Academic Policies

All students are expected to do their own work when assigned individual papers and projects and when taking tests. The definition of plagiarize is "to use and pass off (someone else's ideas, inventions, writings, etc.) as one's own." (Webster's Dictionary) Whether you use someone else's term paper, copy something out of a book, or take something off the Internet, you are plagiarizing if you do not cite your source and place quotation marks around anything taken word-for-word from a source. If you are not sure whether something you are doing is plagiarism, you should check with your teacher before you submit the assignment.

Cheating is also passing off someone else's work as your own or allowing a student to copy your work and pass it off as his/her own. It includes plagiarizing, but is also includes any type of misrepresentation such as copying another student's answers on a test or turning in a project as your own when it was really done by your parents or someone else.

First Offense
The student will receive a grade of "0" on the assignment; referral to the assistant principal; parental contact made by teacher.

Second Offense
The student will receive a "0" on the assignment and a grade of "F" in the course for the quarter; referral to the assistant principal; parental contact made by teacher.

Third Offense
The student will fail the course for the year; referral to the assistant principal; parental contact made by teacher

At the conclusion of each Marking Period, grades will be accessed on the Souderton Area School District Home Access Center (HAC). Parents and students who do not have Internet capabilities can pick up a printed copy in the main office.

To be eligible to participate in activities and/or athletics, a student-athlete may not be failing two (2) or more full-credit subjects or their equivalent. In addition, a student-athlete must be passing at least two (2) full-credits per marking period. Eligibility is cumulative, beginning with a grading period, and is examined weekly (determined on Friday morning prior to the start of the school day). Students are ineligible to participate in any practice or contest held beginning on the following Monday through Sunday or until eligibility is approved by the principal. Only work evaluated and recorded by the teacher is factored into the Friday morning eligibility calculation. For example, if an athlete participates in an exam late in the day on a Thursday, it may or may not be evaluated in a timely manner to affect the eligibility calculation on Friday morning.

If a student-athlete is declared ineligible at the end of a grading period or semester, then the student-athlete is ineligible for a period of five (5) school days.

The Souderton Area School District Home Access Center (HAC) allows parents and students to view information on grades, attendance, etc. via an Internet connection. This information is available 24-7. For more information on the Souderton Area School District Home Access Center, please visit the Grades/HAC page.

*If you do not have your HAC login/password, please contact the District office at 215-723-6061.

The purpose of homework is to practice, apply, and extend skills and content learned in class, and to prepare for tests, quizzes, and projects. Research has demonstrated that consistent high quality completion of homework assignments leads not only to increased grades in school, but also to enhanced academic achievement on standardized tests such as the PSSA. To reap the benefits of homework and maintain integrity, it is very important that STUDENTS COMPLETE THEIR HOMEWORK assignments. Parents are encouraged to review homework and projects with their children, while being careful to preserve the integrity of their children's work.

At the end of each marking period, a list of students will be published who have achieved the Honor Roll. This listing will include all students with a grade of A or B in all courses. All subjects will be involved in Honor Roll computations. The title of Distinguished Honor Student will be given to those achieving a grade of A in all courses.

Any student who receives an incomplete grade on his/her report card will have ten days to complete all work. On the eleventh day, the incomplete grade will be changed to reflect the student's efforts in completing all overdue work. This policy is in effect for the first three marking periods only.

Student’s use of the Internet is governed by the District’s Board Policy 815.1 Acceptable Use of the Computers, Network, Internet, Electronic Communications and Information Systems.

For information regarding Souderton Area School District's 1-to-1 computing, please review the related documentation and agreements on the 1-to-1 Computing page.

Souderton Area School District complies with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA).  For important information regarding students’ use of online educational services, please see the COPPA Web page. 

A student who has an "Incomplete" in a subject cannot receive credit for that class. Students will have 10 school days to hand in incomplete work after the end of the marking period to change an "I" into a grade.

A student who achieves an F- for a course may not remediate the course in summer school.

• Absolutely NO GUM CHEWING in P.E. class.
• Students are prohibited from wearing piercing jewelry during Physical Education classes.
• Participation in physical education classes by all students capable of doing so is required.

A student may be excused from one class period only if he or she presents an explanatory note to the nurse before school, which is signed by the parent.

To be excused for more than one successive class period, a student must present a note from a doctor which states why the student is to be excused and the extended lengths of time excused. A note is then taken to the physical education instructor by the student from the nurse.

The Board recognizes that the emotional, social, physical and educational growth of students will vary and that students should be placed in the educational setting most appropriate to their needs at various stages of their growth.  The Board policies go into greater detail regarding promotion. See Board Policy 215, Promotion and Retention.

Once the school year begins, schedule changes will be made only with administrative approval or when scheduling problems require change.