Grade Requirements for Promotion and Diploma

Milton Academy works on a letter grade system, A+ through E (failure).

  1. To be promoted and to be eligible for a diploma, a student must earn a minimum of four academic credits at all times, one of which must be English, and earn grades of C- or better in at least three of those credits.
  2. A failing grade may be converted to a D- and a D grade may be converted to a C- by summer study approved by the department chair, and by achieving a grade of C- or better on a makeup examination. Grades may be converted only when the faculty votes to grant a student this opportunity and only to meet minimum promotion and diploma requirements. A total of no more than two full course grades (or their equivalent) may be so converted.
  3. A failure in a course beyond what is required for the diploma will be recorded, but will not jeopardize eligibility for a diploma.
  4. A Class I student who fails to meet the minimum grade standard of a C- at the beginning of the spring senior project period must continue in their courses throughout the senior project period.

Special Cases

  1. Any student program that will not fulfill the normal course load, distribution or grade requirements must be approved by a vote of the faculty, the advisor having first consulted all departments concerned regarding the request for a waiver.
  2. A student who takes an additional year must obtain a promotional record at the end of that year and must take courses required for that grade level again.
  3. If it is determined that a student will be unable to complete the year with a promotional record, that student may be asked to withdraw from the school before the end of the school year.
  4. A student who finishes Class II with a non-promotional record may continue in the school only if the faculty vote permission for the student either to take an additional year or to make the record promotional by summer work.
  5. No student will be permitted to enter Class I if the academic record at the beginning of the Class I year would make it impossible for that student to fulfill Milton’s course load requirements or distribution requirements by the end of the Class I year. Such a student would need to withdraw unless granted an additional Class II year by the faculty.
  6. A Class I student enrolled in courses taken beyond the minimal graduation course load and departmental requirements may petition to have one such course (or one per semester for semester courses) graded on a satisfactory/unsatisfactory basis (unsatisfactory includes anything below C-). To make this petition, a Class I student must fill out and collect requisite signatures on a form available in the registrar’s office. To exercise the satisfactory/unsatisfactory option for a full-year course, first-semester course or half course, students must return the completed form to the registrar’s office one week before the mid-semester marking period. To exercise this option for a second-semester course, students must return the completed form to the registrar’s office within two weeks of the beginning of the second semester.

Academic Probation

  1. A student will be placed on academic probation if a review of mid-semester or semester grades and comments indicate that the student has:
  2. a non-promotional record (A student who has not earned three or more grades of C- or better in three full courses or their equivalent will be automatically placed on academic probation.)
  3. a minimally promotional record (The class deans and academic dean have responsibility for identifying those students to be placed on academic probation.)
  4. A student will remain on probation until at least the end of the next marking period. A satisfactory improvement in performance and/or effort will warrant removal from academic probation. The student may return to good standing, but if the student’s performance is still of concern to the academic dean and the student’s class deans, the student may be placed on academic warning.
  5. While on probation, a student will be required to study in a supervised space during his or her free periods. This requirement and other restrictions will be imposed at the discretion of the advisor, class dean and academic dean.
  6. A student who is placed on probation at the end of a marking period and who remains on academic probation for the next two marking periods is ineligible for promotion and will normally be required to withdraw from the school. This regulation will not apply to students in their first two semesters at Milton Academy who may, by faculty vote, make themselves promotional through summer work.

Academic Warning

Academic warning is an intermediate status between academic probation and good standing. Students on academic warning are normally required to meet the same study hall requirements as those on academic probation and may face additional requirements determined by the academic dean. If they do not qualify for academic probation, students earning an E in any course are automatically placed on academic warning. Expulsions appear on a student’s transcript.