Course Selection and Enrollment

Students must be formally enrolled at Valley Christian High School for the upcoming school year in order to select courses. The course selection process for currently enrolled students occurs in Class Choice during the specified window in Spring.

Student Course Advising

Each year counselors and teachers assist students in selecting the best courses for the following year. Advice is given in a variety of formats including individual counselor meetings, counselor presentations, a course fair, and teacher input.

It is strongly advised to first follow the course maps and prerequisites. Students may make an appointment with their counselor to further discuss course selection, and teachers can also provide the most individualized and subject-specific advice.

Prerequisites, Recommendations, and Placement

The course catalog includes prerequisites and/or recommendations for each course. Please read them carefully before selecting courses. All grade prerequisites are listed as a general letter grade (no pluses/minuses), but the student’s specific grade percentage may be considered when the course list is reviewed by counselors and teachers. Course description recommendations are important factors in determining student success in the classroom.

Mathematics course selection will be determined by the student's current math teacher. Students are placed in their math course and must create a prerequisite appeal request if they disagree with their placement and want it reviewed by the math department and academic administration. Students are also placed in Bible courses based on the completion of a student survey.

Course List Review

If a student has not met the prerequisite, he/she may be removed from the course and placed in the appropriate level course.

If a teacher or counselor has a concern about a student’s ability to succeed in a course, the student will be notified of the concern and presented with possible options. 

Prerequisite Appeal

For students who do not meet the prerequisite for a course and feel there should be an exception made due to a unique circumstance, there is a prerequisite appeal process. Students should complete the prerequisite appeal form found in Class Choice to show their interest. Students may submit a prerequisite appeal only if they are missing either the grade-level requirement or the previous course preparation—not both. Appeals will not be granted to students who do not meet both requirements.

To ensure equity, the academic department, and the VCHS counseling team collectively process all requests by completing a comprehensive review of the following criteria: performance in a particular subject area, current and historical grades in all classes, and the overall course load requested for the given school year. Please note that each student may only be granted one prerequisite appeal over their 4-years at VCHS. Students who enter an Honors or AP course as a result of an appeal may not be able to shift to the corresponding college preparatory course until the following semester, and course availability is not guaranteed. 

Doubling Up Academic Subjects

Students in grades 10 through 12 may request to take two courses in the same academic subject area within a single school year. To do so, they must complete the required request form in Class Choice.

Ninth-grade students are not permitted to double up in any academic subject area.

All requests are subject to approval based on course availability, scheduling constraints, and academic considerations.

Course Conflicts

Valley Christian High School works diligently to minimize course conflicts, but students with several specialized course requests may be asked to prioritize their course requests. If a student is unable to take a course due to a conflict, the counselor will notify him/her. If the counselor notifies a student of a conflict, the school has already made attempts to move the courses to make the schedule work but was unable to find a solution.

Course Change Requests

Once the course list is posted in Class Choice for parental review, it is considered final for the upcoming year. If a student wants to change a course before the school year ends, they may consult their counselor, but changes are not guaranteed. The master schedule is built based on spring course requests, so schedules remain fixed unless a counselor reaches out about a conflict or an approved change request is granted. In August, counselors offer a one-week window for possible adjustments before school starts, but changes based on personal preference will not be accommodated.

Auditing Courses

The VCHS  Summer School program allows for courses to be audited, but there are no auditing options during the regular school year.  

8th Period Course Fee

VCHS charges a tuition fee for students adding an 8th-period course to their schedule.  The fee amount is approximately one-seventh of the annual tuition rate. 

 There are a few exceptions to this fee.  Any specialized, non-credit bearing extracurricular activity that is placed within the school day is billed as part of a different cost structure and is not considered an 8th period.

 VCHS will not charge an 8th-period fee for the following courses:

• Daily Math courses included Algebra I A/B, Geometry A/B, and Algebra II A/B
• Study Hall/Resource Study Hall
• Teacher’s Aid/Peer Tutor /Office Aid
• REACH I/ REACH II
• Applied English and Bible Fundamentals
• Quest Incubator
• DECA Advisory
• Foundations of Baseball / Water Polo / Softball
• Football Performance
• Outdoor/ Indoor Athletic Performance