Not Meant to Be Broken

Here are OSSAA's eligibility rules, but how clear are they?

The rules of eligibility have been called confusing and unclear. We've specially highlighted the eligibility section of the Oklahoma Secondary School Activities Association so that readers can decide for themselves how unclear the rules are for them.

According to the OSSAA rulebook, Rule No. 3 on Scholastic Eligibility, it states:

OSSAA scholastic eligibility standards are required of all students engaging in co-curricular activity programs. Local school boards may make exception for only those students participating in non-competitive activities. (Board Policy)

Section 1. Semester Grades

a. A student must have received a passing grade in any five subjects to be counted for graduation that he/she was enrolled in during the last semester he/she attended fifteen or more days. (This requirement would also be five school subjects for the 7th and 8th grade students.) For block schedules that offer 8 or more credits during an 18-week grading period, a student must earn 6 credits counted toward graduation during that 18-week grading period. (1 credit = 1/2 Carnegie Unit)

(Trimester Eligibility -- Refer to Board Policy XXXIX)

b. If a student does not meet the minimum scholastic standard he/she will not be eligible to participate during the first six weeks of the next 18-week grading period they attend.

c. A student who does not meet the above minimum scholastic standard may regain his/her eligibility by achieving passing grades in all subjects he/she is enrolled in at the end of a six-week period.

d. Pupils enrolled for the first time must comply with the same requirements of scholastic eligibility. The passing grades required for the preceding 18-week grading period should be obtained from the records in the school last attended.

NOTE: The Board of Directors may make exceptions to non-traditional structures. (Ex. block, trimester, etc.) (Trimester Eligibility -- Refer to Board Policy XXXIX)

Section 2. Student Eligibility During a Semester

a. Scholastic eligibility for students will be checked after three weeks (during the fourth week) of a semester and each succeeding week thereafter.

b. A student must be passing in all subjects he/she is enrolled in during a semester. If a student is not passing all subjects enrolled in on the day of the grade check, he/she will be placed on probation for the next one-week period. If a student is still failing one or more classes during the next week on the grade check day, he/she will be ineligible to participate during the next one-week period. The ineligibility periods will begin on Monday and end on Sunday.

c. A student who has lost eligibility under this provision must be passing all subjects in order to regain eligibility. A student regains eligibility under Rule 3 with the first class of the new one-week period (Monday through Sunday).

d. "Passing grade" means work of such character that credit would be entered on the records were the semester to close at that time.

(Trimester Eligibility -- Refer to Board Policy XXXIX)

Section 3. Special Provisions

a. A senior student maintains eligibility by passing the classes required for graduation. The number of classes which a student is enrolled can be no less than four. (For block and trimester exceptions contact the OSSAA office.) A junior or senior student who is concurrently enrolled in high school and college may use the college courses to meet the minimum number of subjects needed to maintain eligibility. These may be a combination of high school and college subjects equivalent to four high school units which are accepted by the Oklahoma State Department of Education.

b. An ineligible student who changes schools during a semester will not be eligible at the new school for a minimum period of three weeks. A student may regain his/her eligibility by achieving the scholastic standard in Rule 3, Section 2-b at the end of a three-week period. (Any part of a week is considered a full week.)

c. Incomplete grades will be considered to be the same as failing grades in determining scholastic eligibility. School administrators are authorized to make an exception to this provision if the incomplete grade was caused by an unavoidable hardship. (Examples of such hardships would be illness, injury, death in family and natural disaster.) A maximum of two weeks is allowed for make-up work.

d. One summer school credit (1/2 unit or one subject) earned in an Oklahoma State Department of

Education accredited program may be used to meet the requirements of Rule 3, Section 1-a, for the end of spring semester.

Section 4. Special Education Students

Special students, who are enrolled in special education classes, have an Individual Educational Plan and have been certified by the principal as doing a quality of work may, with the approval of the Board of

Directors, be accepted as eligible under this rule.