Academic Policies

Attendance Policy

Attendance is defined as being present for the regularly scheduled class during the regularly scheduled hours. Participation is not a component of course grades. However, The Philadelphia School of Languages expects students to attend all scheduled classes. 

Poor attendance (and lateness) hinders students’ ability to assimilate the subject matter and may result in failing grades. We monitor attendance closely. Students are required to attend at least 75% of the scheduled class time for the program in which they enrolled to meet graduation requirements. 

Teachers record attendance daily. Late arrival, late return from breaks, late returns from lunch, and early departure all impact daily attendance and contributes to the attendance figure recorded by the instructor. The final attendance figure marked each day is expressed in quarter-hours units. Absences of 7 to 15 minutes are all recorded as quarter-hour absences from classes.

Lateness and Early Departures

Regular class attendance for all scheduled hours is vital to academic success. Tardiness to class as well as early departure are discouraged as they can be disruptive to the learning environment of others, and they affect a student’s attendance record. Students with repeated lateness or early departure may be placed on attendance probation. 

Both lateness and early departure from class will affect the recorded hours present. Tardiness and early departures are recorded for attendance purposes. Student attendance is recorded in quarter-hour units as described above in the section on “Attendance Policy.”

Attendance Probation and Remedial Policies

A student may request to study additional hours. Any student who must make up more than 35% of the hours in any course or month, will be immediately referred to the school manager for face-to-face advising. Because depending upon his/her attendance in other portions of the program, such a student may be at risk of termination for falling below 75% attendance overall (thus requiring more than 15% remedial classes, which is not allowed). All such students immediately receive written Attendance Warning letters.

The first time a student falls below the 75% attendance requirement at an assessment point, he/she will receive an Attendance Warning letter. If his/her attendance does not reach the 80% goal by the end of the next assessment point, he/she will be replaced on Attendance Probation and remain on probation until the end of the following assessment period. At that time, if his/her attendance has not reached the 75% goal, he/she will be placed on Final Attendance Probation until the end of the next assessment period. Failure to achieve 75% goal by the end of that next assessment period may result in termination from school.

This three-step process may be repeated as needed If the student fails to return to good standing at the end of an Attendance Warning or Attendance Probation period but later fall below the 75% attendance requirement.

The ESL Program Manager/Director has the discretion to make exceptions to this policy in extenuating circumstances, and his/her decision is final.

Remedial Procedures

Tests and Assignments

All remedial tests and assignments should be completed within one (1) week of the original exam or assignment. After one (1) week a grade of zero (0) may be given for the missed test or assignment. In all cases, all remedial tests and assignments must be completed by the end of the course in which work was missed. At their discretion, instructors may give announced or unannounced quizzes that are ineligible for remedial activities. The Director of Education must approve exceptions to this policy.

Class hours (Attendance): As discussed above, students are permitted to make up absences (to a limit of 15% of total scheduled class hours) by performing the following types of activities outside of regular class hours: completion of missed coursework or tests, scheduled tutoring, or demonstrated practice in training-related skills. 

All remedial work must be performed on-site in a The Philadelphia School of Languages classroom or laboratory. The Philadelphia School of Languages has regularly scheduled Remedial Classes with instructor supervision for this purpose. The opportunity to make-up missed class time is a privilege offered by the school, which may be revoked at any time for good reason.

All remedial hours/activities must be assigned and approved by the instructor, using the Remedial form. Remedial time must be at least one (1) hour for the students to be credited for the time. All completed Make-Up forms must be submitted to school management for entry into the students’ attendance records.

Positive attendance means being present for the regularly scheduled class during the regularly scheduled hours. Remedial hours are recorded separately from class attendance in the students’ permanent record. Under no circumstances is The Philadelphia School of Languages permitted (by its licensing and accreditation regulations) to alter the original attendance record of any student. If a funding source, prospective employer, or other external entity with the legal right to do so requests the attendance record of any student, The Philadelphia School of Languages must supply the original attendance record.