High School Guidance
 
Counselors:
  Renee Amendolla 9th Grade
  George Lepsch 10th Grade
  Laurel Soffa 11th Grade
  Rita Powroznik-Traeger 12th Grade
  Kelly Mursch Transition Coordinator

 
Requirements for Graduation
Students should see their guidance counselors for individual graduation requirements.
Classification of Students
 
FRESHMAN (9th grade)
Satisfactory completion of 8th grade
SOPHOMORE (10th grade)
Completion of 6 credits
JUNIOR (11th grade)
Completion of 13 credits
SENIOR (12th grade)
Completion of 20 credits
(Graduation requirements include 4 semesters of PE, swimming, and 1 semester health.)
Grading Scale
       
General Courses   Physical Education  
A................................ 90-100 P................................ Passing
B................................ 80-89 F................................ Failing
C................................ 70-79 M............................... Medical
D................................ 60-69    
F................................. 59-below    
       
Advanced Courses
MAHS students are offered opportunities to enroll in advanced courses. For those courses a special weighted grading is used. These courses include AP American Literature, AP Government and Politics, AP Environmental Science, AP Chemistry, AP Language and Composition, AP Literature and Composition, AP United States History, AP European History, Biotechnology, French IV, German IV, Spanish IV, and Calculus. The Calculus course is taught in conjunction with the University of Pittsburgh and may be taken for college credit. Pre-AP English 9 and Pre-AP English 10 are 105 weighted courses. Grading for these courses is as follows:
110 Weighted Courses   105 Weighted Courses  
Excellent 100-110 Excellent 100-105
Good 90-99 Good 90-99
Average 70-89 Average 70-89
Poor 60-69 Poor 60-69
Failing 59 and below Failing 59 and below
Note: Pre-AP and AP students scoring a 70% or below do not receive a weighted grade. All weighted courses follow a standard grade conversion chart.
In addition, special arrangements have been made with the McKeesport Campus of Penn State University for students to enroll in college level courses. A liaison has been established between the Guidance Office of the school and the Admissions Office at Penn State whereby qualified students are permitted to take courses at Penn State McKeesport Campus. Students are permitted to take entry level college courses after a review and acceptance of their high school transcripts by Penn State Admissions Office. Courses taken in the past by McKeesport students include Introduction to Algorithmic Processes, Elementary Calculus, and Calculus II. Students receive college credit upon successful completion of the course. The cost of the course is shared equally by the students and the McKeesport Area School District. The grades obtained in these courses are not counted in determining the student's grade point average or class rank. Scholarship support information for Penn State McKeesport is available upon request.
  1. Every grade in all credited courses must be 80 or higher.
  2. Physical Education grades must be "PASS" or better.
  3. Health grades must be 70 or higher.
  4. Students with "Incomplete" cannot be listed on the honor roll until all grades are made up and meet the above criteria.
Yearly Honor Roll Guidelines

What is Dual Enrollment?
The Dual Enrollment Program at MAHS provides eligible high school students with the opportunity to take college courses while still in high school. Students wishing to take advantage of the Dual Enrollment Program must have the approval of the high school administration, counselors, and their parents. The number of courses, as well as the type of courses taken will be determined through a joint approval process. Students may not enroll in more than 12 credits per school year. In some cases, students may be required to take a placement test before being approved to take certain courses at the college.

What are the requirement to participate in the Dual Enrollment Program?
Students interested in participating in the Dual Enrollment Program must be juniors or seniors who meet all eligiblity requirements. To enroll in CCAC courses, students must have a cumulative GPA of 2.5; for Penn State courses, students must have a cumulative GPA of 3.0. Students may be rqeuired to take a course pre-requisite and must complete all necessary forms as required by the college.

Where are the classes? When are they offered?
Classes may be conducted at the high school, the college, or online. Classes are offered at different times. Some classes meet during the shcool day, others may meet evenings or Saturdays or during the summer.

Who are the post secondary partners?
For the 2010-2011 school year, the partners are Community College of Allegheny County, The University of Pittsburgh, and Penn State Greater Allegheny.

Who pays for the courses?
Dual Enrollment is a grant funded program and dependent on the availability of funding. Tuition and fees are paid in full for students who complete the course with a passing grade. Transportation and books may be covered if the grant can support these costs. Each year of the grant may result in changes to the program.

What is the student and parent responsiblity to the Dual Enrollment Program?
Students who enroll in a Dual Enrollment class are concurrently students of the college. As such, students must follow the "drop and add" schedule for the college. Failure to comply with the college schedule may result in fees assessed to the student/parent.

For more information on the Dual Enrollment at MAHS, please contact Mrs. Alice Saxon at (412) 948-1376 or email asaxon@mckasd.net.
Pass-Fail Grades
A student in grades 10, 11, and 12 may elect to take one credit per year for a pass-fail grade in any elective course that is not in a major area of interest. For example, an academic student can take pass-fail only in elective courses. A business student could take pass-fail in art, music, or foreign language, but not in any of the business subjects. The student must inform the teacher NOT LATER THAN THE 10TH CLASS DAY if he wishes to exercise the pass-fail option. A signed agreement will be placed in the student's permanent record. Once the option has been selected, the decision may not be changed, and the system will remain in effect until the course ends. Although successful completion of the course will result in credit toward graduation, the passing grade in the pass-fail system will not be included in the determination of class rank. However, a failing grade in a pass-fail course will be included when determining a student's grade point average and also his/her class rank. The teacher will determine the numerical value of the failing grade. Students who decide to withdraw from a pass-fail course will receive a failing grade to be determined by the subject teacher.
Independent Study
A student may take one credit of independent study per year with the approval of his/her grade level principal and the participating teacher. All independent study courses are graded pass/fail. The agreement must be entered into no later than the 10th day of the selected course. Although successful completion of the course will result in credit toward graduation, the passing grade in the pass-fail system will not be included in the determination of class rank. However, a failing grade in an independent study course will be included when determining a student's grade point average and also his/her class rank. The teacher will determine the numerical value of the failing grade. Students who decide to withdraw from a pass-fail course will receive a failing grade to be determined by the subject teacher.
National Honor Society
Students at McKeesport Area High School have an opportunity to become members of the MAHS Chapter of the National Honor Society. Membership in the National Honor Society is based upon excellence in four areas: scholarship, leadership, service, and character. To be eligible for membership, a student must have a minimum cumulative average of 90.0000. Students can become members in their junior or senior year. For juniors, the cumulative average is based on grades earned during the freshman and sophomore years, and first semester of the junior year. For seniors, the cumulative average is based on grades earned during the freshman, sophomore, and junior years, and the first semester of the senior year. In accordance with the National Honor Society Charter (as established by the National Association of Secondary School Principals - National Council) students MUST demonstrate - IN ADDITION TO THE ACADEMIC REQUIREMENTS - the qualities of LEADERSHIP, SERVICE, AND CHARACTER. Leadership is based on participation in school and comunity projects. Service is determined by volunteer activity in both the school and community. Character is measured in terms of integrity, behavior, ethics, and cooperation with both students and faculty. Students who meet the academic requirements for memebership are invited to submit an application which requests information about the other three National Honor Society criteria. A faculty selection committee meets to review the applications and offer membership to qualified individuals. The McKeesport Area High School NHS Chapter is a service organization.

By accepting NHS membership, the student agrees to perform ten hours of NHS sponsored community service each semester. This service requirement is above and beyond any service learning requirements.
   
English
 ..4.0
Science
 ..3.0
Mathematics
 ..3.0
Social Studies
 ..3.0
PSSA (1/2 mathematics, 1/2 reading)
 ..1.0
Health and Physical Education
 ..2.5
Electives (school district approved)
 11.5
PSSA Credit (1 credit required)
Any student demonstrating proficiency on the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA) during their 11th grade year will receive credit as follows:
Any student not demonstrating proficiency on the PSSA is required to take a semester course during their senior year in either mathematics or reading or both based on results. Successful completion of the course(s) and its accompanying exit exam will reult in the awarding of the necessary credits. Students may also be awarded the credit based on proficient performance on the PSSA retake in October of their senior year. Other options at the discretion of the administration may be considered as a demonstration of proficiency.
The first ranking for senior students takes into account all subjects taken in grades 9, 10, and 11. Final rankings are determined at the conclusion of the 12th grade. Students are ranked according to the student's overall numerical average carried out to three decimal places. Physical Education and Health are not considered in the determination of a student's numerical average, and therefore, grades in those subjects do not affect class rank. Courses taken pass-fail by the student are considered as follows:
   
 •   Pass grades in a pass-fail course are not used in
determining the numerical average.
•   Should a student fail in a pass-fail course, the teacher will convert that failure to a numerical grade and it will be considered in the numerical average and the class rank.
Valedictorian-Salutatorian
The highest ranking student in the Senior Class will be honored as valedictorian. All grades from all subjects which are scheduled for five or more periods a week in 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th grades will be used, with the exception of those mentioned in the above section. The valedictorian will be the student who has the highest numerical average carried out to three decimal places. The student with the next highest numerical average will be honored as the salutatorian. A student must be enrolled at MAHS for at least four semesters to be considered for these positions.
Graduation Honors
Honors at graduation will be determined by the grades earned in 9th, 10th, 11th, and the first semester of 12th grade. Graduation honors are as follows:
  93 average and above   Highest Honors (Gold Cords)
  88 - 92.999   High Honors (Silver Cords)
  81 - 87.999   Honors (White Cords)
Online Courses
   
 •   Must be pre-approved by the principal.
•   Maximum of two credits can be recovered through MASD Cyber program in addition to regular programming.
•   Grades are reported in QPA and class rank.