Students who elect to take their classes at Ross High School can choose from 131 courses offered by 16 different departments, including special education. In addition to the basic, state-mandated core curriculum of English, mathematics, science, social studies, health, physical education, and computer education, students, in consultation with their parents/guardians and guidance counselors, can choose electives in agriculture, art, business, career options, computer science, family and consumer science, foreign language, industrial technology, and music. Classes range in content from basic to advanced, and all students are encouraged to advance to the highest level of coursework within their capabilities.

To meet the special needs of all Ross students, several alternative classes and programs are in place. For students who need help mastering the skills needed to pass the Ohio Graduation Test, intervention classes are scheduled. These classes include Study Island, on-line web-based program and OGT Math, Science, and Social Studies.  Work/Community Service allows students to spend a portion of the school day involved in a part-time job or volunteering at area schools, hospitals, and nursing homes. Ross students who desire a more challenging curriculum can elect to take honors classes and Advanced Placement classes - (college level classes for possible college credit) - in government, English composition and literature, European history, biology, calculus, physics, chemistry, Spanish, and music theory. For students who qualify, the post-secondary options program - college classes taken by high school students in cooperation with Terra Community College, Bowling Green State University, Tiffin University, Heidelberg College, Toledo University, and Owens Community College - offers an excellent bridge between high school and college. Students who are interested in academics (math and science) along with technology can enroll in the Tech Prep Program if they qualify. Finally, students who wish to focus on specific career skills can take advantage of the 02 (1/2 day) program at Vanguard Career Center. 02 students take their academic classes at Ross High School and spend 1/2 day participating in the lab of their choice at Vanguard.

To receive a diploma from Fremont Ross High School and participate in Commencement, Ross and Ross/Vanguard students must earn twenty-one (21) credits, pass the Ohio Graduation Test, complete a Career Passport, have all fees paid, and meet the following requirements:

1. 4 credits of English

2. 3 credits of Social Studies including the following:

    1 credit American History/19th Century Global Studies

    1 credit 20th Century Global Studies

    1 credit American Government

    (For students new to Fremont, some substitution may be allowed at the discretion of the Principal)

3. 3 credits of Science

    1 credit of Biological Science (Life Science, Biology)

    1 credit of Physical Science

    1 credit of Science elective

4. 3 credits of Mathematics

5. 1/2 credit of Health

6. 1/2 credit of Physical Education

7. 1/2 credit of Keyboarding or Computer Education

8. Electives of at least one (1) credit, or two (2) half credits from the areas of Business/Technology, Fine Arts and/or Foreign Language

TECH PREP Programs

Tech Prep is a competency-based program of combined secondary and post-secondary educational classes and occupational experience (internships). The programs include a core of competencies in mathematics, science, communications and technologies . The Tech programs are designed to lead to an associate degree or a bachelor degree in a specific career field. The programs are offered in cooperation with Terra Community College, the Technology Center, and Ross High School. There are five (5) areas of technical study C.C.N.T. (Computer Communication Network Technician), Computerized Manufacturing and Robotics, C.A.D. (Computer-Assisted Design), Criminal Justice, and Medical Careers.

Tech Prep Technical Lab classes are conducted at the Technology Center from 7:55 a.m. to 10:32 a.m. and 12:10 p.m. to 2:47 p.m. The required Tech Prep applied academic classes are available and can be taken at the high school or Tech Center. Internships will be available to selected students for the summer between their junior and senior years. Pre-calculus is offered for college credit at the Tech Center for those Tech Prep students who qualify.

At present students will earn college credits on transcript in laboratory courses through Terra Community College.  Additional articulated college credits may be earned by Terra students receiving a "B" or higher.

Transcript credits earned through Terra Community College during the junior and senior years are earned at no cost to the student.

All Tech Center programs require prerequisite course work as described in the program descriptions. Additional requirements are 2.5 G.P.A. junior status, passage of the Ohio Graduation Test, "C" or better in Algebra I or "B" or better in Integrated Math II with math teacher's recommendation, letters of recommendation and an interview process with a school official. Students with a school discipline history will not be considered for admission to the Tech Center. Medical Career students must have passed biology and chemistry (or take chemistry their junior year) with a "B" or better and have passed Algebra, Geometry, and Keyboarding.

Further, students are required to take: Algebra II, pre-Calculus or next higher math, chemistry, physics, English 11, and Tech Prep Lab for two years and/or equivalent college lab courses at the Tech Center.

Agreements are in place for Tech Prep students to continue these technical and college studies at several post-secondary institutions.

Freshman (9th ) Grade                         0.00 - 4.99 credits

Sophomore (10th) Grade                     5.00 - 9.99 credits

Junior (11th) Grade                            10.00 - 14.99 credits

Senior (12th) Grade                            15.00 - 21.00 credits

Advanced Placement Courses may be available in English, mathematics, science, social studies, foreign language and music. Classes are offered when a sufficient number of students enroll during registration. In AP classes, teachers serve as discussion leaders, critics, and scholars, helping class members assume much of the responsibility for their own learning. Outside of class, teachers confer with students to assist them with their reading, writing and revision. Students who are independent learners and are highly motivated to give extra time to study and preparation are excellent candidates for AP classes.

The student must submit an application form to the appropriate department chairman to be considered for an AP course. Members of each department will serve as a screening committee to determine successful applicants. Evaluation of potential class members is based on a student's demonstrated ability, attitude, and ambition.

In May, a College Board AP test, paid for by the student, is given in each AP class according to a set College Board schedule. Whether or not a student receives college credit based on his/her test scores is determined by the colleges who receive the test scores. Taking the AP test is a requirement for receiving a weighted grade. Students who do not take the AP test or withdraw from the AP course at semester will not receive weighted credit for the entire year or the semester. Financial Aid is available for students who need assistance paying for the AP exams.

The Fremont City School District has a policy which approves educational options as a means of earning credits for graduation. Currently, the options include correspondence courses, tutoring, independent study, summer school, and mentorships. Information regarding these programs can be obtained from a counselor. Students may also take college courses at their own expense.

The Post-Secondary Enrollment Options Program provides eligible students in grades 9-12 with an opportunity to take classes at participating colleges and universities.

The purpose of the program is to promote rigorous academic pursuits and to provide a wider variety of options to high school students. G.P.A. requirements vary with the institution, and students must be accepted by the post-secondary institution in order to participate.

Fremont Ross High School will provide information about the program to all interested district students and their parents prior to March 1 each year. By March 30, the high school should be notified in writing (application) if you intend to participate in the program during the following year.

Post secondary enrollment options are:

Option A - Courses to receive college credit - (funded by student.)

Option B - Courses to receive high school credit and college credit
(funded by Fremont City School District).

This program is available only during the regular academic year and the combined credits earned for the year cannot exceed the number of periods at Fremont Ross (8).

For those students who take the ACT/SAT tests at Ross, it is noted that their test results will be placed on their official transcript. The student does have the option to have his or her test scores sent to him or her directly and not to the school. To accomplish this the student must omit the high school code on the test registration. The high school code (CEEB) (ACT) (SAT) for Fremont Ross is 362220.

All students from Fremont Ross High School must have a Career Passport. The Career Passport will contain the following sections:

1. Letter of Verification (from the Superintendent)

2. Resume and/or Personal Data Sheet (student responsibility) 11th Grade English

3. Validation of Performance

    A. Career Narrative (student responsibility) 10th Grade English

    B. Transcript with attendance record

    C. Ross Profile

    D. Verification of Employability Skills (student responsibility) 12th Grade English or Lab at Vanguard

         1. Resource skills

         2. Interpersonal skills

         3. Informational skills

         4. Systems skills

         5. Technology skills

A student will be eligible for the State Award of Merit by completing the following requirements:

4 credits of English

3 credits of Mathematics - two from Algebra and Geometry

3 credits of Science - two from Chemistry, Biology, or Physics

3 credits of Social Studies - two of which are History, 1/2 Government

3 credits of Foreign Language

2 credits of Business, Computer Science, or Visual or Performing Arts or two additional units from areas above

Also, demonstrate outstanding achievement in the curriculum as evidenced by one of the following: earning the equivalent of an overall grade point average of 3.25 on a four point scale for grades nine through twelve; earning the equivalent of an overall grade point average of 3.5 on a four point scale for grades eleven and twelve; or ranking in the top 25 percent of the class, whichever is more inclusive. Must also have above average attendance.

Each school district shall award the Diploma with Honors to any student who:

- successfully completes the high school curriculum or individualized education program developed for the student by the high school

- demonstrates at least a ninth-grade level of literacy and basic competency on all ninth-grade proficiency tests and

- meets the criteria for honors provided below

The student who completes the college preparatory curriculum in high school shall meet at least eight of the following nine criteria:

- earn four units of English

- earn three units of mathematics including at least Algebra I, Algebra II, and Geometry

- earn three units of science including instructional emphasis on the physical, life, and earth and space sciences

- earn three units of social studies

- earn either three units of one foreign language or two units each of two foreign languages

- earn one unit of fine arts

- earn one unit of business/technology and two additional units from the areas above or three additional units from the areas above

- maintain an overall high school grade point average of at least 3.5 on a four-point scale up to the last semester of the senior year

- obtain a composite score of 27 on the ACT or a 1210 score on the SAT.

The student who completes at least two years of an intensive vocational or technical education curriculum in the high school shall meet at least nine of the following ten criteria:

- earn four units of English which may include one unit of applied communication

- earn three units of mathematics which will include algebra and geometry

- earn three units of science that develop concepts for physical, life, earth and space sciences

- earn three units of social studies

- earn either two units of a foreign language or two units of business/technology or one unit of each

- three units in the student’s career-technical education curriculum

- two additional units in the areas above or in fine arts

- maintain an overall high school grade point average of at least 3.5 on a four-point scale up to the last semester of the senior year

- complete a career passport, including the demonstration of proficiency established for the Ohio Vocational Competency
  Assessment or the equivalent

- obtain a composite score of 27 on the ACT or a 1210 score on the SAT.

All 9th graders must have a minimum of 5.75 credits scheduled.

Unless special permission is granted by the principal, students are required to carry at least six (6) courses each semester unless he/she is involved in the Work/Community Service program, Post-Secondary Options, or an Independent Study Project. All sophomores should have one regular study hall each day. Permission for all classes and no study halls will be based on cumulative grade point average, past academic record, and test scores (unless special permission is granted by the principal). Any 11th, or 12th grade student who has not passed one or more parts of the state mandated tests must schedule intervention and will be required to take OGT Intervention each semester until they pass all needed portions of The Ohio Graduation Test.  

Courses at Ross High School are on a semester basis. If a student passes one semester of a year course and fails the other semester, he will receive credit for the semester he/she passes, but must complete the other semester before going to the next level if it is a prerequisite. Exceptions can be made on the basis of administrative, counselor, and/or principal recommendation.

The counseling staff at the Middle School, along with the student’s current teachers, will recommend what they consider to be the appropriate class schedule. It is the philosophy of the Middle School that parents may recommend schedule changes if desired. Since it is possible for decisions to change, even after careful consideration, students will be permitted to drop a course and add another course in its place with parental permission until July 1st. Class changes can be made by bringing a note from the student’s parent/guardian to the counselors. During the summer, the note may be left with a secretary in the Middle School Office. After July 1st, students may drop only elective courses. A ninth grade student may drop an elective course without penalty until the end of the fifth week of the semester. Any course dropped after the end of the fifth week of the semester will be dropped with a withdrawal grade of "F" for the entire semester. No credit will be granted for a partially completed course.

The courses selected in the spring will determine the schedule of classes for the next year. Registration in a course requires a commitment on the part of the student to that course. We feel that students have freedom of choice regarding the classes they and their parents select for the coming school year; therefore, once choices are made, changes will be made for the following reasons only:

1. Irresolvable Conflict: This could be defined as the offering of two courses at
the same time or other scheduling conflicts.

2. Lack of Required Subject or Prerequisites: This would include subjects which
are necessary to meet graduation requirements.

3. Procedural Errors:

(a) Omission of a required class and/or credits for graduation when marking the registration sheet.

(b) Error in transferring course selection information into the computer.

4. Interdepartmental: This would include changing to a more difficult or less difficult course within a department.
(Biology to Life Science; Geometry to Basic Geometry or Integrated Math II)

5. Summer School: Students in summer school, who complete a course for which they are scheduled
in the fall, will be permitted to substitute another class for that course only.

Students wanting to drop a course may do so by consulting with a counselor.  Dropped courses will be permitted only during the first five (5) days of a semester and parental permission is required.  

Students wishing to add a course may do so by consulting with a counselor. Added courses will be permitted only during the first five (5) days of a semester, and only if the new class has seats and books available and no other schedule change is needed.  Students must make up any class work missed before they enrolled in the course.

Early-Bird Scheduling

Students who are interested in starting or ending the school day at an adjusted time might be interested in Early-Bird Scheduling.  This option allows the student to begin his/her school day one (1) hour earlier and end one (1) hour earlier.  This option is on a volunteer basis and must have parental permission.  Transportation is the responsibility of the student, parent/guardian.  

The "weighted courses" at Ross are the Advanced Placement (AP) courses. 

AP Government

AP Physics

AP English Composition and Literature

AP Spanish

AP European History

AP Calculus

AP Biology

AP Music Theory

AP Chemistry

A student must meet OHSAA eligibility requirements as well as those established by the Fremont Board of Education to be
eligible in one or more extracurricular activities. A student must be currently enrolled and must have been enrolled in the immediately preceding grading period. During the preceding grading period the student must have received passing grades in a minimum of five (5) one-credit courses or the equivalent which count towards graduation. For eligibility purposes, the Work/Community Service
program and Advanced Physical Education do not count separately as one of the five courses required.

*Math Options: OGT Math, Integrated Math, Algebra I, Algebra II, Geometry, and Pre-Calculus.

LIST OF APPROVED CORE COURSED (FORM 48H)

High School Information:

The NCAA has approved the following courses for use in establishing the initial-eligibility certification status of student-athletes from this school. 

Some course titles may begin with one of the following prefixes.  These prefixes are defined as follows:

=  Only students who have received proper NCAA approval for their diagnosed learning disability may receive credit for these approved courses.

! A student will receive no more than one NCAA mathematics credit for the successful completion of any two courses so noted.

!!  A student will receive NCAA mathematics credit according to the unique credit values noted.

> A student will receive no more than one unit of NCAA natural/physical science credit for the successful completion of all courses so noted.

>> A student will receive no more than one and one-half units of NCAA natural/physical science credit for the successful completion of all courses 

     so noted.

>>> A student will receive no more than two units of NCAA natural/physical science credit for the successful completion of all courses so noted.

Courses designated with a '=' symbol are courses that may be used only by students with a diagnosed disability. Please note, not all high schools will have courses with this designation. Also, in order for a student to receive credit for a course designed for students with disabilities, the student must have provided verification of his or her disability status by presenting to the NCAA Initial-Eligibility Clearinghouse either: (1) a nonstandard ACT or SAT score; or (2) notice of disability designation by the NCAA Disability Services staff.

NCAA legislation permits a student to receive credit for a core course only one time. As a result, if a student repeats a core course, the student will only receive credit once for the core course, and the highest grade earned in the course will be included in the calculation of the student's core course grade point average. Likewise, if a student completes a course that is duplicative in content with another core course, the student will only receive credit for one of the duplicative courses, and the course with the highest grade earned will be included in the calculation of the student's core course grade point average.

High School Course Information

English                Course Weight                  Title

                                                                    =LD English 10

                                                                    =LD English 11 (Accept as of 98/99)

                                                                    =SLD English 11

                                                                    =SLD English 12

                                                                    =SLD English 9

                                                                    COMMUNICATIONS

                                                                    English 10

                                                                    English 10/H

                                                                    English 100

                                                                    English 101

                                                                    English 102

                                                                    English 103

                                                                    English 11

                                                                    English 11/H

                                                                    English 12

                                                                    English 9

                                                                    English 9/H

                                                                    English/AP

                                                                    Journalism

                                                                    Speech

                                                                    TEC PREP COMMUNICATIONS

Social Science      Course Weight                Title

                                                                     19th Century Global Studies I

                                                                     19th Century Global Studies I/H

                                                                     19th Century Global Studies II

                                                                     19th Century Global Studies II/H

                                                                     20th Century Global Studies II/H

                                                                     20th Century Global Studies I

                                                                     20th Century Global Studies II/H

                                                                     20th Century Global Studies II

                                                                     =LD American History 1

                                                                     =LD American History 2

                                                                     =LD Government 1

                                                                     =LD Government 2

                                                                     =European History/AP

                                                                     Government I

                                                                     Government II

                                                                     Government/AP

                                                                     Multi-Heritage

                                                                     Psychology

                                                                     Sociology

Mathematics        Course Weight                 Title

                                                                     Algebra I

                                                                     Algebra 2

                                                                     Algebra 2/H

                                                                     Calculus/AP

                                                                     Discrete Math

                                                                     Geometry

                                                                     Geometry/Basic

                                                                     Geometry/H

                                                                     INTEG MATH 1 (.67 units/yr)

                                                                     INTEG MATH 2 (.67 units/yr)

                                                                     INTEG MATH 3 (.67 units/yr)

                                                                     Math/ADV

                                                                     Pre-Calculus

                                                                     Pre-Calculus/H

                                                                     Pre-Calculus/Tech Prep

                                                                     PROB/STATS

                                                                     TECH PREP ALG 2

Natural/

Physical Science    Course Weight              Title                                            Lab

                                                                     Anatomy/Physiology                        X

                                                                     Biology                                           X

                                                                     Biology/AP                                      X

                                                                     Chem Com                                      X

                                                                     Chemistry                                        X

                                                                     Chemistry/AP                                  X

                                                                     Chemistry/Tech Prep                        X

                                                                     Envir Biology                                    

                                                                     Geology

                                                                     Life Science

                                                                     Meteorology

                                                                     Physical Science I

                                                                     Physical Science II

                                                                     Physics                                            X

                                                                     Physics/AP                                      X  

                                                                     Physics/CP                                      X

                                                                     Physics/INTRO                                 X

                                                                     Physics/TECH PREP                        X

Additional Core 

Courses                Course Weight                 Title

                                                                     French 1

                                                                     French 2

                                                                     French 3

                                                                     French 4

                                                                     Spanish 1

                                                                     Spanish 1/H

                                                                     Spanish 2

                                                                     Spanish 2/H

                                                                     Spanish 3

                                                                     Spanish 3/H

                                                                     Spanish 4

                                                                     Spanish/AP

IMPORTANT NOTE:  Computer science courses cannot be used to fulfill core course requirements for student-athletes first entering

a collegiate institution on or after August 1, 2005.  

English - 4 credits

Social Studies - 3 credits

Math - 3 credits including Algebra, Geometry, Algebra II or equivalents

Science - 3 credits including Biology, Chemistry, Physical Science

Foreign Language - 2 credits of same language

Visual or Performing Arts - 1 credit