the teacher for an extended due date, all assignments are due on the date given in JE.
  • Waiting until the last minute to complete an assignment and then becoming ill or having other unexpected circumstances prevent the student from completing the assignment is not necessarily a reason for an extension of the due date.
  • Unless there was a hospitalization, or other extenuating circumstances, there should be no more than one additional week given to make up work.
  • All assignments are due on the due dates specified in JE unless arrangements with the teacher have been made for an extension.
  • Lack of communication with the teacher concerning an absence will result in the application of the late work policy. If the student has been absent for more than one day in succession, he must continue to communicate with the teacher to schedule assignment due dates.
  • The teacher will not hold up the introduction of new concepts due to student absences, nor will the teacher be obligated to go back over material missed due to absences. It is the responsibility of the student to procure the help of a tutor if help is needed with concepts missed due absences.
  • In the event of a contagious disease related absence, a doctor’s note may be required to access additional classroom support.

Absence due to appointments (dentist, doctor, athletic events or other extra-curricular events):

  • If a student needs to arrive on campus late or leave early, the parent will notify both the teacher and the appropriate Director.
  • In addition to notifying the teacher and Director, the student must turn in work due in ALL UHC classes immediately upon arriving at Co-op that day, or before departing early that day. Failure to do so will result in a zero on assignments not turned in for the classes missed that day.

Repeated absences may cause a student to have to retake a class before progressing to the next level class or graduating at/with UHC.  This will be decided by the teacher, appropriate director, and the Executive Director.

Tardies 6th-12th:

  • If a student is tardy, the teacher will not be expected to hold up the introduction of new concepts due to student tardiness, nor will the teacher be obligated to go back over material missed due to tardiness. Being on time is an issue of respect for classmates and the instructor.
  • When the bell rings, MS/HS classroom doors will be shut and students should be in their seats, not just coming into class.
  • Any student who is tardy will be marked tardy in JE. At the end of every month, a report will be run, and students who have 3 or more tardies will be assigned a consequence (see Conduct Policy and General Discipline Policy).
  • A single tardy may result in the daily grade or participation grade for that class being marked down at the discretion of the teacher.
  • If 3 unexcused tardies are reached in a month in the same class, the teacher may mark down assignments that were due on the day of the 3rd and any subsequent tardies.
  • If the student knows they will be late before leaving home or during transit, the student or parent must contact the teacher ASAP.
  • If an incident happens on the way to co-op that causes a student to be tardy, the student should alert the teacher as soon as they are safely able to do so.
  • Those students who arrive for an 8:00 a.m. class at the Grace Campus should not enter the building before 7:50 and should go directly to their classroom.
  • For 1st hour (9:10 classes), students may be dropped off no earlier than 8:45.  For campus specific instructions, see Grace, Hampton Heights, and CATM procedure guidelines.
  • For 2nd – 4th hour, students may arrive at Co-op 10 minutes prior to their first class (but no more than 10 minutes) in order to make their way into the building and arrive in their classroom on time.
  • All students must enter through the designated student drop off/entry door.

UHC Testing Policy and Procedures

UHC High School Exam Policy and Schedule