D. Course Selection and Registration

with the Class Dean and others as needed, will configure the plan to provide optimal support for the student to succeed to their best ability. The Director of Studies will also determine the duration of the plan. Once the plan is created, a meeting will be scheduled with the family to discuss the plan and make sure everyone understands its provisions. The goal for these plans is always to co-create an individualized approach and plan that helps the student improve.

Academic Probation

If it becomes apparent that an Academic Intervention Plan is not leading to improved performance for a student, or if concerns about a student’s academic performance continue or increase, the Director of Studies, in consultation with the Class Dean, may place the student on Academic Probation. A student on Academic Probation will be placed on an Academic Probation Plan that includes specific improvements the student must make and the duration of the probationary period over which those improvements must be made. Once the Academic Probation Plan is created, a meeting will be scheduled with the family to discuss the plan and make sure everyone understands its provisions. When a student fulfills the requirements of their Academic Probation Plan they will be taken off Academic Probation, but an Academic Intervention Plan may be kept in place to help provide continued support.

Academic Review

When a student on Academic Probation reaches the end of the probationary period and they have not successfully met the terms of their Academic Probation Plan, the Director of Studies may initiate an Academic Review. An Academic Review is a formal assessment of whether a student should continue to be enrolled at Branson. The Academic Review will be led by the Director of Studies, and will include consultation with the student’s advisor, their Class Dean, the Dean of Student Life, the School Counselor, and the Head of School. Though Academic Review may result in an extension of probation and/or a revised Academic Probation Plan, in most instances the student will be asked to leave the school. Though individual circumstances will vary, families should be aware that the school may ask a student under Academic Review to withdraw from the school at any time.

Registration Process and Timeline

Branson’s registration process begins in March, when the Curriculum Guide for the coming school year is released and students have approximately a month to identify the courses they would like to take the following year. Certain course selections require signatures by the student’s current teacher, Class Dean and/or the Director of Studies, and all course selections must be approved by the student’s advisor and parents/guardians. Once students submit their

course requests, Branson creates a master schedule that best accommodates everyone’s preferences and then creates schedules for individual students. Students wishing to double up in a subject must fill out the Petition to Double Up form.

Managing Scheduling Conflicts

Although every effort is made to give students all of the courses that they request, it is not always possible to offer as many sections of a course as needed to meet demand. In such cases preference will be given to rising seniors. In addition, it often happens that two desired courses are scheduled to meet at the same time, in which case students must make choices, sometimes difficult, about which courses to take. Please note that Branson does not register students according to their preference for teacher.

Taking Eight Classes

The Branson schedule has eight blocks, which means that during any given semester, it is possible for a student to take eight classes (including HD / College and Community). Such a course load can be extremely demanding, however, and the school discourages this choice. Students who would like to take eight classes must petition the Director of Studies for permission, who has the right to deny the request after conferring with the student’s teachers, advisor, class dean, and family, as well as the department chairs group.

Add/Drop Policy

Should a student need to add or drop a class in a particular subject area, the student should fill out a “Schedule Change Request Form” and gather the required signatures. Students have a two week period at the beginning of the school year for year-long classes, and a two-week period at the beginning of each semester for semester-long classes, during which they may drop a class and have no record of the class appear on the transcript. After this grace period, a W/P (withdraw/passing) or a W (withdraw) will appear on the transcript. Students have the right to petition the Academic Council to have a W/P removed from their transcript.

Policy for Switching Math Courses

Branson offers a wide range of Mathematics courses, including honors and non-honors classes, and encourages all students to challenge themselves at the highest level. Occasionally, after the school year is underway, it becomes clear that a particular student’s needs will be best served by a different level of the math course they are taking, and it is necessary to make a change.

A student may switch levels in their math course up until the end of the first marking period of the fall semester without penalty. All grades from the previous course will be discarded, and the student will receive a single year-end grade for the new course. Students are encouraged to