A+ Program

The A+ Schools Program is designed to achieve the three basic goals set forth in the Outstanding Schools Act of 1993.

1. All students will graduate from high school.
2. All students will complete a selection of high school studies that is challenging and has identified, measurable learner outcomes.
3. All students will proceed from high school graduation to a four-year college, community college, post-secondary vocational / technical school, or a high wage job with the skills necessary to succeed.

The qualifying graduating students will be eligible for the following:

• Financial incentives to attend any Missouri public community college or public vocational/technical school, or select four year universities in Missouri.
• Tuition incentives, granted after all available Federal post-secondary student financial assistance has been exhausted.
• Students receive this incentive for 48 months after graduation from high school.
• Students must be considered FULL-TIME students by the post-secondary institution and must maintain a grade point average of 2.5 or higher on a 4.0 scale. (must maintain a cumulative, unweighted GPA)

**Any financial incentives are contingent upon availability of state funds.

To be eligible for the financial incentives of the A+ Schools Program, the A+ Coordinator must certify a student as having met all A+ requirements. To be certified as an A+ Schools student, the student and parent/guardian must:

1. Sign an A+ Student Agreement.
2. Attend a designated A+ School for two consecutive years immediately prior to graduation.
3. Graduate from an A+ School with a cumulative unweighted grade point average of 2.5 or above on a 4.0 scale.
4. Graduate from an A+ School with a cumulative attendance record of 95% or better. Cumulative attendance rate is based on days attended at the time of graduation.
5. Math Requirements: Please refer below for Math requirement scores. (Updated annually by MDHE)
6. Perform 50 hours of unpaid tutoring on a Mehlville School District campus, supervised by a district faculty member.
7. Maintain a record of good citizenship and avoidance of unlawful use of alcohol and drugs.
8. Secure all available federal post-secondary student financial assistance funds that do not require repayment. Be sure to complete the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid.) Parents may apply online at: http://studentaid.gov

A summary of students’ progress towards A+ status will be available at any time in the Infinite Campus Parent Portal.

Enrollment guidelines for A+ Schools Program are:

• Must attend an A+ designated high school for two consecutive years immediately prior to graduation.
• Must graduate from an A+ high school.

To meet the eligibility requirement for Grade Point Average (GPA), the student must:

• Graduate with a cumulative unweighted GPA of 2.5 or better on a 4.0 scale.
• Averaging or rounding up to the next highest grade point is not allowed.
• The cumulative unweighted GPA is based on all four years of high school.
• Math Requirements: Please refer below for the Math requirement scores.

To meet the eligibility requirement in order to secure A+ funding, the parent must:

• Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The FAFSA information must be sent to the community college or public vocational / technical school that the student is planning to attend.
• FAFSA can be completed online at http://studentaid.gov
• Parents are encouraged to apply as early as possible, but not before October 1 of the year of the student’s graduation.
• Parents must reapply for federal assistance by completing a new FAFSA after October 1 each year while their students are attending an A+ post-secondary institution.

A+ students are required to have a 95% cumulative attendance rate based on days attended, at the time of graduation. Any student who does not meet the 95% attendance requirement will not be eligible for the A+ financial incentive. The following guidelines for attendance are in effect for all students participating in the A+ Schools

Program:

• Cumulative attendance record will be kept from the beginning of the freshman year until graduation.
• Cumulative attendance information will be gathered from the official computerized information system used by the district.
• For students who attend tech school for part of the school day, attendance information will be obtained from the tech school and sent to the A+ Coordinator who will add this information to the district records.
• A+ students and their parents / guardians may check their student’s A+ status at any time in the Infinite Campus Parent Portal.
• Rounding up of percentages is not allowed.
• A student may file an attendance appeal with the A+ Coordinator no later than one week prior to graduation. (See Attendance Appeal Guidelines .)
• When filing an appeal, the student must do so using the A+ Attendance Appeal Form.
• An appeal form may be obtained from the A+ Coordinator’s office

Catastrophic circumstances or accident-related injuries may cause a student to miss five or more days in a row. In such cases, students or parents may provide the A+ Coordinator with medical documentation which will be considered in reviewing a waiver of absence due to catastrophic circumstances.

Routine medical and dental appointments and normal illnesses are not considered to be catastrophic.

When all of the information is received, an A+ Attendance Review Committee will meet to determine if an appeal for the absences will be granted. (Students may file an attendance appeal only one time during their entire high school career.) All appeals must be turned in at least one week prior to graduation.

The A+ Attendance Review Committee will be composed of the following:

1. A+ Coordinator
2. An assistant principal
3. A counselor

After the A+ Attendance Review Committee reaches a decision, the A+ Schools Coordinator will notify the student and parent/guardian.

A+ students are required to perform 50 hours of unpaid tutoring, of which up to 25% may be job shadowing (12.5 hours). The following guidelines are in effect for tutoring:

• Tutoring must be done during the school year or during summer school, if available.
• Tutoring must be done on school district premises and supervised by a teacher employed by the district.
• If interested in job shadowing, please see the A+ Administrative Assistant to obtain the proper Job Shadowing forms.
• Official time sheet must be signed by a school district official who has supervised the tutoring.
• Official time sheet must be kept by the student and turned in to the A+ Administrative Assistant.
• The A+ student is responsible for being present at the agreed upon day and time for the tutoring. If absent, it is the responsibility of the A+ student to notify the adult in charge of the A+ tutoring experience in advance.
• All tutoring hours must be turned in one week prior to graduation.

If the behavior expectations of the A+ tutor are not met the A+ Coordinator or the sponsoring school may terminate the tutoring experience.

Participation in the A+ Schools Program is an honor and unique privilege for Mehlville School District students. A+ students are required to be good citizens. Any student who does not meet the citizenship requirement will not be eligible for the A+ financial incentive. The following guidelines for citizenship are in effect for all students participating in the A+ Schools Program:

• An A+ student will not sell, possess, or use any controlled substances as defined by law unless prescribed by a licensed physician. Any student who is suspended for an alcohol or drug-related offense is ineligible and immediately terminated from the A+ Schools Program.
• Any student who receives a 10-day BLS (building level suspension) or SPAR (suspension pending administrative review) will result in immediate termination from the A+ program.
• An accumulation of or more days of out-of-school suspensions (OSS) (10 or more days) in one school year will result in A+ probation for the remainder of the current school year plus the next school year. Any future infraction resulting in OSS days will result in immediate termination from the A+ program. If there are no further suspensions during the probationary period, the student will return to “good standing.”
  • Students with prior OSS of 10 or more days may enter the program under probationary terms, with the exception of a BLS or SPAR.
• The accumulation of 15 days or more of in-school suspension (ISS) during the current school year will result in A+ probation for the remainder of the current school year. Any further infractions resulting in an ISS or OSS suspension will result in immediate termination from the A+ program. If there are no other infractions during the probationary period, the student will return to “good standing.”
  • Students with prior ISS of 15 or more days may enter the program under probationary terms.
• A letter of probation will be sent to the student’s home as notification that the student has been placed on A+ Citizenship Probation. Any violation of the A+ Citizenship Guidelines while the student is on probation will automatically terminate the student from the A+ Schools Program.
• Citizenship certification will be based upon the following:
  • discipline record of the student as determined by the grade level principals.
  • discipline record of the student as determined by the safe schools designee.
  • compliance with the disciplinary policies, procedures and consequences of the Mehlville School District.

The school district reserves the right to remove a student from the A+ Program who has been charged, convicted, or pled guilty in a court of general jurisdiction (Missouri Circuit Court or Federal Court) for the commission of a felony violation of state or federal law.

Safe Schools Felony Violations

• 1st & 2nd-degree murder
• Kidnapping
• 1st & 2nd-degree assault
• Forcible rape or sodomy
• 1st-degree burglary
• Robbery
• Distribution of drugs
• Voluntary/involuntary manslaughter
• 1st-degree arson
• Sexual assault
• Felonious restraint
• 1st-degree property damage
• Distribution of drugs to a minor
• Possession of a weapon

Provision of Chapter 571 MO Revised Statutes

1. Upon removal, the student will have 15 days to file an appeal with the Principal’s office at the student’s high school. (An appeal form may be obtained from the A+ Coordinator’s office . When filing an appeal, the student must use the A+ Citizenship Appeal form.
2. An appeals committee, made up of a principal, counselor, and the A+ Coordinator will review the infraction and determine if the appeal will be granted or denied.
3. After a decision is reached, the A+ Coordinator will notify the student and parent/guardian of the decision.

A certified A+ Schools student, who has graduated from Mehlville School District, has 48 months from high school graduation to take advantage of the financial incentives of the A+ Schools Program. A student who participates must:

1. Enroll in and attend on a full-time basis (minimum of 12+ hours) in a Missouri public community college or public vocational/technical school or select 4-year universities in Missouri.
2. Maintain a grade point average of 2.5 or higher on a 4.0 scale while enrolled in the public community college or public vocational/technical school.
3. Complete a program or area of certification within 48 months from high school graduation
   1. Delayed or interrupted enrollment results in scholarship eligibility of less than 48 months.
   2. Students qualifying for a military deferment may have their eligibility extended beyond 48 months.

Students must score advanced or proficient on the Missouri Algebra I End of Course (EOC) test, or meet the combined ACT Math/High School GPA score.

PRE-ACT or ACT Math Score and Unweighted GPA
17 and 2.5 or greater
16 and 2.8 or greater
15 and 3.0 or greater

*Updated annually by MDHE.

*Updated annually by DESE/MDHE

• FAFSA– Be sure to complete the FAFSA online at http://studentaid.gov
• Attendance– 95% average over 4 years (94.9% won’t qualify). A+ attendance is calculated by days. (cumulative attendance record of 95% or better)
• Male students must register for Selective Service by age 18 at: http://www.sss.gov
• 2.5 GPA average or better over 4 years. Averaging or rounding up to the next highest grade point is not allowed. (cumulative GPA)
• Tutoring– 50 hours, of which 12.5 hours may be job shadowing, must be done in district, supervised by a district faculty member. Must be academic in nature. All log sheets completing 50 hours due in A+ office one week prior to graduation.
• Attendance and citizenship appeals must be in writing in accordance with the guidelines under Attendance Appeal Guidelines and Citizenship Review Process
• Math requirements. Please refer to Math Requirement above for details.

(Several 4 Year Colleges/Universities offer A+ Scholarships. Please call the college or university you are interested in to see if they offer an A+ scholarship.)

Question: When can students join the A+ Program and begin training?

Answer: Students are eligible to join during the fall of their freshman year, but must attend an A+ Training session with the A+ Coordinator as well as turning in a signed A+ Participation Agreement form. Monitor your email for the date/time of the A+ Training Session.

Question: How is A+ Attendance calculated?

Answer: A+ attendance is calculated by actual days present.

Question: Can students that attend South County Technical School be a part of the A+ Program?

Answer: Yes.

Question: What if a student is a part of the Virtual Program?

Answer: The attendance of students in the Virtual Program is calculated after completing and passing the course. The attendance average of the Mehlville School District will be used for the virtual student.

Question: How is Homebound attendance calculated?

Answer: Students must complete the required hours as outlined through the Special School District Homebound Program.

Question: Are students in the Missouri Options Program eligible to participate in the A+ program?

Answer: Students in the Missouri Option Program graduate without a grade point average; therefore, they are not eligible for the A+ Program.

If you have other questions, contact your A+ Coordinator.