Eligibility for All Extracurricular Participants After First Six Weeks of the School Year
A student who receives, at the end of any grading period (after the first six weeks of the school year), a grade below 70 in any class (other than an identified class eligible for exemption) or a student with disabilities who fails to meet the standards in the Individual Education Plan (IEP) may not participate in extracurricular activities for three school weeks (SEE INFORMATION FOR NON- ENROLLED (HOME SCHOOLED) STUDENTS BELOW). An ineligible student may practice or rehearse, however. The student regains eligibility after the seven calendar day waiting period has ended following a grading period or the three school week evaluation period when the principal and teachers determine that he or she has earned a passing grade (70 or above) in all classes, other than those that are exempted.
All schools must check grades for all participants at the end of the first six weeks of the school year.
From that point, grades are checked at the end of the grading period whether it is six, nine, or twelve weeks in length. Students who pass remain eligible until the end of the next grading period. All activity coaches and directors are responsible for obtaining official grade reports from the individual the principal designates as the keeper of official grades before the student represents the school. This provision applies to all grading periods. It also applies to all three-school week evaluation periods for ineligible students.
In accordance with Section 33.0832 of the Texas Education Code, the parent or person standing in parental relation to a non- enrolled (home schooled) student participating in a league activity on behalf of a public school must periodically, in accordance with the school's grading calendar, provide written verification to the school indicating that the student is receiving a passing grade
in each course or subject being taught.
- All students are academically eligible during a school holiday of a full calendar week or more. When the bell rings to dismiss students for the December holidays, all students are academically eligible until classes resume in January. The same is true for summer recess and fall and spring breaks provided those breaks consist of at least a full calendar week. (See example at the end of this document.)
- Students in year-round schools are academically eligible during inter-sessions.
- If a grading period or three school week evaluation period ends on the last class day prior to a school holiday of one calendar week or more (e.g. spring break, winter holidays), the seven calendar day grace period to lose eligibility and the seven calendar day waiting period to regain eligibility begin the first day that classes resume.
- Students lose eligibility for a three school week period. For purposes of the law, “three school weeks” is defined as 15 class days. Exception: One, but only one of the three school weeks may consist of only three or four class days, provided school has been dismissed for a scheduled holiday period. Two class days does not constitute a “school week” for purposes of this law except Thanksgiving week if schools are on holiday Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. A school district may request an exception from UIL officials to the two-day school week in the event of a disaster, flood, extreme weather condition or other calamity as listed in TEC §42.005. In the event two of three school weeks are shortened, one of the shortened weeks may be counted as five days with ten other actual class days making up the fifteen class days. After the first six weeks of the school year, academically ineligible students in schools with six week grading periods have one opportunity to regain eligibility after the first three school weeks of the grading period; students in a nine week grading period have two opportunities, one at the end of the first three school weeks and one at the end of the first six school weeks. Students who fail to regain eligibility at the evaluation periods remain ineligible until seven calendar days after passing a grading period.
- Note: When computing eligibility calendars, it is helpful to remember that the seven-day grace period after the grading period also contains school week one of the three-school week evaluation period. Also, a seven-calendar day grace and waiting period is always applicable after grading periods and evaluation periods.
Example: School weekends on Friday - Students who are losing eligibility have a seven-calendar day grace period, and students who are regaining eligibility have a seven-calendar day waiting period. Eligibility is lost or regained the following Friday at the time the regular school day ends or would end if that day is a holiday.
Section 5 (b) of the UIL Constitution and Contest Rules defines calendar week as 12:01 am on Sunday through midnight on Saturday.
19 TAC §76.1001 (b) states: The school week is defined as beginning at 12:01 am on the first instructional day of the calendar week and ending at the close of instruction on the last instructional day of the calendar week, excluding holidays.
