General Information

  • Course Requirements - It is highly recommended that all students select an academic program inclusive of eight periods of instruction plus lunch.  Students with college plans should maintain a high level of achievement throughout the senior year, as acceptances and/or possible scholarship opportunities may be based upon the strength of grades and academic program.  School policy requires that seniors enroll in six periods of instruction including Physical Education.  Seniors may elect a six or seven-period day under the late arrival/early release option.  If a senior chooses to opt for early release, the request must be made at the time of programming meeting.  Early release is subject to availability after all other course requests have been programmed.  There will be no schedule changes in September to accommodate early release. Seniors with early release must agree to leave the building and may return after 1:50 p.m. for extra help, Driver’s Ed., co-curricular activities and athletics.  If a student cannot leave, then early release is not appropriate and will be rescinded. All seniors returning to the building after 1:50 p.m. must enter through the main entrance.

    • Seniors must understand that early release is not guaranteed and students must not make employment commitments requiring an early dismissal.
    • Sufficient Enrollment- The offering of any course is dependent upon sufficient enrollment
    • Summer School - It is recommended that courses failed during the regular school year be remediated in summer school, with approval, to avoid delay of graduation.
    • Credit Recovery - Students who fail a course(s) have two options to recover credit. They can either remediate the class(es) during summer school or participate in credit recovery during the next school year. The credit recovery program typically runs from 2:30 pm – 4:00 pm or 4:00 pm – 5:30 pm. 
    • Early Graduation - Early graduation may be permitted with the approval of the high school principal. Applications must be filed with the counselor in the year prior to expected graduation.
    • Ranking Procedures - Class rank is determined for each student after each year and after the third marking period of grade 12. All courses are included in calculating class rank. Transcripts indicate unweighted final grades as well as weighted and unweighted cumulative averages. To calculate class rank, final course grades will be weighted to reflect the difficulty level of the course. The following weighting factors have been established: 

    AP Courses/BEACON Courses or College Accredited            1.10
    Honors/Pre-AP/College Level Courses                                     1.05
    Regents Courses                                                                          1.00

    Distinction of the Senior Class of 2026 and After
    The district will determine the distinctions of the senior class of 2026 AFTER the third marking period of senior year.  These changes were made after consideration of previous and current student statements as well as district administrators, community members, staff, and board members. 
     
    The Levels of Honorary Distinction are as follows:
     
    i. Summa Cum Laude- students with a GPA between 3.8 - 4.0
    ii. Magna Cum laude- students with a weighted GPA between 3.6- 3.7
    iii. Cum Laude- students with a weighted GPA of 3.5
     
    Alpha Grade Numerical Equivalent GPA
    A+
    100
    40
    A
    99
    3.9
    A
    98
    3.8
    A
    96-97
    3.7
    A-
    94-95
    3.6
    A-
    92-93
    3.5

    Selection of the Valedictorian, Salutatorian, and Essayist of the graduating class will be in accordance with Board of Education Policy

    PSAT - Preliminary Scholastic Assessment Test: This exam is offered in October to juniors, sophomores and freshmen to familiarize students with the SAT format.  Juniors are eligible for the National Merit Scholarship. PSAT scores are not made available to colleges and are best used as a reference to identify strengths and weaknesses. All juniors are encouraged to take the PSAT exam. Register for the PSAT at the PMHS Guidance Center.

    SAT - SAT I Reasoning Test: Students should anticipate taking this test in May or June of their junior year. Additional retakes are scheduled in October, November and/or December of the senior year.

    ACT - American College Testing:  This achievement test is accepted by most colleges/universities for admission. Students should take the test in the spring of their junior year and fall of their senior year.

    SAT/ACT CEEB CODE 333093       SAT TEST CENTER CODE 33602      ACT TEST CENTER CODE 191350

    **Students must register online for SATs at: www.collegeboard.com and for ACTs at: www.actstudent.org. Please be advised that if testing accommodations (extended time, tests read, scribe, etc.) are requested for the PSAT, AP Program, SAT or ACT, you must complete an Application REQUEST which is available in the Counseling Office or at CSE/504 Meetings. Note: The College Board and ACT Testing Program require several weeks to process these applications. This College Board form needs to be completed only once during high school (except for situations where an IEP testing accommodations change).