Grading System

STUDENT DIDACTIC REQUIREMENTS

While enrolled in the program, students must maintain a minimumscholastic average of 80 percent in the didactic portion of the program. If atthe end of the 6-month, 12-month and 18-month grading periods the student hasnot maintained the required minimum scholastic average of 80 percent, thatstudent's standing in the program shall be reviewed by the Student AffairsCommittee who will render a decision of the student's continued status in theschool. Seven hundred and fifty hours are dedicated to the didactic portion ofthe program. The breakdown of the scholastic average is as follows:

0 - 6 Month Grading Period:

A 6-month test (semester test) will be given. The semester test willcount for 50 percent of the grade average and the average of all unit testscores shall count for the remaining 50 percent of the grade average. These twogrades will be averaged for a final semester grade.

7 - 12 Month Grading Period:

A 12-month test (second semester test) will be given which will representone-half of the grade average. The didactic course test scores  from the second semester will be averagedtogether and will represent the other one-half of the second semester grade.The final grade for the seven to twelve month grading period will be theaverage of the two major scores.

13 - 18 Month Grading Period:

An 18-month (third semester) test will be given which will representone-half of the student's grade for this marking period and the didactic scoresof the course tests will be averaged together to count for one-half of thegrade average. These scores will be averaged for the final grade achieved bythe student.

19 -24 Month Grading Period:

A minimum grade of 80 percent must be achieved on all course tests.

Grading scale (scholastic percentage andcorresponding letter grade):

STUDENT CLINICAL REQUIREMENTS

Clinical Units Testing and GradingRequirements:

Students must maintain an average of 80 percent or higher in all clinicalcourses. If at the end of the sixth month and one year grading periods astudent has not maintained this average, their standing in the program will bereviewed by the Student Affairs Committee who will render a decision on thestudents continued status in the program.

There are six clinical courses that are taughtduring the first and second semesters of the program. The following courses areall taught in the first semester: Respiratory System/Thorax and Abdomen, UpperExtremities, Lower Extremities and Contrast Studies. The following courses areall taught in the second semester: Spinal Column and Skulls.

Grades for each clinical course willconsist of the following:

1.    Written quizzes (2-3per unit) given throughout the unit which include radiograph evaluation.

2.    Written final examthat is given at the completion of each clinical course which includesradiograph evaluation.

3.    SimulatedPositioning Final Exam which is performed on another student. The student thatis to be evaluated performs an entire exam on a "patient" (anotherclassmate) without making an exposure. The exam (2-3 exams per unit) performedby the student is selected at random based on the positioning unit that iscurrently being taught.

The Simulated Positioning Final Exam, at thecompletion of each clinical course, is designed to ensure that a student has acompetent understanding of the examinations and the
procedure of performing the examinations in the course they have most recentlystudied.

Each one of the previously described evaluationtools is an important step in learning and practicing positioning skills andpatient care.

To arrive at a percentage grade for eachcourses, the following will be averaged together:

1.    Scores from thewritten quizzes will be averaged together equaling one-third of the coursegrade.

2.    Grade from thewritten final exam will equal one-third of the course grade.

3.    Scores from theSimulated Positioning Final Exams will be averaged together equaling one-thirdof the course grade.

Final scores below 80 percent will require retestingas determined by the instructor. Repeated failures in testing will be broughtto the attention of the Program Director for counseling purposes.

Near the completion of each of the first (6 months)and second (12 months) semesters, a cumulative written final exam will be givencovering all the clinical information in the preceding units. In regardsspecifically to the final exam at the completion of the first semester, due tothe comprehensive nature of this test, it will be weighted as 50 percent of thefinal grade for the first semester. The other 50 percent of the final grade forthe first semester is the average of the 4 positioning units that were taughtduring the semester.

The second semester final grade will consist of theaverage of the 2 positioning units that were taught during the second semester(50 percent) along with the grade from the comprehensive clinical final exam(50 percent) given at the end of the second semester.