High School Graduation Requirements

To receive a diploma, a student must earn at least 20 units of credit. One credit is given for each full-year course completed. The following courses must be completed in order to earn a Beekman School diploma:

1. Four years of English

2. Four years of history/social sciences, including at least:

• One year of World History
• One year of United States History
• One semester of U. S. Government
• One semester of Economics

3. Three years of mathematics, including:

• One year of Algebra
• One year of Geometry

4. Three years of science, including: One year that consists of at least 20 hours of laboratory time

5. Two years of the same foreign language

6. One year of visual arts, music, dance or theatre

7. One semester of health

8. One semester of computer technology

9. Electives: Two years (or four semesters)

Physical Education is mandatory for all full-time Beekman School and Tutoring School students. These credits are not included in the required 20 units.

In addition to the course requirements, the following five Regents exams must be passed with a minimum score of 65% in order to receive a Beekman School diploma: 

1. Comprehensive English
2. Global History & Geography
3. United States History & Government
4. Mathematics A or Sequential Mathematics I and Sequential Mathematics II
5. Living Environment (Science)

It is recommended that each student in grades 9-12 take 6 or 7 courses each semester. The typical course load is English, history, math, science, foreign language, and one art, elective, or technology course.

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Class Length

Class periods are 45- 50 minutes in length. There are some double blocks for art and other electives; these classes are taught twice a week, usually from 3:00-4:30 p.m.

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College Board Testing

Each year students prepare for and take a number of College Board standardized examinations:

1. PSAT (grade10, optional, and grade 11)
2. SAT I Reasoning test (May of grade 11 & November of grade 12)
3. SAT II Subject Tests at the end of specific courses (grades 11 & 12)
4. Advanced Placement Examinations (grades 11 & 12)

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Course Planning

Each student in The Beekman School will have an opportunity every semester to discuss his/her courses with an advisor. Specialized courses, usually limited to three (3) students, may be formed when requested to meet specific needs (e.g. honors, advanced placement, remedial, and ESL courses). If a student requires tutoring, the school will work with parents to help set up a tutoring schedule. Tutoring usually occurs after school once or twice a week.

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Evaluation Reports

The faculty writes evaluation reports up to eight times during the academic year in the form of four mid-quarter progress reports and four quarterly report cards.

Progress reports are issued at the halfway point of each quarter if necessary. The progress reports may include a course description, a checklist ranking the student's performance in general areas, and an early evaluation of how the student is performing.

Report cards are distributed at the end of each quarter. The letter grade on the report card is based on a variety of assessments used throughout the term. These include: Homework, class participation, lab reports, projects, tests, quizzes, mid-year and final examinations, portfolios, and major assignments and exhibitions. Some of these are graded with a letter, others with a percentage.

All comments on report cards are designed to be informative, thorough, and personal. The comments may discuss grades, offer suggestions for improvement, or discuss specific learning issues.

The grade scale for the evaluation reports is as follows:

A+ = 97-100%

A = 94-96%

A- = 90-93%

B+ = 87-89%

B = 84-86%

B- = 80-83%

C+ = 77-79%

C = 74-76%

C- = 70-73%

D+ = 67-69%

D = 64-66%

D- = 60-63%

F = below 60%

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Grades and Honor Roll

The honor roll is tabulated and posted each marking period. Achievement or progress in specific subject areas and/or involvement in specific school activities will be recognized at the graduation ceremony in June. Any student, regardless of grade level, who has performed notably will be honored. Students achieving these honors will have it entered on their permanent school transcript.

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Academic Policy and Procedure Information

Homework Policy
Students should expect to have homework assigned every day in all subjects. Weekend assignments are given at the discretion of individual teachers. Teachers post daily assignments on the school’s Website homework page. Students should see their teacher, study hall supervisor, or advisor if they need help or are unable to organize and complete their work in a reasonable amount of time. Daily homework assignments should take 30-45 minutes per class to complete for freshmen and sophomores and 45 minutes per class for juniors and seniors.

Assessment
A variety of measures, including projects, essays, presentations, portfolios, homework assignments, quizzes, and tests are used to teach students and assess their progress. All teachers announce dates of tests and due dates of papers and major projects in advance. Students should talk to their teachers ahead of time if they need an extension on a project or if they need to re-schedule an exam. Generally, if a student has three major exams on one day, re-scheduling one of these exams may be possible— as long as it is done in advance. Re-scheduling an exam on the day of the exam is not permitted.

Regents and Final Exams
Regents and final exams take place in January and June. An exam schedule and protocol will be mailed to parents two weeks prior to those scheduled dates.

Adding/Dropping Courses
With permission from the Headmaster or Director and a parent or legal guardian, a student may drop a course. This course may only be dropped during the first weeks of the semester. If a course is dropped after the midpoint of the marking period, the grade remains on the transcript. A new course can be added up to two weeks after the beginning of each semester. A variety of elective courses are offered.

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College Guidance

The College Guidance Counselor advises and supports students with respect to every aspect of the college application process. This includes:

• Conducting individual conferences for both students and their parents beginning in the fall of their senior year.
• Advising students as they identify and prepare for the SAT I examination and the particular SAT II Subject Tests and /or AP Examinations that may be necessary for their college applications.
• Alerting students to college fairs in the area.

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Clubs, Activities, and Class Trips

Students and teachers work together to initiate clubs and programs, organize special assemblies, and sponsor social events. Clubs cover a variety of interests – environmental action, outdoor adventure, art galleries, history, film, chess, and more. Trips and clubs from recent years include:

• Local museums
• The Bronx Zoo
• Theater outings
• Opera
• Ballet
• Overnight trips to the Catskills
• Week-long international trips
• Film Club
• Literary Journal
• Yearbook

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