Course Related Policies

Grading System

Grading policy will be determined by Seattle Public Schools and is currently being discussed. This is the current district information:
Grades of A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, C-, D+ and D indicate credit earned in a class. An E grade indicates course failure and results in no credit earned. If a student wishes to take a class for a Pass/No Pass grade, this must be requested by the fifth week of the semester and may be chosen for only one course per semester. Students who are withdrawn from a class after the fifth week of the semester will earn an “E” on their transcript for that course unless the withdrawal is due to a move to another school. Classes dropped after the 10th day of the semester but before the 5th week of the semester will result in a “W” on the student’s transcript. Incompletes are rarely given and must be completed within six school weeks of the end of the grading period or the Incomplete will become an E grade. All classes earn .50 semester credit per semester, with the exception of TA (teacher assistant) positions which earn .25 semester credit.

Report Cards and Progress Reports

Semester report cards are issued twice a year and distributed to students and families. Semester grades are posted to the official transcript. Student progress can be viewed in The Source throughout the semester.

Weighted Class Rank

Class rank is an indicator requested by some colleges and universities, scholarship programs, and some employers. A weighted class rank system is intended to recognize students who take more rigorous academic courses. These include courses designated as Honors (H), Advanced Placement (AP), College in the High School (CIHS) and Running Start (HRS). Honors courses earn a half weighting point; AP, CIHS, and HRS courses earn a full weighting point. The weighted ranking process does not affect the GPA. The highest attainable GPA is 4.0 (WAC 180-57-050).

Lincoln High School Valedictorian/Salutatorian Policy

Seniors with a 4.0 GPA after the first semester of 12th grade are “automatic” Salutatorian. Within that group, one Valedictorian is chosen by a committee of staff based on leadership, citizenship, and other qualities that embody the Lincoln mission (Learn with passion.  Act with courage.  Improve the world).

High School Credit for Middle School Courses

High School credit is available for some pre-approved middle school courses.  Requests for credit must be received by the end of the student’s senior year or before a student withdraws from the Seattle School District. See your counselor for details.

Making Up a Required Course

If a student fails a required course, s/he generally must expect to take that course through an after school or summer school credit retrieval program if available, or through an accredited program outside of Lincoln High School. Please consult with your Counselor prior to enrolling in outside courses.

Course Fees

Most course fees are covered by the universal supply fee that all families are asked to pay. Some of our courses may still have suggested fees above and beyond that. Please see your Counselor if you have a financial hardship.