All students completing the Brentwood Academy curriculum will master the skills of effective oral and written communication in English and the basic skills of science and mathematics. Through tracing mankind’s social development, students will acquire practice in analyzing facts in order to reach conclusions and to build a solid foundation for understanding the social, political, economic, and physiological issues of their lives. Through participation in a wide spectrum of fine arts experiences, students will be prepared for a lifetime of continued engagement with the arts.

Each student in grades six, seven, and eight will be assigned seven courses. Students in grades nine through twelve are expected to take six courses per semester. Upper school students need to take at least four classes every semester from the following departments: English, math, science, history, and foreign language. Students are required to take four years of English and math, and they are strongly encouraged to take four years of history, science, and foreign language. The sixth course is an elective or requirement of the student’s choice. Electives are to be chosen in terms of the student’s abilities, interests, and needs. This is done with input from the department chair, grade chair, advisor, and parents.

Students wishing to be considered for special accommodation in the classroom must have current psycho-educational testing on file at the school. Such testing must meet specific requirements as outlined by the school and indicate that accommodations are warranted. For more information or a listing of the testing criteria, contact Mr. Troy Putney, director of the Learning Center.

Recommendations to college will be determined by the specified subjects a student takes in upper school and the quality of work done in these subjects. Other factors to be considered are scores on standardized tests, work habits, citizenship, and desire for learning. For more information about the college counseling process, contact Shelley Miller, college counselor.

Academic Opportunities
Brentwood Academy is a college-preparatory school with dual accreditation granted by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and the Southern Association of Independent Schools. The school is a member of the National Association of Independent Schools, the Southern Association of Independent Schools, the Tennessee Association of Independent Schools, the Educational Records Bureau, the National Association of College Admission Counseling, and the Southern Association of College Admission Counseling.

Academic opportunities include the following:

• Advanced Placement courses in AB Calculus, BC Calculus, Statistics, Chemistry, U.S. History, English Literature, English Language, European History, Physics, French Language, French Literature, Latin and Spanish Language.
• Youth Legislature and Model UN programs, Girls’ State, Boys’ State.
• National Merit Scholar Program, National Forensic Tournament, National Latin Exam, National French Exam, National Spanish Exam, National Mathematics Exam, and the Duke TIP program.
• Fine Arts recognition through Arts in April, student publications, drama productions, art shows, choral and instrumental music, dance program, forensics, and visual arts.

Graduation Requirements
Graduation from Brentwood Academy requires a total of 23 upper school credits, taken in grades 9-12, distributed as follows:

*Admission requirements at many colleges and universities include three years of foreign language.

To count toward graduation, all course credits must be earned while a student is at Brentwood Academy or another accredited institution. Any upper school courses taken during the eighth grade year (such as math or language) will be considered as upper school credits toward graduation and will be included on the upper school transcript but will not be included in the cumulative upper school grade point average.

Curriculum Offerings for 2009 - 2010:

* Honors courses offered

Summer Reading
Each student is expected to complete a summer reading assignment chosen for each grade by the English department. Honors and Advanced Placement courses will require additional reading.

Winterim
The Winterim program provides educational enrichment experiences outside the traditional classroom setting for upper school students. Each upper school faculty member sponsors a program, such as service projects, cultural trips and classes, internships, or college visits. A catalog of Winterim offerings is given to each student in early fall. Participation in Winterim is required for all upper school students.

Honors and Advanced Placement Courses
Honors courses permit students to explore a given subject in more depth than is normally possible in regular college-prep courses. The workload is heavier, the course material is dealt with on a more sophisticated level, and the pace is brisk. Students are expected to bring to honors courses a strong record in the subject area, a high level of commitment, and the recommendation of their teachers. Because more is expected of students, grades in honors and advanced placement courses are weighted more heavily than grades in regular courses (Honors [0.5], AP [1.0] weighting to cumulative GPA).

Advanced Placement courses are designed to replace the freshman courses in college. Sufficient scores on the College Board Advanced Placement Program Examinations administered at the end of the academic year can give students college credits and/or exemption from introductory courses and allow placement in advanced courses at the college they attend. Brentwood Academy students who take advanced placement courses must take the Advanced Placement Examination in those courses unless waived by the department chair.

Dropping and Adding Courses
During the registration process every effort is made to place students in courses and sections which are appropriate for them. In unusual situations, a student may not be properly placed or may change his or her academic plans, thus necessitating a change of courses.

A student who wishes to drop or add a course must consult with the registrar or school director. Class changes may occur as late as the end of the third week. An authorization to change must be signed by the parents, the department chair, and school director. Courses dropped or added within the first three weeks are done without penalty. After that date a consultation occurs with the school director and a WP (with draw passing) or a WF (withdraw failing) will be recorded.

Grade Chairs
The grade chair facilitates academic and personal counseling, addresses discipline issues when necessary, and works with the faculty and school director in coordinating faculty efforts throughout the grade. Grade chairs identify and communicate special needs of students to the faculty and communicate faculty concerns to the student. Grade chairs work to develop an esprit de corps and to plan social activities for the grade. Conducting class meetings and coordinating pre-registration are also handled by the grade chairs.

Department Chairs
Department chairs coordinate academic programs, develop and refine the curriculum, and support faculty growth.

Conferences and School Visitation
Parent-teacher conferences are encouraged and may be arranged on an individual basis by contacting the teacher directly or the grade chair for group conferences.

Visits by parents and other Brentwood Academy patrons are always welcome. Prior arrangement with the administrative office is necessary. Visitors should always check-in with the school office first, never to the classroom directly.

Library
The Duncan Memorial Library provides a general resource collection to support the curricula of the school. The initial collection of books, materials, and furnishings of the library were made possible by Duncan School alumni to memorialize the names of Mr. and Mrs. Marvin T. Duncan, founders and principal of Duncan Preparatory School. (See History of Brentwood Academy).

In 2002, the library was renovated through funds given by Duncan alumni. The library provides a pleasant background for reading and studying with a collection of more than 12,000 volumes as well as magazines and newspapers. The library hosts an online card catalog, automated circulation system, numerous computer databases, and internet connections.

The Duncan Memorial Library is open to all students, faculty, staff, parents, and alumni from 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. weekdays during the school year. Books are due back in the library three weeks after check out. Videos may circulate with permission from the librarian and are due back two days after check out.

Grading System
Brentwood Academy seeks to emphasize learning for the sake of learning rather than to make a particular grade. However, grades are required as a prerequisite to college entrance and do provide one measure of academic progress.

We report our grades internally by numerical scores, rather than by letter grades. As a result, the semester average is a percentage score, based on the first and second quarters and the final exam. All semester exams will be 20 percent of the semester grade. Each quarter average will be 40 percent of the semester grade.

The school continues to report letter grades to colleges and universities on the transcript. The grades at Brentwood Academy are defined as follows:

An overall grade point average (GPA) is calculated at the end of each grading period based on the average of grades earned in all academic subjects. A cumulative overall grade point average will be used to determine class standing, as well as for making application to college.

Official grade reports are mailed home at the end of each semester and at the interim of each quarter for grades of 75 and below. Quarter averages are posted online at the end of each quarter. Teachers update grades regularly through PowerSchool available through the Portal Login on the internet. Passwords to access this information are assigned. If parents desire more frequent information, they should contact the individual teacher.

Exam Exemptions
Seniors may be exempt only from final exams. In order to be exempt from final exams, seniors must have a first semester average of 90 or above (including the mid-term exam) and a second semester average of 90 or above.

Year-End Grades
Credit will be given for each semester’s passing grade, even though credit will not be assigned until year-end reports, except for courses terminating at the semester. For example:

*Student must attend summer school or repeat the course. (See Summer School below.)

Summer School
Any student who fails the second semester of a course will be required to attend summer school or repeat the course the next year. Anyone who receives a D or F for the second semester grade in an English or a mathematics course will be required to attend summer school at Brentwood Academy to improve his/her grade. Any exception to this will be decided by the school director. Any student who wishes to receive credit for a course taken at an institution other than BA must get written approval from the school director before enrolling.

Class Rank and Grade Point Average
Brentwood Academy does not provide specific class rank for the purpose of college admission; however, to assist college admission personnel in the evaluation of our students, a cumulative grade point average and a grade point average distribution by quintile are provided with each application. The cumulative grade point average includes grades earned in all academic courses taken in the upper school with the exception of physical education grades, which are not included. This grade point average is based on a fixed point system for standard courses, and an additional 0.5 is added to each honors course and 1.0 is added to each advanced placement course.

Headmaster Roll and Honor Roll
All students will be eligible for the Headmaster Roll if they earned a 4.0 and have no grades lower than a B in the preceding quarter. All students will be eligible for the Honor Roll if they earned 3.5 or above in the preceding quarter.

Valedictorian and Salutatorian
Those students who have met all graduation requirements and who have earned the highest and second highest cumulative grade point averages in the core academic subjects (English, history, math, science, and foreign language) shall be named valedictorian and salutatorian, respectively. If more than one student ties for either of the two designations, the student taking the highest number of honors and/or advanced placement courses shall be selected.

Only those who have attended Brentwood Academy for at least two years during high school and who have taken a minimum of eight honors and/or advanced placement courses shall be eligible for consideration as valedictorian or salutatorian.

Privilege List
Any junior who has a GPA of 4.0 or higher during the preceding quarter is eligible for the privilege list. Any senior who has an 80 percent or higher in every class, including P.E., during the preceding quarter is eligible for the privilege list. In addition, those students who are eligible for the privilege list must have been absent and/or tardy fewer than six times during the previous quarter.

After School Study Hall
Middle School students who do not submit assignments on time are required to attend an after school study hall, which meets from Monday through Thursday. Students have two days from the date of the infraction to serve. Study hall times are 3:15 pm to 4:00pm.