What is Academic Ineligibility?
Academic ineligibility is the consequence for a student-athlete who fails to meet academic eligibility standards at the end of an academic probation period or academic eligibility period. The period of time during which a student-athlete is ineligible to participate in interscholastic athletic practices, interscholastic athletic contests or performances is the academic ineligibility period.
What is Academic Probation?
Academic probation is a support for student-athletes who fail to meet academic eligibility standards at the beginning of a season. A student who is academically ineligible may not play in games or wear any part of a team uniform at games during the probationary period, which lasts for twenty academic days. Student athletes will be required to complete a minimum of eight academic sessions for a minimum of six hours throughout the twenty-day probationary period. These sessions are individual help sessions approved by the principal. Generic study hall sessions do not meet these requirements.
In addition to signing a contract, students on academic probation:
- Must attend academic assistance sessions monitored by the academic advisor.
- May participate in interscholastic athletic practices, meetings, or rehearsals.
- Must attend a conference with the academic advisor to review their eligibility status on the 21st day of probation. The same criteria for marking period eligibility calculations for student-athletes should be utilized for the 21st-day academic probation check.
What is the Academic Eligibility Period?
It is the period of time during which a student-athlete may participate in interscholastic athletics. Academic periods are determined by the date of issuance of report cards reflecting grades earned during each marking period/term.
What is the Eligibility Requirement for Interscholastic Athletic Participation?
To be eligible to participate in interscholastic athletics, grades nine through twelve, a student shall have a quarterly minimum GPA of 2.0 or minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 for the previous four quarters, and shall have no more than one grade below passing in all courses in which the student is enrolled at the eligibility decision point. The academic eligibility requirements do not apply to ninth grade students in the first athletic season after entering high school for the first time.
What are the Eligibility Decision Points?
Eligibility will be determined by using first, second, third, and fourth quarter report cards, as well a report calculating a GPA for the previous four quarters. Fall eligibility will be computed by using 4th quarter (of the previous school year) GPA with no more than one grade below passing, including summer school grades if applicable. For seasons that span more than one grading period, student-athletes will be evaluated at each eligibility decision point and report card distribution for further participation.
What Role will Summer School Play in Fall Eligibility?
Students may become academically eligible for interscholastic athletics in the fall athletic season by successfully
passing summer school immediately preceding the fall athletic season. The following parameters apply:
- Students may take a maximum of two (2) approved summer school courses to meet academic eligibility requirements;
- Students who receive failing grades in the 4th quarter but receive a year-end final passing grades in the failed courses cannot remediate the grades in summer school.
- Students who enroll in summer school must take the same course(s) from the most recent school year. In the event that the course(s) are not offered, no other course(s) may be substituted for academic eligibility purposes;
- Grades earned in summer school will be reflected on the student’s transcript in addition to the failing grades. However, in order to determine academic eligibility to participate in interscholastic athletics, a student’s GPA will be calculated using his or her summer school grades in lieu of his or her failing grades from the previous school year’s year-end final grades (not 4th quarter grades).
- In order to confirm a student’s eligibility based on summer school grades, documentation of these summer school grades, along with the report card from the previous school year must be submitted to the Athletics Office by each Athletic Director.
What is the Difference Between Academic Ineligibility and “Benching” or “Sitting” a Player?
Academic ineligibility is the result of student-athletes not meeting the academic eligibility standards during a season. Schools may bench or sit a player based on violation of policies, the code of conduct, sportsmanship, and academic concerns not rising to the level of academic ineligibility.