Overview

Rocky Top Middle School’s honors program challenges learners and prepares students for advanced placement courses and advanced placement exams in eleventh and twelfth grade. Sixth through eighth grade honors courses are offered separately in language arts and math to allow students to participate in a more rigorous class in the specific area in which s/he excels. Honors teachers are highly motivated, dedicated teachers who have successfully completed certified training specifically designed to prepare them for working with accelerated students in their curricular area.

Honors courses are different from regular middle school core content courses in that they are taught at an accelerated pace with an enriched curricula. Classes frequently involve content immersion and performance assessment at the analysis and synthesis level. A more rigorous amount of homework may be required. Typically, successful honors students are task oriented, proficient readers who use their time effectively and maintain a record of regular attendance.

As part of the honors program, students are expected to maintain high academic and social standards. If a student’s marking period average falls below 75%, that grade serves as a warning to the student and parent that improvement is needed and honors class enrollment status is in jeopardy. In the event that a student’s grade drops even more substantially during a trimester, a parent teacher conference will be scheduled. At that time a student may be put on probation or exited from a course for unsatisfactory performance.