Dakota High School Ninth Grade Center

2019-20 Core Academic Course Placement Change Request Form

Student Last Name, First Name (please print): ___________________________________________

Middle School: __________________________

The accompanying print-out of course requests from Power School includes the CORE ACADEMIC classes into
which the student named above has been placed for the 2019-20 school year at the DHS Ninth Grade Center
based on the recommendations of the DHS-9 Data Review Team.

Please note …
 Students are placed into Math Focus for additional math support upon the recommendation of the
Ninth Grade Center’s Data Review Team and consultation with the student’s Middle School (see
accompanying letter, if applicable). For students placed in Math Focus, that course is counted as
“elective” credit toward a student’s overall credit total and does not count toward the required 4.0
credits in Mathematics for graduation. For questions or to discuss a student’s placement into Math
Focus, please contact the student’s counselor at the Ninth Grade Center.
 If a 1.0 credit (2-hour block) course in English is scheduled for both semesters, one of the following
two scenarios applies:
o The 1.0 credit/semester English course (2-hour block) was scheduled as a result of an IEP
placement if the student receives special education services, OR
o The student is a general education student that has been placed into the Freshman English
2-hour block by the DHS-9 Data Review team (see accompanying letter, if applicable). For
questions or to discuss a student’s placement into Freshman English Block, please contact
the student’s counselor at the Ninth Grade Center.
Students wishing to deviate from their placements in their core classes may use this form to communicate
the adjustments to their schedule that they would like to see made. Students who wish to deviate from
the schedule into which they have been placed for their core classes must review the information on the
back of this letter and provide their rationale for the requested change(s) below. Should a student wish to
alter their schedule, the desired class selections and adjustments must be indicated in the chart below:

Current Class Scheduled (circle) Requested Class/Schedule Adjustment (circle)

English 9 A/B Advanced English 9A/B English 9 A/B Advanced English 9A/B
*English 9 A/B only (waive additional hour of ELA
FR English 9 BLK (2-hour block/ELA support class) support, add grad requirement course or
elective)
Algebra 1 A/B Accelerated Algebra 1A/B Algebra 1 A/B Accelerated Algebra 1A/B
*Drop Math Focus (waive additional hour of
Math Focus math support, add grad requirement class or
elective)
Biology I and II Honors Biology I and II Biology I and II Honors Biology I and II
* = See additional information provided with this form regarding Freshman English Block and Math Focus. A formal
waiver, acquired through the DHS-9 Guidance Office, will be required to change a Freshman English Block or Math
Focus placement

Rationale for change(s) requested above (attach additional page(s) if necessary):___________________________

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 Dakota High School Ninth Grade Center
Core Academic Course Placement Change Request Information
The Dakota High School Ninth Grade Center Data Review Team, a group comprised of the Principal, Assistant
Principal, guidance counselors and select teachers, studies multiple data sources related to our incoming students
in order to place them into the classes where their performance and achievement data shows they are going to be
appropriately challenged and supported. Students who wish to enroll for classes other than those in which they
have been placed must recognize the potential implications of their decision(s).
STUDENTS LOOKING TO REQUEST PLACEMENT CHANGE(S) TO ACCELERATE THEIR STUDIES
If a student (with parent approval) decides that they wish to enroll in a class against the placement
recommendation of the school’s data review team and accelerate their studies by taking an advanced,
accelerated or honors course in which they have not been placed, it is important that the student, as well as their
parent(s)/guardian(s), acknowledge their understanding and acceptance of the following:
 As a result of the student’s past academic performance in related classes, or lack of attainment of
benchmark scores on standardized assessments, it is recognized that the student may not have the
complete skill and/or knowledge base to experience immediate success in the course they are
requesting to move to.
 The student may have to undertake efforts independently outside of class to in order to be
successful. This may or may not include seeking after school help, working with a tutor, engaging
online resources to develop their skills, or pursuing other means to obtain support in order to master
course content material.
 The student’s letter grade may be impacted as they work towards content mastery over the course of
the semester. Students embarking upon new, and in most cases more complex content material,
may indeed struggle and finish the semester with a letter grade for the course lower than what they
may have been accustomed to/earned in the past.
STUDENTS LOOKING TO REQUEST PLACEMENT CHANGE(S) TO DECELERATE THEIR STUDIES
If a student (with parent approval) decides that they wish to enroll in a class against the placement
recommendation of the school’s data review team and decelerate their studies by opting out of an advanced,
honors or accelerated course, it is important that the student, as well as their parent(s)/guardian(s) acknowledge
their understanding and acceptance of the following:
 Students who elect to decelerate their studies, despite the fact that their past academic history and
standardized test scores indicate that they appear prepared for accelerated coursework, may end up
not being able to take future advanced courses in a particular department as a result of the
sequencing of classes in that department. For example, a student who chooses to decelerate their
studies in mathematics may not have the opportunity to pursue Advanced Placement courses in math
during their junior and/or senior year.
 In addition, students that choose to decelerate their studies will likely not cover the same course
content in terms of complexity or volume that they otherwise would have had they remained in an
accelerated course. As a result, the student may very well need to seek out additional resources to
be as prepared for standardized college entrance assessments, such as the SAT, as they otherwise
would have had they remained in the accelerated course into which they were placed.
By signing below, all parties are acknowledging that they have reviewed the information provided above and they
are requesting the class placement change(s) indicated in the table on the front of this form.
THIS FORM MUST BE RETURNED TO THE STUDENT’S 8TH GRADE COUNSELOR BY APRIL 12, 2019 TO PURSUE
ANY CHANGE(S) OF PLACEMENT(S) INDICATED ON THE FRONT OF THIS FORM.
If parents have questions about the placement change request process, they are encouraged (but not required) to
contact the student’s counselor at the Ninth Grade Center. If this form is not returned by APRIL 12, 2019, the
schedule provided through Power School during computer scheduling will be considered to be verified by the
student and their parent(s)/guardian(s).

_______________________________ _____________
Student Signature Date

_______________________________ ________________________________ _____________

Parent name (printed) Parent Signature Date

Parent EMAIL ADDRESS (PLEASE PRINT CAREFULLY!):__________________________________________