Contents

• Chart comparing current rule, proposed rule, and final adopted rule                
• Language of new rule                                                                                             
• Frequently Asked Questions                                                                            
• Definitions                                                                                                   
• 9^th Graders                                                                                                        
• 10^th – 12^th Graders                                                                                    
• College Coursework                                                                         
• Summer School/Summer Sports                                                               
• Miscellaneous                                                                                            

Side by side comparison of 36.15(2)

CURRENT	PROPOSED (noticed by SBE on 11/16/05)	REVISED PROPOSED (Adopted 3/2/06)
A student must take at least 4 subjects at all times	No change	A student must receive credit in at least 4 subjects at all times
Pass 4 to remain eligible	Pass all and make adequate progress toward graduation to remain eligible	No change from proposed rule
If not passing 4 at end of previous semester, student is ineligible for entire next fall semester   If the previous semester is the final semester for the school year, student is ineligible for entire summer and entire next fall semester   If not passing 4 at any point during current semester, student is ineligible until school re-checks grades and determines that student is now passing 4	If not passing all at any time, student is ineligible for next 20 consecutive school days   If not passing all at end of final grading period of the school year, student is ineligible for entire summer and first 20 consecutive school days in the fall	If not passing all at end of a grading period, student is ineligible for first period of 20 consecutive school days in the interscholastic athletic event in which the student is a bona fide contestant   If not passing all at end of final grading period of the school year and student is a contestant in baseball or softball, student is ineligible for next four weeks of that sport but has eligibility in the fall   If not passing all at any check point (if school checks at any time other than the end of a grading period), period of  ineligibility and conditions of reinstatement are left to the school
Each school determines how often it checks grades	Schools are directed to check grades no less than every 4 weeks.	Schools must check grades at the end of each grading period;   otherwise, a school determines if and  how often it checks grades
No requirement to report interventions on CSIP	Requirement that member schools report interventions on CSIP	No change from proposed rule
“Special education students” are judge based on the progress they make toward their IEP goals	A “student with a disability”  and an IEP is judge based on progress made toward IEP goals.  (Not a substantive change;  verbiage is changed to align with IDEA.)	No change from proposed rule
Students allowed to use summer school or other means to make up failing grades to regain eligibility.	Ability to use summer school or other means to make up failing grades for eligibility purposes stricken.	No change from proposed rule

Language of new rule

(New language is in italics)

36.15(2)  Scholarship rules.

a.  All contestants must be enrolled and in good standing in a school that is a member or associate member in good standing of the organization sponsoring the event.

b.  All contestants must be under 20 years of age.

c.   All contestants shall be enrolled students of the school in good standing.  They shall receive credit in at least four subjects, each of one period or “hour” or the equivalent thereof, at all times.

To qualify under this rule, a “subject” must meet the requirements of 281—Chapter 12.  Coursework taken under the provisions of Iowa Code chapter 261C, postsecondary enrollment options, for which a school district or accredited nonpublic school grants academic credit toward high school graduation shall be used in determining eligibility.  No student shall be denied eligibility if the student’s school program deviates from the traditional two-semester school year.

(1) Each contestant shall be passing all coursework for which credit is given and shall be making adequate progress toward graduation requirements at the end of each grading period.  Grading period, graduation requirements, and any interim periods of ineligibility are determined by local policy.  For purposes of this subrule, “grading period” shall mean the period of time at the end of which a student in grades 9 through 12 receives a final grade and course credit is awarded for passing grades.

(2) Subject to the provision below regarding contestants in interscholastic baseball or softball, if at the end of any grading period a contestant is given a failing grade in any course for which credit is awarded, the contestant is ineligible to dress for and compete in the next occurring interscholastic athletic contests and competitions in which the contestant is a bona fide contestant for 20 consecutive school days.  For purposes of this subrule, a “bona fide contestant” means a student who presently is or previously has competed in the interscholastic athletic activity to which the student’s period of ineligibility herein applies.  This definition shall not apply to a student in the ninth grade.

(3) At the end of a grading period that is the final grading period in a school year, a bona fide contestant in interscholastic baseball or softball who receives a failing grade in any course for which credit is awarded is ineligible to dress for and compete in interscholastic baseball or softball for the four consecutive weeks following the end of the final grading period.

d.  A student with a disability who has an individualized education program shall not be denied eligibility on the basis of scholarship if the student is making adequate progress, as determined by school officials, towards the goals and objectives on the student’s individualized education program.

e.  A student who meets all other qualifications may be eligible to participate in interscholastic athletics for a maximum of eight consecutive semesters upon entering the ninth grade for the first time.  However, a student who engages in athletics during the summer following eighth grade is also eligible to compete during the summer following twelfth grade.  Extenuating circumstances, such as health, may be the basis for an appeal to the executive board which may extend the eligibility of a student when the executive board finds that the interests of the student and interscholastic athletics will be benefited.

f.   All member schools shall provide appropriate interventions and necessary academic supports for students who fail or who are at risk to fail, and shall report to the department regarding those interventions on the comprehensive school improvement plan.

g.  A student is academically eligible upon entering the ninth grade.  No student shall be eligible to participate in any given interscholastic athletic sport if the student has engaged in that sport professionally.

h.  No student who has been a member of a college squad or who has trained with a college squad or participated in a college contest shall be eligible for any athletic contest.

i.    A student who is eligible at the close of a semester is academically eligible until the beginning of the subsequent semester.

j.    The local superintendent of schools, with the approval of the local board of education, may give permission to a dropout student to participate in athletics upon return to school if the student is otherwise eligible under these rules.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is passing?

There is no statewide definition of passing;  this is a locally controlled decision.  In the absence of a local rule to address this, passing means any grade that is other than “F.” 

How about Incompletes?  Withdrawals?

Again, this is left to local control.  But, LOCAL CONTROL means taking affirmative action to clarify for students just what an “I” or “W” means.  In the absence of a local rule to address this, an “I” or “W” will be considered failure. 

May an Incomplete be changed to a passing grade?

Depends on local policy.  If a school has a policy that an “I” is failure, the “I” may not be changed to a passing grade for purposes of avoiding ineligibility.

What is a grading period? 

 A “grading period” is the period of time at the end of which a student receives a final grade and course credit is awarded for passing grades. Each school determines its own grading periods.  

What is a final grade?

A final grade is that grade that goes on the student’s transcript.  If a school offers block scheduling, a final grade might occur at the end of nine weeks if the grade is recorded on the student’s transcript.  A final grade is NOT the grade on the progress report that goes to students and their families.

What is credit coursework or a credit subject?

If the student’s transcript includes a letter grade (other than “F,” “I,” or “W”) for the subject or course, this is credit coursework.  The most typical example of non-credit coursework is Driver Education.  It is a local decision (to be made about the course as a whole, and not to be made on an individual student basis) whether a certain subject or course is one for which credit is awarded.

What is a bona fide contestant?

This is a student who presently is or previously has competed in an interscholastic athletic activity.  Absent injury, illness, or similar circumstances outside of the student’s control, a student must be participating in the activity to be considered a bona fide contestant in that activity.

Because 9^th graders may not have had interscholastic athletic activities available to them, this definition does not apply to them. 

A student who participates in a sport for the first time as a 10^th – 12^th grader is not a bona fide contestant in that sport.

A student who drops out or is dismissed from a sport before the end of the season is not a bona fide contestant.

Is an incoming 9^th grader affected by the rule if s/he did not pass all credit coursework on his/her final 8^th grade report card?

Not under the state rule.  Unless the local policy states otherwise, all incoming 9^th graders have immediate eligibility, at least under the scholarship rule.

What is the result for a 9^th grader who did not play softball/baseball and does not pass all after the first grading period?

The student is ineligible for the first 20 school days of competition of the first sport s/he competes in.

What is the result for a 9^th grader who did not play softball/baseball and does not pass all after the final grading period of 9^th grade?

The student is ineligible for the first 20 school days of competition of the first sport s/he competes in.

What is the result for a 9^th grader who played softball/baseball immediately after 8^th grade and does not pass all after the first grading period?

The student is ineligible for the first 20 school days of competition of the first sport s/he competes in.  If the student is participating in basketball at the time, s/he sits out the next 20 school days of basketball.  If the student is not in basketball, but goes out for track, the 20 days applies to track.  If the student competes solely in softball or baseball, that is the season affected, but instead of 20 school days, the period of ineligibility is four weeks (because school is out).

What is the result for a 9^th grader who played softball/baseball immediately after 8^th grade and does not pass all after the final grading period of 9^th grade?

The student is ineligible for the first 20 school days of competition of the first sport s/he competes in.  If the student decides not to participate in softball or baseball after 9^th grade, the period of ineligibility applies to the very next sport s/he competes in.

What is the result for a student who is competing in basketball and does not pass all after the first grading period?

The student is ineligible for the next 20 school days of competition in basketball after those grades are made available.

Same as above, but the student has a hunch that she failed a course, so she never picks up her report card.

The student cannot postpone her ineligibility.  She is out for the next 20 school days of competition in basketball after those grades are made available, whether or not she receives the report card. The same is true for report cards that get lost in the mail or are eaten by the dog.  Grades are considered “issued” on the day they are made available, not when the student chooses to retrieve them.

What is the result for a student whose only sport is wrestling and he does not pass all after the first grading period?

The student is ineligible for the next 20 school days of competition in wrestling after those grades are made available.

What is the result for a student whose only sport is wrestling (or any fall or winter sport) and he does not pass all after the final grading period (e.g., second semester)?

The student is ineligible for the first 20 school days of competition in wrestling the next year.  This is true even if the student goes out for cross country for the first time the next year.  The student’s period of ineligibility will be applied to wrestling.

What is the result for a student whose only sport is football (or any fall sport) and he does not pass all after on his first semester report card but gets all “A”s on the second semester report card?

The student is ineligible for the first 20 school days of competition in football the next year.

What is the result for a student who competes in wrestling or boys swimming and he does not pass all after on his first semester report card?

The student is ineligible for the next 20 school days of competition in his sport (wrestling or swimming).  If the season ends before 20 school days expire, the extra days carry over to the next sport in which the student is a bona fide competitor.

Example 1:  Grades from first semester are issued January 20, a Friday.  Rick, a wrestler, has an “F” as a final grade.  His ineligibility starts on January 23, a Monday.  Wrestling season ends February 18, the final Saturday of the state tournament.  All of Rick’s 20 school days of ineligibility are used up during the wrestling season.

Example 2:  Same as above, except Rick is a swimmer.  Swim season ends February 11 with the state meet.  There are 15 school days from January 23 to February 11, so Rick has five more days of ineligibility to serve.  Those days shall be applied to the first five schools days of competition of the next sport in which Rick is a bona fide competitor.

What is the result for a student who competes in spring golf and does not pass all after on the second semester report card?

The student is ineligible for the next 20 school days of competition in her sport (golf), and any “unexpired” days of ineligibility carry over to the next sport in which the student is a bona fide competitor.

Example:  Grades from second semester are issued May 31, which is the same day as the final day of golf season.  Carol, a golfer and swimmer, does not pass all.  She has been planning to play in the state coed golf meet on June 6.  She is ineligible to participate in the coed meet.  The remaining 19 days of her ineligibility shall apply to the first 19 days of competition of the fall swim season.

What is the result for a senior whose only sport is volleyball (or any fall sport that concludes before end of first semester) and she does not pass all on her first semester report card?

Because the student has only been a bona fide competitor in volleyball, there is no “penalty.”  Absent a local rule to the contrary, she may compete in any sport the rest of her senior year without any period of ineligibility.  There is nothing in the state rule that prevents a local rule that would impose some period of ineligibility in this instance.

Yes it does.  This is not a change.  The rule has always provided that PSEO coursework shall be used to determine eligibility.  Students are not allowed to audit PSEO coursework, by the way. 

If a student fails a PSEO course, the course cannot be counted as one of the four subjects that must be credited to the student for eligibility.  Whether the “F” goes on the student’s transcript is left to local control.

Example 1:  Rick uses PSEO to take Advanced Astronomy at ISU.  He also takes four other courses at his high school, all for credit.  The stars are not his friends;  he fails the PSEO course.  His school’s policy is to NOT put an “F” from a PSEO course on their students’ transcripts.  Rick passes the other four courses.  He maintains his eligibility.

Example 2:  Rick uses PSEO to take Advanced Astronomy at ISU.  He also takes four other courses at his high school, all for credit.  He fails the PSEO course.  His school’s policy is to record whatever grade is received from a PSEO course on their students’ transcripts, including “F”s.  Rick passes the other four courses, he is ineligible because he did not pass all credit coursework.

If a student takes a dual credit course from a community college (contract course or supplementary weighting course), does this coursework count under rule 36.15(2)?

The rule does not address this;  it may be determined locally.

If a student takes a college credit course on her own and will receive no secondary credit for the course, does this coursework count under rule 36.15(2)?

No.  It counts neither for nor against the student.

Example 1:  Carol enrolls in a culinary course at DMACC and attends the course at night.  She receives only postsecondary credit for the course, no secondary credit.  Carol gets an A.  This course does not count as one of the four credited subjects she must take to be eligible in under 36.15(2).  So if she is enrolled in only three credit courses at her high school, she is not eligible.

Example 2:  Carol enrolls in a culinary course at DMACC and attends the course at night.  She receives only postsecondary credit for the course, no secondary credit.  Carol gets an F in the DMACC course.  She also takes and gets passing grades in four credit courses at her high school.  She remains eligible.

 Summer School/Summer Sports

How is ineligibility imposed for students whose only sport is softball or baseball?

The period of ineligibility is four weeks (because there are no “school days”), starting immediately upon release of the second semester (third trimester) report cards.

Example:  Troy competes in baseball, but gets an “F” on his final report card for the year.  The report card is issued on June 2.  His ineligibility starts June 3 and ends July 1, four weeks later.

May a student who received an “F” on his second semester report card re-take that class over the summer to change the grade?

Not for purposes of changing his eligibility.  Students should always be encouraged to remediate subjects they did not master the first time around.  If the school has a policy that it will change the student’s grade on his transcript if this occurs, that does not change the fact that the student is ineligible under rule 36.15(2).

Miscellaneous

After the student has sat out her 20 school days of ineligibility is there a requirement that her grades be re-checked before she may compete?

No.  Absent local policy to the contrary, students are immediately eligible again after serving their full period of ineligibility.

The old rule just requires students to take at least four subjects.  What does the change to “receive credit” in at least four subjects mean?

Example 1:  Troy is enrolled in only four subjects.  One is physical education and his school does not award credit for P.E.  Troy is not eligible to participate in interscholastic athletics until he is enrolled in and receives credit for four subjects.

Example 2:  Troy is enrolled in only four subjects.  All are courses for which credit is given, but Troy must pass all to remain eligible.

If a student audits a course (doesn’t receive a grade), how is the student affected by the rule?

This student is only affected if s/he otherwise does not receive credit in four other courses.

Example:  Carol audits brain surgery and is enrolled in four other subjects.  She gets no credit for brain surgery.  To maintain eligibility, she must pass the other four subjects.

If a high school has a local policy that it will check grades every two weeks and impose five days’ ineligibility for not passing all courses at any checkpoint, if a student still has an “F” on the report card may the five days be subtracted from the 20?

No.  Local policy may make the state rule more stringent.  This would make the state rule less stringent

Ideally, if a school checks grades often and provides appropriate interventions (and if the parents cooperate with the school), a student’s exposure to failing at the end of a grading period should be greatly reduced.

Does the scholarship rule just apply to varsity sports?

No.  It applies to students who compete at any level.

Does the scholarship rule just apply to sports?  What about speech, music, drill team, etc.?

The State Board of Education, which adopts all the rules in chapter 36, only has authority from the Iowa Legislature to adopt eligibility rules for students who compete in interscholastic athletics.  (See Iowa Code section 280.13.)  However, the board of directors of the IHSSA (speech) has voted to go along with 36.15(2).  The IHSMA (music) board is submitting the issue to its members schools, but the belief is that the IHSMA will also go along with 36.15(2).  Competitive dance, drill teams, cheer squads, etc., are not “sports” sanctioned by either the IHSAA or the IGHSAU;  therefore, local policy alone dictates the eligibility requirements of participants in those activities.