Academic Progress

Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)

Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) means that a student is proceeding in a positive manner toward fulfilling the requirements of his/her designated course.  The minimum standard of academic achievement is a grade of 70 out of 100 (on a percentage scale) in the designated course.

If a student has not attained a final grade of 70 or higher for a course, he/she will be placed on academic probation, receive a Student Failure Confirmation form, and will be given one more term to remove the probation by repeating the same level for the following term and fulfilling the requirements of the SAP Policy.  If the student fails to remove the probation by the end of the subsequent term, he/she will be dismissed from the IEP.

Grading Policies

Moving to the Next Level

In the syllabus, you will find information about how your final grade will be calculated. For most courses, the final grade for a course is determined by the weighted percentage grades of the student’s participation, quizzes/tests, and exams (midterms and finals). In every IEP class, students must earn a final grade of 70% or higher to move to the next level. If you fail to receive 70% or above, you must repeat the same level for the next session. If you are worried about your grade, talk to your teacher before the end of the term. After final grades are posted, there is NO chance for extra credit or changes to your grade.

Grading Scale

Below is the typical grading conversion system used to compare letter grades with corresponding percentage grades.

Grade Point Value Definition Percentage
A 4.0 Excellent 90 – 100%
B+ 3.5 Very Good 86 – 89%
B 3.0 Good 80 – 85%
C+ 2.5 Above Average 76 – 79%
C 2.0 Average 70 – 75%
F 0 Failing Below 70%
W Withdrawal
I Incomplete

Failing a Course

If you fail a course, you should first talk to your teacher or the Academic Director to find out how to improve and get extra help. You and your instructor may make a step-by-step plan for passing the course. It is the duty of the student to ask for extra help from instructors or DLC staff. If you do not receive a percentage grade of “70%” or higher when you repeat the course in the next session, you may be dismissed from the program.

Withdrawals

If for any reason it becomes necessary for students to withdraw from the Discovery Learning Center, they must fill out and submit the withdrawal request form.

Incompletes

Grade “I”, as described above, represents an incomplete in a course. Usually you receive grades for your classes in the IEP. However, if you begin the class late, midway through the session, you will be given an incomplete (“I”) for the class. In this situation, you are required to repeat the class for the full session in order to receive a grade and pass to the next level.

Repeated Courses

Not all students learn English at the same pace nor possess the same ability for English communication. However, Discovery Learning Center realizes that repeating a course level several times signals that a student is unable to cope with the material for the class nor the rigor of the program in general. Therefore, if a student fails to earn passing grades, he or she will be placed on academic probation and must repeat the course. If the student fails for a second time, he or she will not be allowed to re-enroll in the same program.

Occasionally, a student is affected by an unusual circumstance or incident beyond his or her control and subsequently fails the repeated course. If this happens, the student may be allowed to take the course once again at the discretion of the campus director. In this case, documented evidence that specifies the nature of the circumstance or incident must be submitted to verify that the situation has had a direct impact on the student’s academic failure.