MOUNTAIN BROOK CITY BOARD OF EDUCATION

POLICY ON EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITY PARTICIPATION - ACADEMICS FIRST

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The Mountain Brook Board of Education recognizes the value of all extracurricular activities as they relate to the total education of students.  The Mountain Brook Board of Education also recognizes and supports high academic standards and the necessity of developing a framework to annually assess each student involved in extracurricular activities and his/her progress toward graduating from high school on schedule with his/her class.  This Board of Education also recognizes that the Class of 2000 and subsequent classes will be required by State Board of Education resolution and the Alabama Administrative Code to earn a minimum of 24 credits in Grades 9-12, with four (4) credits each in science, mathematics, social studies, and English.

The Mountain Brook Board of Education prescribes the following regulations for eligibility by students in this school system to participate in all extracurricular activities:

1.              Students entering grades 10-12 must have passed during the last two semesters in attendance and summer school, if applicable, at lease six new Carnegie units with a minimum composite numerical average of 70 in those six units.  Four core curriculum courses (English, mathematics, science, and social studies) must be included in those units passed and averaged.

2.             Physical education may count as only one (1) unit per year.

3.               No more than two (2) Carnegie units may be made up during summer school.  If a unit(s) or subject(s) is repeated in summer school, the higher numerical grade for the unit(s) or subject(s) may be used to compute the composite grade average.

4.               Eligibility may be determined before the start of each new school year or at the beginning of the second semester. A student who is academically eligible at the beginning of the school year remains eligible for the remainder of the school year so far as grades are concerned.  A student who regains eligibility at the beginning of the second semester remains eligible for the remainder of the second semester so far as grades are concerned.

5.             A student declared ineligible at the beginning of the school year may regain his/her eligibility at the end of the first semester by meeting the academic requirements listed above during the last two semesters in attendance and summer school, if applicable.

6.          Each eligible student involved in athletics must meet the definition of a regular student as defined by the Alabama High School Athletic Association.  Bona fide transfers may be dealt with according to the rules of the Alabama High School Athletic Association for sports and rules to be developed by this Board of Education as they pertain to other extracurricular activities.

7.             Any student who earns more than four (4) credits in the core curriculum in any given year or who accumulates a total in excess of the required four (4) per year may be exempt from earning the four (4) core courses in the succeeding year as long as that student remains on schedule for graduation with his/her class.

8.             To be eligible, all student-athletes (including repeaters and hold-backs) must be enrolled in a specific number of new units at the school they represent.

(a)           9^th, 10^th, and 11^th graders must be carrying at least six new units.

(b)           12^th graders who are on track for graduation with more than the required number of units earned must be carrying at least four new units for the school year.

(c)           7^th and 8^th graders must be carrying at least five new subjects.

Students entering the 8^th and 9^th grades must have passed during the last two semesters in attendance and summer school, if applicable, at least five new subjects with a minimum composite numerical average of 70 in those five subjects.

Students entering the 7^th grade for the first time are eligible.

Extracurricular activities associated with athletics are defined as those recognized and sanctioned by the Alabama High School Athletic Association, and other extracurricular activities are defined as those that are sanctioned by a public school which are not related to a student’s academic requirements or success in a course(s).  Regular curricular activities are defined as those that are required for satisfactory course completion.  School sponsors are required to submit a request for each curricular activity that occurs outside the regular school day and /or school to the principal, superintendent, and the local Board of Education for approval.  Each request for full participation by all students, regardless of academic standing, in a curricular activity, shall be granted if the principal, superintendent, and the local Board of Education approve participation in the activity as an extension of a course(s) requirement(s) and if it is an event sanctioned by a state/national subject matter association.  Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this policy, student participation in extracurricular activities offered by the school through math, science, band, choral music, and other courses at events such as athletic events (pre-game, game, halftime, or other breaks), club conventions, parades, amusement park trips and competitions, trips by tour companies, performances at various meetings, etc., are extracurricular, and students academically ineligible under this policy shall not be allowed to participate.

Adopted:          September 8, 1997

Revised:           September 21, 1998

Revised:           April 14, 2003