ST. TAMMANY PARISH, La. – Following guidelines from the Louisiana Department of Education, St. Tammany Parish Public Schools (STPPS) is releasing graduation details for the Class of 2020.
Senior award ceremonies, prom, and senior trips have been canceled due to the pandemic, but the schools are looking for ways to hold these events in the future if deemed safe.
“The end of senior year is the culmination of over 12 years of hard work and is an important time in the lives of our students and their families. Our School System is dedicated to providing the guidance and support to help our seniors and their families navigate this challenging situation with the goal of all students having the opportunity to graduate,” said Superintendent Trey Folse. “We are working on plans for virtual and in-person graduations, if and when it is determined to be safe. We want to honor and celebrate our Class of 2020, and will release dates for virtual graduations as soon as plans are finalized.”
Updated Class of 2020 graduation guidelines:
- Seniors can earn course credit for courses they are enrolled in if they have demonstrated proficiency and passed the course.
- The highest end-of-quarter grade a student has received in each course will serve as the 4th quarter grade and will be used in calculating the semester grade for the course.
- Report cards will be mailed home at the end of April. If the report card indicates a student has not passed courses needed for graduation, they will be provided with options and opportunities to demonstrate proficiency and graduate.
- After receiving their report card, students have the opportunity to select a Pass/Fail option instead of receiving a letter grade. Students and parents are able to decide which option is the best for each individual senior, as there are many possible implications to consider prior to requesting the Pass/Fail option.
- For students that have not met minimum levels of proficiency to pass a course, schools will provide alternative learning options to complete unfinished learning and demonstrate proficiency. This may include online courses or course packet options.
- The number of credits and requirements for graduation have not changed.
- Students who are enrolled in dual enrollment college classes should follow the guidelines and instructions set by the college or university.
- The Louisiana Department of Education has advised that in-person exams are cancelled and instead a 45 minute AP exam will be taken online at home. The College Board has provided online review classes for students on their website.
- LEAP 2025 and ACT testing have been waived as a graduation requirement for this school year.
- Students who were not able to earn an Industry Based Credential (IBC) may still be eligible for a TOPS Tech Career Diploma. Opportunities may be provided to complete industry based certifications this summer.
Additional information can be found on the STPPS website.
