Date – School Year 2015/2016
Dear Parent/Guardian:
At Woodcrest Christian High School our goal is to help students to complete our mathematics
program, attaining the level that will enable them to achieve their college and career goals. We
are writing you this letter today to inform you of our Algebra I policy. Your student is currently
enrolled in Seventh Grade Pre-Algebra which is a foundational class for Algebra I.
Algebra I is a high school course that will appear on your student’s transcript. That means
that the grade your student receives in Algebra I regardless of when he/she takes the course
(middle school, summer school or high school) will be a permanent grade that will be factored
into his/her high school GPA. This will have an impact on his/her college admissions
opportunities. Consequently, our school wants to see your student succeed and for him/her to
graduate high school prepared for college and their career goals.
Algebra I is the foundational class for not only the sequential required math courses of Geometry
and Algebra II but also required science courses of either Chemistry/Physics. This means that if
your student does not have a good understanding and foundation in Algebra I they will not be
ready to pass several required graduation classes including: Geometry, Algebra II, Chemistry and
Physics. In order to better serve our students and help them develop the crucial foundational
concepts needed to succeed in future classes our school has developed an Algebra I policy.
WCS’s Algebra I policy is as follows:
If a student receives a C (70%- 75%) in Algebra I he/she will receive credit for graduation
but will be highly encouraged to take the Algebra I Review summer school course, if the test
and final exam average is 72% or lower. This will help build the necessary foundational
concepts to succeed in future classes required for graduation.
If a student receives a D- to D+ (60%-69%) in Algebra I he/she will receive credit for
graduation but will not be able to continue in the math sequence until he/she either: takes
the Algebra I Review summer school course and receives at least a B or repeats Algebra I
the following year and passes it with at least a C or better.
If a student receives an F grade in Algebra I he/she will be required to repeat the course in
summer school or the following school year until he/she passes it with at least a C or better.
Repeating Algebra I
Students who have earned C grades or higher in Algebra I who choose to repeat the course must
understand that the grades earned the first time the student took Algebra I will remain as the
permanent grades on the high school transcript and will still be factored into the student’s high
school GPA. The new Algebra I grades will appear on the transcript but will not be factored into
the GPA.
However, students who earned D or F grades in Algebra I and choose to repeat the course will be
able to have their D or F grades replaced in the GPA with the new Algebra I grades. Students
must understand that all grades will remain on the transcript even the ones that are not factored
into the GPA.
7th Grade Pre-Algebra Policy
Students who are taking Pre-Algebra in 7th grade who have earned an 80% or higher, B- or
higher, may proceed to Algebra I in the 8th grade.
If a 7th grade student in Pre-Algebra earns a C at the end of second semester, they and their
parents will be required to meet with the Middle School principal to decide on the best course of
action. Earning a C suggests that the student may not be ready either in maturity, work habits or
math skills to be successful in Algebra I in 8th grade. We do the student a great disservice by
advancing them to a High School class before they are ready, especially since that grade will
affect their High School GPA and college admission chances.
If a 7th grade student in Pre-Algebra earns a D or below, they will repeat Pre-Algebra in 8th
grade.
Ensuring Success in Any Math Class
In order to insure your student’s success this year in mathematics, please be aware they may
need extra help. Some possible suggestions include: making nightly homework checks of the
student’s work; having your student look for help from the teacher during lunch or after school;
checking the Tutoring Options file on the math teacher’s Royal Notes page; or calling your
student’s mathematics teacher for a conference.
If you have questions regarding this matter, or questions in general concerning our Mathematics
program at WCS, or if there are any other ways in which you feel we can help your student,
please call me at (951) 780-2010.
Sincerely,
Miss Katie Bolling
Guidance Counselor
Mrs. Shane Ludwig
Math Department Leader
Student Name_____________________________________
Grade (date) ________
______I have read and understood the WCS Algebra I policy and the 7th grade Pre-Algebra policy and understand
the importance of high performance in the math classes at WCS.
Student’s Signature ______________________________________
Date_____________________
Parent/Guardian Signature _________________________________
Date_____________________