The Upper School is distinct from the Lower School in both geography and organization. Students entering the seventh grade make a transition to departmentalized instruction and assume a more significant role in fulfilling their academic responsibilities. Many extracurricular and athletic opportunities are available.
Upon entering ninth grade a student's formal college-preparatory course work begins. Grades earned during the final four years at Iolani compose the transcript that is sent to colleges.
As students mature, they are given increasing control over their free time. They learn the rewards of using their free periods wisely to study, conduct research and seek help as needed.
What's New - stories and articles of interest regarding Upper School Academics at Iolani
For specific adademic areas, please explore the links in the left-hand column. For general information, please see below:
Course of Study
Diploma Requirements
Provision for Gifted and Accelerated Students
Examinations and Reports
A Typical 6-Year Program
Failed Courses
Honors and Advanced Placement
Independent Study
Academic Probation
Eligibility
Academic Dismissal
Course Withdrawals
Course of Study
The curriculum of Iolani is designed to meet the entrance requirements of leading colleges. At the same time, it is sufficiently flexible and broad of scope to meet individual needs.
Minimal requirements for a diploma (see below) are supplemented by electives which depend on the aptitudes and interests of each student. Each student makes up a course of study annually in consultation with parents, counselors, the Dean of Faculty, and the appropriate department head.
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Diploma Requirements
Students take a minimum of four courses each semester, not including art, music, and physical education. Five courses are encouraged, and no student will be allowed to take more than six courses.
Sixteen units are required for a diploma. They must include the following:
1. Four years of English.
2. Three years of the same foreign language.*
3. Three years of math through Algebra II and math through the junior year.*
4. Three years of history including Europe and the Modern World in Grade 9 and U.S. History in Grade 11.
5. Two years of science, one of which must be biology and the other a choice of chemistry, chem com, physics, or conceptual physics.
6. Required courses in art, music, religion, guidance, and physical education.
* A grade of C- or higher is required for placement in the next sequential level.
The rest of a student’s courses may be selected from a wide range of electives to bring the total to sixteen.
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Provision for Gifted and Accelerated Students
Iolani accommodates students of all ability levels. Just as extra help from teachers and peer tutors assists those having trouble with a subject, a variety of provisions is also available for gifted and accelerated students.
Advanced Placement courses are offered in 15 different subject areas, from English and history to calculus and all three major sciences. Languages, computer and art also offer advanced placement courses culminating in AP exams which may earn a student college credit while still in high school. Students may also accelerate in math, computer and languages commensurate with their talent and background.
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Examinations and Reports
Final examinations are held at the end of each semester and test the work of terminating courses. The grade received on the final examination is averaged as 20% of the final grade for the semester or year.
Reports are sent to the parents of all students at the end of each quarter (see School Calendar). In addition, mid-quarter reports are mailed to parents if a student is having academic difficulty.
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A Typical Six-Year Program
The following six-year program will serve as a general guide for entering students:
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7th Grade:
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8th Grade:
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English
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English
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History & Geography 7
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History & Geography 8
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Pre-Algebra
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Algebra I
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Science
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Science
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Language
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Language
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The Arts
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Religion**
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Guidance/Physical Education*
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Physical Education**
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9th Grade:
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10th Grade:
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English
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English
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Europe & Modern World
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Biology
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Geometry
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Algebra II
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Language
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Language
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Life Skills
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Physical Education
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Art/Physical Education/Computer*
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One Elective
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One Elective
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11th Grade:
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12th Grade:
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English Electives
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English Electives
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Math Electives
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History Elective
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U.S. History
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Other Electives as needed
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Science Elective
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Physical Education
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One Other Elective
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* One quarter each subject, meeting every day.
** Two quarters each.
One semester of Religion must be taken in Grade 10, 11, or 12.
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Failed Courses
Grades 7 and 8: A student must repeat a failed course in order to continue at Iolani. If repeating is not in the student’s best interest, an alternate provision will be made, or withdrawal from Iolani will be advised.
Grades 9-11: Failed courses receive no credit, and the failure counts in the computation of the GPA. A student may (and in some cases, must) repeat a failed course. Only the grade earned in repeating the course counts in the GPA, and the student receives credit for the course. The failing grade remains on the permanent record card and transcript.
Seniors: A senior who fails a 1st semester course must repeat it in the 2nd semester if it is offered. If it is not offered, a comparable course in the same department will be selected with the approval of the College Counselor and Dean of Upper School. A senior who fails a required year or second semester course must repeat it (or a comparable one approved by the Dean) satisfactorily before receiving a diploma and may not participate in the graduation ceremony.
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Honors and Advanced Placement Expectations
Students are expected to maintain an average of 80 or better in honors and advanced placement courses. Students enrolled in AP courses must take the AP examination. Failure to do so without prior administrative approval will result in a failure for the course.
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Independent Study Program
Seniors and second semester juniors are eligible to present a proposal for independent study in a subject not offered as a regular course at Iolani. A student may request honors or regular weighting or a pass-fail grade. The proposal must be approved by the Dean of Upper School; interested students should see him for information.
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Academic Probation
A student is placed on academic probation when, in the judgment of the teachers, counselors, and deans, he or she is not realizing sufficient academic success to warrant continued matriculation. In such cases a period of time is set within which the student must demonstrate significant improvement or face dismissal.
A student on either academic or disciplinary probation may not hold elective office nor receive school awards at Honors Day assemblies or graduation ceremonies.
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Eligibility
A student who fails any course, or any quarter of any course, is excluded from school-sponsored extra-curricular activities for at least the first four weeks (until the mid-quarter evaluation) of the following quarter.
Eligibility is determined on a quarterly basis. A student failing any course or any quarter of any course is ineligible for the first half of the immediately subsequent quarter.
Fourth quarter failures carry over to the first quarter of the following year unless the failed course is passed in summer school, or unless the teacher of the failed course presents mitigating circumstances at the year-end grade level meeting in June.
Extra-curricular activities from which a failing student shall be excluded include but are not necessarily limited to: Drama, Cheerleading, Politics, Speech and Debate, Athletics.
A student who is declared ineligible may not practice, rehearse or participate in any way in any extra-curricular activity for the entire term of the ineligibility. The only exception to this is that a student may attend tryouts for a team. If successful in making the team, the student may not participate in subsequent practices or workouts until after regaining eligibility.
At the mid-quarter evaluation period, an ineligible student must be earning passing grades in all courses in order to regain eligibility for the remainder of the quarter.
Courses failed in the fourth quarter may be made up in summer school. The student usually must retake the failed course at Iolani if the Iolani Summer School offers it. Courses taken at other schools must have advance approval from the Dean of Upper School before grade or credit will be granted by Iolani. English courses can not be repeated for credit in the summer.
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Academic Dismissal
The Headmaster, acting upon the recommendation of the teachers, counselors, and deans, may drop a student from Iolani for academic reasons at any time when in the opinion of the teachers, counselors and administrators continued study at Iolani is not in the student’s best interest.
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Course Withdrawls
Courses may be dropped or changed only until the first mid-quarter evaluation for that course. For second semester courses, that would be the third mid-quarter. Drops or changes after the first mid-quarter require the approval of the Dean of Upper School. Courses dropped without such approval are recorded as failures.
Semester courses dropped with administrative approval between the first mid-quarter and the first quarter grading period of a course are recorded as W (withdrawn).
Semester courses dropped with administrative approval after the first quarter (or third quarter for second semester electives) are recorded as WP (withdraw passing) or WF (withdraw failing).
Year courses dropped with administrative approval after the first mid-quarter but before the first quarter are recorded W (withdrawn). Year courses dropped during the second quarter with administrative approval are recorded WP or WF. Year courses dropped after the first semester are recorded as failures.
Any course dropped without the approval of the instructor and the Dean of Upper School is recorded as a failure and will be so calculated in the GPA.
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