South Carolina Code of Regulations › Chapter 43 - STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION › Article 19 - INSTRUCTIONAL PROGRAM › Section 43-244.1 - Interscholastic Activities: Academic Requirements for Participation

Current through Register Vol. 48, No. 6, June 28, 2024
I. To participate
			 in interscholastic activities, students in grades 9-12 must have passed at
			 least four academic courses, including each unit the student takes that is
			 required for graduation, with an overall passing average in the preceding
			 semester. Academic courses must be defined as those courses of instruction for
			 which credit toward high school graduation is given. These may be required or
			 approved electives.
A. An ineligible student
			 shall not be allowed to participate in any interscholastic activity.
B. Interscholastic activities shall be
			 defined as all school-sponsored activities for which preparation occurs outside
			 of the regular school day. Individuals or members of groups involved in
			 activities which include out-of-school practice on more than one occasion
			 weekly shall meet eligibility requirements.
C. Academic course shall be defined as any
			 approved course of instruction in the secondary curriculum, required or
			 elective, for which one unit of credit or its equivalent is awarded on a yearly
			 basis, or one-half unit of credit or its equivalent is awarded on a semester
			 basis. If more than one unit of credit is awarded on a yearly basis in a
			 particular subject, this subject shall count as more than one academic course.
			 (Example: A subject taught for three units of credit shall be considered the
			 equivalent of three academic courses.)
D. To be eligible in the first semester, each
			 student must have passed four academic courses that were completed during the
			 second semester of the previous school year.
E. To be eligible in the second semester,
			 each student in grades 9 through 12 must pass at least four academic courses
			 during the first semester.
F. Those
			 courses specifically mandated for a high school diploma shall be considered
			 required courses. A course may not be considered as an elective until all
			 requirements in that subject area have been met. When a student is enrolled in
			 more than four required courses, he must pass four required courses to be
			 eligible for interscholastic activities. When a student is enrolled in four or
			 less required courses, he must pass each required course.
G. Credit courses used for eligibility
			 purposes must be courses that are applicable as credit toward a state high
			 school diploma. If a student has met or is meeting all requirements for
			 graduation and is enrolled in college credit courses, these college credit
			 courses may be used to meet eligibility requirements.
H. Credits earned in a summer school approved
			 by the State Department of Education may be applied toward first semester
			 eligibility if all other requirements of this regulation are met. Academic
			 deficiencies may not be made up through enrollment in correspondence courses or
			 adult education programs.
I. Each
			 student graduating prior to 1987 and needing only 18 units for a South Carolina
			 high school diploma shall be required to pass at least four of the following
			 subjects when enrolled:
1. Language Arts I,
			 II, III, IV (or Remedial English, developmental reading, or remedial reading
			 when taken to meet language arts requirements for graduation)
2. U. S. History
3. Economics
4. Government
5. Other Social Studies (additional one unit
			 taken to meet graduation requirements)
6. Mathematics (to meet two-unit requirement
			 for graduation).
7. Natural Science
			 (to meet one-unit requirement for graduation).
8. Physical Education or ROTC (to meet
			 one-unit requirement for graduation)
J. Each student entering the ninth grade for
			 the first time in the 1983-84 school year or graduating in 1987 or thereafter
			 and needing 20 units for a South Carolina high school diploma shall be required
			 to pass at least four of the following subjects when enrolled:
1. Language Arts I, II, III, IV (or remedial
			 English, with emphasis on reading and functional English, developmental
			 reading, or remedial reading when taken to meet language arts requirements for
			 graduation)
2. U. S
			 History
3. Economics
4. Government
5. Other Social Studies (additional one unit
			 taken to meet graduation requirements)
6. Mathematics (to meet three-unit
			 requirement for graduation). If an approved course in computer science is taken
			 to count as one unit of the mathematics requirement, this course will be
			 considered a required course.
7.
			 Natural Science (to meet two-unit requirement for graduation). If a student is
			 taking the six units in a specific occupational area in lieu of the second unit
			 required in natural science, all courses taken to accumulate these six units
			 shall be considered required courses.
8. Physical Education or ROTC (to meet
			 one-unit requirement for graduation)
K. Each student must maintain an overall
			 passing average during the preceding semester in order to be eligible for
			 participation in interscholastic activities.
1. Each student's overall passing average
			 shall be determined by a numerical average or the district's grading system
			 that determines pass/fail of all courses taken during the previous semester. A
			 passing average shall be consistent with the district's established grading
			 systems.
2. Overall passing average
			 for first semester eligibility shall be determined using numerical scores or
			 the district's grading system to determine pass/fail on all courses completed
			 during the previous semester. (Note: Courses taken during summer school must be
			 included in the determination of this average. If a course is repeated in
			 summer school, the highest grade would be used in determining this
			 average.)
3. Overall passing
			 average for second-semester eligibility shall be determined by using numerical
			 scores or the district's grading system that determines pass/fail on all
			 courses taken during first semester.
L. If interscholastic activities are
			 connected with curriculum experiences in a regular classroom situation (e.g.,
			 band, chorus, vocational), a student determined to be ineligible will be
			 allowed to continue as part of the class and earn the grade and credit(s) for
			 that course. Ineligible students will not be allowed to participate in
			 interscholastic activities and shall not be penalized or have the course grade
			 lowered because of their ineligibility to participate in those activities.