Schedule Change Policy

Selecting Courses for the Upcoming School Year

Students, parents/guardians, and counselors are partners in the course selection process, which begins in January and continues throughout the spring. We encourage students and their parents/guardians to take advantage of the in-person Curriculum Fair (for students) and virtual Curriculum Night (for parents/guardians & students), as well as our online resources when making decisions about which courses to request for the upcoming school year. 

This is an important process that requires open communication, thoughtful consideration, and serious decision-making, as school staff take students’ course selections very seriously when building the master schedule. We encourage students and parents/guardians to take the time available between January and March to read, research, and consult school staff before inputting course requests in SIS StudentVUE. 

Requesting Changes to Course Selections

After students meet with their counselors during Academic Advising, Course Requests are  locked-in, and can only be changed by contacting the counselor before the stated deadline. We encourage those who are requesting a change to email the counselor with the details of the request. We will honor requests to change course selections that are received by the stated deadline. Once the course selection window closes, school staff make critical decisions about which courses and how many sections of each to run based on the tallied number of students requesting each course. A few students may make the difference between whether or not a course runs, or whether there is an impact to staffing.

Student Schedules

Once student schedules are published in StudentVUE, we encourage students and parents/guardians to review the schedule carefully for accuracy, and promptly email the school counselor if any errors occur. If a student's desired elective doesn't appear on the schedule when school begins, it means that it was not possible for the class to fit into the schedule. When this happens, your student will automatically be enrolled in an alternate choice from their list. Financial and space constraints, such as allocated staffing, limits on student-to-teacher ratios, and lab capacity, do not always allow flexibility to grant requests to change courses. 

Reasons for a Schedule Change that MAY be Approved

  • Student is missing a class that is required for graduation
  • Student has an incomplete schedule (too few or too many credits)
  • Student has been scheduled into a course previously passed (e.g. a course completed during summer school)
  • Student has been scheduled into the wrong level of a course (e.g. Spanish 3 before Spanish 2)
  • Student did not complete a class that was a prerequisite for another course
  • Student wishes to fully withdraw from the course for an approved off-campus waiver
  • Student wishes to take a higher or lower level of a course that meets the same graduation requirement
  • Changes as a result of MTSS, 504, or IEP Team recommendation 

Reasons for a Schedule Change that MAY NOT be Approved

  • A preferred elective creates a conflict in the schedule that cannot be resolved*
  • Elective course switches due to a change of mind/preference*
  • Switching a course to/from in-person to Online Campus
  • Switching senior research labs.
  • Teacher changes
  • Counselor changes
  • Preferred period/time of day of a course

*These types of changes may be requested during the second week only.

Requesting Changes to the Schedule

We understand that sometimes schedule adjustments are necessary. There are two distinct types of changes that may be considered: 

  • Level Change:A student remains enrolled in a course that meets the same graduation requirement but shifts to a higher or lower level of the course (e.g., AP to Honors).
  • Course Drop:A student fully withdraws from the course.

Our master schedule is carefully constructed based on students’ course selections. Therefore, schedule changes are limited and must adhere to the following procedures and timelines:

  • First Week of School: During this initial week, schedule changes will be processed exclusively to correct school-generated errors or to ensure a student meets the graduation requirements for the TJHSST Diploma.
  • Second Week of School: Students may request other course changes, including Level Changes or Course Drops. Any addition of a new course is strictly dependent on space availability and the student meeting all prerequisite requirements.
  • Third Week and Beyond: At this point in the academic year, schedule changes are highly restricted. Approved requests will be processed as follows:
    • Semester Course Drops:A student who withdraws from a semester course and receives administrative approval will be granted an off-campus waiver (period release).
    • A Note Regarding Semester 2 Classes:Students may request other course changes during the first week of the second semester, including Level Changes or Course Drops. Any addition of a new course is strictly dependent on space availability and the student meeting all prerequisite requirements. No new semester classes will be added after the first week of the second semester.
    • Yearlong Course Drops:A student who withdraws from a yearlong course and receives administrative approval will be granted an off-campus waiver (period release) for the first semester. A new second semester course may be added based on space availability and the student meeting all prerequisite requirements.
    • Yearlong Course Level Changes:A request to change the level of a yearlong course, if approved, will result in enrollment in the new course based on space availability.

Important Note: Students who are approved to withdraw from a course will not be permitted to remain on campus for the duration of that period. The student’s schedule may need to be rearranged to accommodate the off campus period during 1st, 4th, or 5th period. The student is responsible for providing their own transportation to and from campus within 15 minutes of the start or end of their next class.

FCPS Regulation 2445 governs the grading and reporting procedures for withdrawing from a course during each grading period.

How to Request Changes to the Schedule

For changes requested prior to the second week of school, the student is required to initiate the schedule change by completing the schedule change request Google Form, available in the Schoology Homeroom Course. After the second week of school, the student is required to initiate the schedule change by speaking directly to their assigned school counselor. Depending on the time of the school year and type of course change requested, additional information may be required from the student, parent, and teacher of record.