OPS Course Guide (Updated 9.27.2021)
Course Offerings are determined on a yearly basis.
Explanation of courses: All year-long courses (grades 9-12)* receive one unit of credit upon the successful completion of the year's work. 1/2 credit is awarded for the successful completion of a semester course.
All courses are academic unless noted as non-academic in the course description.
*Exception: In the eighth grade, Honors Algebra I, Honors English I, Algebra I, and PE receive one unit of credit for each course upon successful completion.
Excessive absences, not medically documented, may cause a student not to receive credit for a course(s).
Table of Contents:
- Graduation Requirements
- Class Load
- Summer School
- Course Selection
- Honors Program and AP Courses
- Instructions for Registration
- Course Requirements at a Glance
Orangeburg Prep seeks to provide a comprehensive curriculum for students. The program is designed to include adequate flexibility, thereby enabling the student to meet his or her individual needs.
A student's program of studies should be individually planned with the help of teachers, the guidance counselor, and parents. It is extremely important that careful thought and consideration be given to selecting courses.
To be eligible for graduation from Orangeburg Prep, a student must earn a total of twenty-four (24) units of credit distributed as follows:
At least twenty-one (21) units must be weighted, and three (3) may be non-academic.
A normal course load for a student at Orangeburg Prep is six (6) daily courses. This may include several ½ credit courses. (grades 10-12)
Grades 6-12 - Students who fail a course during the school year should repeat the course in summer school in order to have the necessary credits for advancement. Only one course may be repeated during the summer. Students will be allowed to take courses at a regionally accredited summer school other than Orangeburg Prep Summer School only if the course is not being offered at OPS Summer School. When a course is repeated at another school, a final grade of 75 or above is required in order to receive credit for the repeated course, and a grade of 60 (passing) is recorded on the student’s transcript. A student will be allowed to make up a course in summer school only once in the subject area. Subsequent failures must be repeated during the following school year. A student has until December following the second semester of their senior year to complete the requirements for a diploma.
Orangeburg Prep will only accept summer school credit for credit recovery.
Approved tutorial program means
a) a certain number of hours will be required (30 hours for a core course). Academic courses may not be taken through tutorial. Academic courses must be taken through an accredited summer school.
b) Tutors must be approved by the administration, be certified in the subject area, or hold a degree in that subject area.
c) the number of hours of tutoring must be documented by the tutor.
d) the student must pass the course’s exam with a score of 75. Exams will be administered at Orangeburg Prep on designated days.
e) the student will be allowed to take the exam(s) or test(s) only once to qualify for promotion.
f) the tutor may not view the exam(s) or test(s) to be given.
g) once successfully completed, a grade of 60 will be recorded in their transcript
Considerations Governing Course Selection
Mathematics
1. It is strongly recommended that a student have an "80" in Algebra I before taking Algebra II.
2 .It is strongly recommended that a student have an "80" in Algebra II before
taking College Math.
3. All seniors are strongly recommended to take a math course unless 4 units have been completed.
B. Science
1. Students who are planning to enroll in Chemistry I are reminded that Algebra II is a prerequisite, or it must be taken concurrently.
2. Students interested in careers requiring post-high school study in science or related areas are strongly advised to take Honors Physics, and/or Honors/AP Biology. Upper level mathematics should be a part of the program.
C. Foreign Language
*Students must begin their study of a modern foreign language in the 9th grade.
1. It is recommended that a student have an "80" in a Level I course before taking Level II.
2. Students are to take at least two consecutive years of the same foreign language, but students are encouraged to take 3 years of a foreign language.
(Some colleges currently require three.)
Honors courses at Orangeburg Prep are designed for those students who have shown ability and motivation in the subject area. Honors courses will require more in-depth study of texts and more independent work from students than college prep course selections. Students in Honors classes are selected through a process that considers teacher recommendation, academic achievement, standardized test scores, work ethic, motivation, and conduct. These areas are used by the subject teachers when making the required recommendation.
Grade Point Average
A quality point system is used to determine grade point averages (GPA). Grades earned in all academic courses, including designated courses taken in the eighth grade, are used to compute GPA's. Grades earned in non-academic courses are not used to compute GPA's. Orangeburg Prep is on a 5.0 scale and follows the South Carolina Uniform Grading Scale Conversion.
AP Biology | AP Human Geography |
AP Calculus | AP U.S. History |
H. English I (8th Grade) | H. Biology I (10th Grade) |
H. English II (9th Grade) | H. Chemistry (11th Grade) |
H. English III (10th Grade) | |
Honors English IV (11th or 12th Grade) | Honors Physics |
H. Algebra I (8th & 9th Grades) | H. Physical Science (9th Grade) |
H. Algebra II | |
H. Geometry | |
H. Pre-Calculus |
Course Requirements by Grade Level
Course Offerings are determined on a yearly basis.
SIXTH GRADE
- Writing 6
- Reading 6
- Math 6
- Science 6
- Social Studies 6
- Enrichment Rotation:
Nine weeks each of PE, Art, and Computer
SEVENTH GRADE
- Reading 7
- Writing 7
- Math 7/Pre-Algebra
- Life Science
- Social Studies 7
- Enrichment Rotation
Nine weeks each of PE, Art, and Computer
EIGHTH GRADE
- Reading 8 or Honors English I
- Health
- Honors English I
- Algebra I or H. Algebra I
- Earth Science
- South Carolina History
- PE/Health (1 year)
NINTH GRADE
- English I or Honors English II
- Algebra II or H. Algebra II
- Physical Science or H. Physical Science
- World History 9
- Computer Concepts (1 year)
- Spanish I
TENTH GRADE
- English II or Honors English III
- Geometry or Honors Geometry
- Biology I or H. Biology I
- Geography or AP Human Geography
- Foreign Language II
- Electives
ELEVENTH GRADE
- English III or Honors English IV
- Geometry or H. Pre-Calculus
- Chemistry or Honors Chemistry
- Foreign Language III
- U.S. History or AP U.S. History
- Electives
TWELFTH GRADE
- English IV
- Math (H. Pre-Calculus, AP Calculus, or Applied Math & Stats)
- Science (Biology II, AP Biology, Honors Physics)
- 1/2 Econ, 1/2 Government
- Senior Seminar (Fridays - 6th period)
- Electives to complete schedule
- Dual Credit Courses: (2 per semester)Vary per school year (Generally, English 101, 102, Math 110, 120)