General Academic Guidelines

Academic Advancement / Credit Minimums

Students must have achieved the following minimum number of credits by the end of summer school, or by August 1st, to enroll at the next grade level at Bishop Kelly for the subsequent school year.

• To enroll as a Sophomore: 12 credits
• To enroll as a Junior: 24 credits
• To enroll as a Senior: 36 credits

Academic Integrity

When a student signs his/her name to a paper or project that is turned in, the student is pledging that it is his/her own work. Violating this is an Academic Integrity Violation. Cheating in any form is a violation of personal integrity and damages community. Cheating is not tolerated at Bishop Kelly.

Academic Probation

Bishop Kelly High School has an academic probation system to monitor a student’s academic progress and provide help when needed. Academic Probation follows when efforts to intervene earlier in an academic semester have failed to produce the desired levels of improvement and performance. A student will be placed on Academic Probation if she or he:

1. Earns less than a 2.O GPA during a semester grading period; or
2. Receives two F’s during any semester grading period.

Accelerated / Honors Courses

Accelerated and Honors courses are NOT weighted.  Bishop Kelly uses a weighted grading scale for AP (College Board Advanced Placement® Courses and Dual Credit Courses) Weighting of courses is in accordance with Bishop Kelly policy for all current and transfer courses.

Activity Eligibility

Participation in extracurricular activities at Bishop Kelly High School is a privilege and students must meet the following criteria to be eligible to compete and/or participate in interscholastic sports or other activities.

• Pass 5 classes AND maintain a 2.0 GPA (all levels of athletes/activities)

Grades will be assessed every two weeks and eligibility may be reinstated or terminated until the next grading period. Students with special learning difficulties may, after professional evaluation, be eligible at the discretion of the Principal.

All activity participants must maintain eligibility to participate in extracurricular activities such as sports, academic events, club events, etc.

• Grades will be checked and assessed every two weeks to determine activity eligibility for the following two weeks.
• If a student has 2 or more D ’s or 1 or more F ’s, that student receives an “Academic Warning” and has two weeks to improve eligibility status (An academic warning is offered once per semester).
• If a student’s grades are above eligibility status at the next grade check (two weeks), they are eligible to participate in activities. If not, that student is ineligible to participate in afterschool activities for two weeks.
• Students may/may not practice based on coach’s discretion during times of activity ineligibility.

Students who participate in extracurricular activities at Bishop Kelly High School will also be required to meet State Standards required for competition by the Idaho High School Activities Association; including those not sanctioned by the IHSAA. These requirements state that a student must pass at least five of the seven classes to be eligible for the next semester. A failure to meet this standard would negate participating for one full semester. Students must also meet some eligibility requirements daily. A student must attend 2 out of 3 class periods (on a 3 block day); 3 out of 4 class periods (on a 4 block day); 4 out of 7 class periods (on a straight 7 day) to be eligible to participate in an activity in accordance with the BK attendance policy 3105. Penalties for being late to practice (detention, appointments, meetings, etc.) are left to the coach’s discretion. Students who run for Associated Student Body offices must meet a cumulative 2.5 GPA and maintain this level while in office. All club and class officers must have and maintain a 2.0 cumulative GPA.

Advanced Placement

Bishop Kelly offers a variety of Advanced Placement courses primarily at the Junior and Senior level. Advanced Placement offers the opportunity for students to challenge themselves to achieve academically at the college level and prepare for nationally scored tests. Many colleges grant credit when students enroll and have qualifying Advanced Placement test scores. Students and parents are expected to read the course descriptions, expectations, and prerequisites prior to application. AP classes are Full Year courses. All AP courses will receive weighted GPA credit.

Attendance Policy

Except in extraordinary circumstances, as determined by the principal or designee, academic credit may not be granted to any student for a class in which the student was not in attendance at least 90% of the time that school was in session. Extended absences must be approved by administration prior to these absences. The overall semester grade may be impacted by the number of absences, refer to Attendance policy 3105 for specifics.

Alternate Courses

Credits earned through completion of courses may satisfy a high school graduation requirement only if prior approval for such courses has been obtained from the administration/counseling office. These courses include online, correspondence, summer school, evening school, and courses from other schools. Please refer to credit maximums for limits on courses taken outside of Bishop Kelly. A completed form obtained from a counselor must accompany this request. Such credit will not normally be granted for classes available to students attending Bishop Kelly High School.

Concurrent Courses (Dual credit DC)

Bishop Kelly offers a select number of courses for concurrent college credit. Credit requirements are determined by the cooperating university. Dual credit courses may be designated with DC.

Course Availability

The course offerings at Bishop Kelly High School are dependent upon student interest and the availability of instructors. Contact counselors for current course availability.

Course Load

Bishop Kelly High School students are required to register for a minimum of seven courses during each of their eight semesters at the school.

Credit Acceptance

Credits will generally be transferred from any accredited high school upon receipt of an official transcript. Home School courses are not accepted for credit. The Bishop Kelly Administration reserves the right to determine acceptance of credit for all courses, for all incoming and current students. Credit will only be accepted for courses designated 9-12 on an official high school transcript.

Credits for Graduation

To qualify for a diploma from Bishop Kelly High School, students must have completed the required 53 credits for graduating classes 2023, 2024 and 2025.  Students graduating in 2026 and beyond must have 54 credits in the areas designated below:

Credit Maximums

Students are to be aware that credit maximums exist in a number of areas at Bishop Kelly High School. The number of credits, which may apply toward graduation in each of the areas below are:

• Two credits in such service areas as: office aide, library aide, teacher
  aide, and technology aide.
• Six pre-approved online, correspondence or summer school credits (unless used to make up failed courses.)

Driver’s Education

Bishop Kelly does not offer Driver’s Education. Students may request a Verification of Compliance Letter (used to obtain a driver’s permit) by clicking the link below to request a VOC.
Parents, if your student will be getting their driver’s permit or turning 18 over the summer, please note you will need a Verification of Compliance (VOC) Letter from the Front Office before you go to the DMV. Please plan ahead, so we have time to print the VOC. The DMV does not accept email or faxed copies.
Here is the link to request a VOC: VOC Form
Summer Office Hours are 9:00am – 1:00pm
A 24-hour notification is required. Bishop Kelly does not participate in IDLA Driver’s Education.

Early Graduation

Early graduation is not an option at Bishop Kelly High School. Eight full semesters of attendance are required for graduation.  Summer school or correspondence courses, while acceptable supplements to the school year, may not be combined with other courses to qualify for a semester in order to meet graduation requirements.

Failed Courses

Students are obligated to enroll in approved summer school classes or in approved online or correspondence courses to earn credit for courses failed during the regular school year. Exceptions to this rule may be granted when needed courses are not available through either of these programs (please refer to Repeat Courses).

Foreign Exchange Students

Bishop Kelly High School welcomes students who want to study for one or two semesters in the United States as part of a cultural exchange program. Bishop Kelly High School recognizes the valuable contributions that these students make to the learning experiences of all our students. Foreign exchange students will be accepted at Bishop Kelly High School under the following conditions:

• Foreign Exchange students do not displace local students wanting to attend Bishop Kelly High School.
• Students are admitted as space allows.
• Students are subject to the same rules as all regularly enrolled Bishop Kelly High School students.
• Tuition for Foreign Exchange Students will be the non-subsidized full “cost to educate” as determined by the Business Office.
• Proficiency in the English language is a prerequisite to enrollment.

International Students

Enrollment of international students at Bishop Kelly High School is allowed as space is available. International students are to be represented by an agency, unless they will be living with a relative; the agency will take responsibility for finding a safe and suitable home for the student.

International students transferring to Bishop Kelly High School from outside the United States for the purpose of earning a diploma and for whom English is not their primary language must meet the following criteria:

1. Pass the TOEFL Junior Exam/or equivalent with a minimum score determined by administration.
2. Enroll at Bishop Kelly High School for at least 2 years in order to graduate.

• The requirement of 4 semester credits of a foreign language may be replaced by earning 4 semester credits in Humanities and Fine Arts. The required Humanities/Fine Arts courses will be determined by the student’s counselor and approved by the principal or his/her designee. The principal may petition waivers to the Board of Governance.
• Tuition for International Students will be the non-subsidized full “cost to educate” as determined by the Business Office.
• Transcripts submitted at the time of application must be official and no other transcripts will be accepted 30 days after enrollment or October 1st, whichever is later.

Grading System and Legend

Bishop Kelly has a weighted GPA system in which AP classes and concurrent college courses/Dual Credit (DC) will earn more points. All other courses will use the 4.0 scale (indicated in the Grade Points column below). Bishop Kelly uses the following table to compute final grades and grade point averages (GPA):

High school students enrolled in an approved Advanced Placement and/or concurrent courses will have their letter grades weighted by the addition of one point to the number normally given. For example, an “A” grade in an Advanced Placement course will receive 5 points. However, a grade of “F” in an Advanced Placement Course will receive no points.

Bishop Kelly High School does use a “pass/fail” designation in assigning a final class grade in extenuating circumstances, as determined by the Principal or designee, or when accepting transfer credit from accredited institutions. Students assigned as aides (teacher, library, etc.) will receive a pass/fail grade.

When students repeat a course, only the highest grade will be calculated into the GPA; however both courses will appear on the student’s record.

Grade Reports

Bishop Kelly High School utilizes a real-time Web-portal. This allows parents to access your student’s attendance and academic progress. Only semester grades will be posted on a student’s permanent record.

Grades can be accessed at www.bk.org. An email will be sent home with necessary login information at the beginning of each school year.

Music Rehearsal / Performance Policy

Band and choir rehearsals, concerts, clinics, festivals, and music performances, outside scheduled class time, are defined as extensions of the school’s formal classroom instructional program and, as such, require reasonable student participation and attendance. In the case of a student’s ineligibility for extra-curricular activities due to low grades, a student in a performing arts course will not be allowed to participate in rehearsals, concerts, clinics, festivals, and music performances, outside scheduled class time. An alternate assignment will be provided.

Parent/Teacher Conferences

During this time parents will be provided with opportunities to meet with teachers during Bishop Kelly’s school-wide parent conference sessions. Parents wishing more extended opportunities to discuss student performance may do so by contacting an individual teacher or a school counselor.

Office Hours

On Tuesdays and Thursdays, all teachers hold office hours from 2:45-3:15 p.m.  The office hours are part of our school day; sports and other activities are not allowed to start during these times. Students are strongly encouraged to attend office hours, especially when seeking help in an academic area.

Student Progress Conferences

During this time parents will be provided with opportunities to meet with teachers during Bishop Kelly’s school-wide parent conference sessions.  Parents wishing for more extended opportunities to discuss student performance may do so by contacting an individual teacher or a school counselor.

Physical Education

To qualify for graduation, a student must earn two credits in physical education. Courses in lifetime fitness and weights and conditioning may count for one credit towards graduation. One semester of Girl’s/Boy’s Physical Education is a prerequisite for Lifetime Fitness and Weights and Conditioning. One credit of P.E. may be met through 85 contact hours in a school sport as approved by counselor. Credit for Online P.E. will not be accepted.

Repeat Courses

Since it is not possible to earn more than one credit for a specific course offering, students who choose to repeat a class will not be eligible to earn an additional credit for such classes. When students do repeat classes, however, the original grade will remain as an indication of academic history but will not be computed into the grade-point average. The credit and grade of the repeated class will be considered as the official record of that class. Exceptions to this rule will be determined by the Administration (please refer to Failed Courses).

Scheduling for Classes

Students attending Bishop Kelly High School who will be advancing to the next grade level select their classes through a computer generated process based on student course requests. All students will be enrolled in courses required for graduation and in elective courses as available. Each schedule is verified for appropriateness by school personnel. In those few instances where a change is necessary, it must be completed no later than the seventh day of a semester in order to avoid loss of credit.

Service Learning Program

Christian Service is a learning opportunity for all students at Bishop Kelly High School to put their beliefs into practice. Ten (10) hours of service learning per semester, twenty (20) per year, is the minimum requirement for underclassmen. The theology teachers oversee this requirement and service learning will be part of the overall grade. Each grade level is called to a specific type of service. Freshmen are encouraged to serve their families or neighbors; Sophomores are encouraged to serve their religious communities; Juniors are encouraged to serve in Bishop Kelly sponsored service projects. Up to ten hours of summer service may apply towards the underclass’ requirement for the year, with five hours counting towards each semester’s ten-hour requirement. Parents will be asked to validate that the summer service was completed. Seniors perform a minimum of thirty hours during the summer months so long as they contract with Bishop Kelly High School and the approved agency by the last day of their Junior year. Seniors will receive a one credit pass/fail grade for their senior service; it is a graduation requirement.

Student/Parent Concerns – Recommended Procedure

Bishop Kelly High School seeks to foster open communication between students, parents, faculty, and administration. When a situation arises involving instruction, grading, or discipline, the following procedure should be followed:

1. The student should initiate a conversation with the teacher at an appropriate time outside of class.
2. The student and parent should schedule a conference with the concerned teacher.
3. If concerns are not resolved, the parents should schedule a conference with the student’s counselor.
4. If the problem persists, the parents should confer with the appropriate Assistant Principal and/or Principal.

Student Support Center

Promotes academic performance and encourages each student to reach his or her academic potential by meeting the various learning needs of the students at Bishop Kelly High School. Contact the Student Support Coordinator for the accommodation eligibility process.

Withdrawal from Courses

Students who withdraw from any class after the seventh school day of semester, for any reason , will be assigned an “F” for that class with the “F” designation being placed on the official transcript and computed into the GPA. Exceptions to this may be made with administrative approval.