My son is a senior at a public high school. He was sick but still was forced to enroll 4 courses last year. Even he never started those course, his school put 4 Fs on his transcript. After fighting with them for a half year, they agreed putting NG (No Grade) on his transcript.
Are there any other better options? They said they can’t remove those courses from his transcript.
The school doesn’t allow withdrawals even for medical reasons? That’s awful!
Is “No Grade” equivalent to a Withdraw (W)? If it is, then it might not be a big problem since any colleges that he applies to would understand it . If there’s some doubt, you might be able to ask the guidance counselor to add a notation clarifying that the “No Grade” is a withdrawal rather than a failing grade.
Thank you. The VP told me that by law a student must enroll 4 courses. Is there really a law like this? If there is no law like this, why they can’t remove those courses from his transcript? My son never started those course, so it’s not a Withdraw (W).
Probably that’s what’s required for the school to get paid for having him as a student.
Yes, you are right. It seems there is no such law.
By law, he must be enrolled somewhere. Had he been enrolled at that school the previous year? If he was enrolled at that school, then yes, he must take at least 4 courses. If he was incapable of attending school, he should have been withdrawn from that school and other arrangements made.
Many public school districts make special arrangements for ill or home bound students. Tutors, online courses, etc. Did the school administration or the district know why has was not attending classes?
You have 2 ways to fight this. First, keep working to try to get it off the transcript. Dig to find out what the law is. Don’t be afraid to challenge the system once you find out that what the school did violates that law. Second, make sure you have the Guidance Counselor and/or other recommendation letter writer on board to help mitigate the transcript if you can’t get it off. A trusted letter writer can describe the student’s health situation, and give a more glowing description of how it was overcome, or how student worked diligently to come back from this situation.
Colleges can be enlightened about a student’s major health crisis, I’m sure they have seen it before, and it doesn’t have to be the end of the college dream.
Sorry, you’re right. He should have been allowed to withdraw from the school. If I understand it, he had a medical issue and didn’t attend school at the start of that semester. He was only in those courses on paper – he should have just been withdrawn.
I think though it is still worthwhile to get a guidance counselor note to indicate that he did have a medical withdrawal regardless of what happens with the transcript.
Thank you. I didn’t find that law. It seems it’s just a school district policy.
Thank you. Yes, the school district knew he was sick. They have more options like online class or individual study. But the only thing the VP did was forcing my son going to school.
Maybe you need to talk to a guidance counselor or principal about other options? Have you worked with a doctor to see what your son is capable of?
Thank you. I couldn’t find the law. It might be a school policy. I will fight until they get it off the transcript.
As I have been fighting with them for long time, I don’t think the Guidance Counselor and/or his teachers would write a recommendation letter for him. We got a recommendation letter from his community college.
I’m not sure if college AO would contact his high school or not. If so, they may put bad mouth on him. All his teachers and counselors just follow the Principle and the VP.
Thank you. Yes, he had a medical issue and didn’t attend school at the start of that semester. He was only in those courses on paper.
I have been working with the Principle and counselors for long time.
It is State of California policy that students must attend high school until age 18.
“California compulsory education law requires everyone between the ages of six and eighteen years of age to attend school, except sixteen and seventeen year-olds who have graduated from high school or passed the California High School Proficiency Exam (CHSPE) and obtained parental permission to leave.”
I’m guessing that this problem that you have been fighting with the school is that you didn’t follow the right procedures when you decided your child would not attend school. If your child was too sick for school, you could have been provided with home-based instruction at your request and with information from his doctor. Why didn’t you do that? Was he too sick for high school but he was able to attend a semester of community college at the same time? Your other threads seem to suggest he was dually enrolled.
Thank you. Yes, I knew this law. But it only stated attending school, not take 4 courses at a high school. I requested other options but was rejected.
He was required to take the same courses to replace those courses. So he attended a community college after 11th grade.
I’m confused. Are you saying he was too sick to attend high school but still managed to attend community college?
He was sick at 11th grade. He went to CC after that.