Sanderson has a rigorous academic program. Sanderson offers over 300 courses in this program guide. Among these courses are 17 Advanced Placement courses and a course beyond AP Calculus BC, Mathematical Analysis. Sanderson has increased its course offerings in the past few years by offering Programming and Broadcasting for students interested in the video medium. Also, within the last three years we have added AP psychology to our AP course offerings. We have added other courses including Transportation Systems, Weight Training combined with Study Skills, Yearbook 1, Computer Applications 2, and Cultural Media Literacy. We have developed sheltered instruction classes for ESL students including ESL Pre-algebra, ESL Biology, ESL Earth Science, and ESL Geography. We have also developed Algeo, a course designed to combine algebra and geometry concepts for the honors 9th grader. We have created Introduction to Geometry for the average 10th grader who would like to stay on the college pathway but who struggled in Algebra. Introduction to Geometry is a course designed to preview the definitions and theorems needed to be successful in geometry. We review our program of study and our results each year and determine if we have gaps in the program that need to be addressed, and then develop courses to fill the gaps.

Sanderson teachers and staff believe that homework is an important part of our educational program and should be assigned and evaluated on a regular basis. Homework, appropriate to the students’ developmental level, is given for the purpose of review, practice, reinforcement, inquiry, and enrichment. Homework helps students become responsible, self-directed learners. Students and parents will be informed of the specific homework requirements and evaluation procedures for a given course in the rules and procedures statement issued by each classroom teacher at the beginning of the year. Parents and teachers share a mutual responsibility for encouraging the completion of homework.

Board Policy 6000.5 states: For all absences, the student shall make up all work in a timely manner at the convenience of the teacher. The make-up work may be specific materials missed by the student, reinforcement or enrichment.

Excused Absences: The student is responsible for securing work and communicating with the teacher to establish deadlines for when the work is to be completed.

Unexcused Absences: The student is responsible for securing work and communicating with the teacher to establish deadlines for when the work is to be completed. Makeup work for unexcused absences can be made up for at least 75% of earned credit.

At the end of each nine-week grading period a report card is issued. Interim reports are issued to students half-way through each grading period. Interim reports will be issued on the dates shown below:
September 22-26
December 8-12
February 23-27
May 11-15
Report cards will be distributed in the following methods:
November 17 issued to students
January 30 issued to students
April 16 issued to students
June 19 mailed home

An all "A" honor roll, an "A-B" honor roll, and a 3.0 GPA honor roll are published and posted for each grading period. The Academic Boosters program supports the recognition of these students.

Membership in the National Honor Society is an honor bestowed upon a student by the faculty. Selection for membership is based on outstanding scholarship, character, leadership, and service. Students may be selected for membership during their junior or senior year.

Class rank is determined by a projected weighted cumulative final GPA calculated at the end of the third nine weeks of the Senior year . Graduation tassels are distributed according to the following:
Gold: 3.5 GPA and higher
White: 3.0 - 3.499 GPA

Books, supplementary materials, etc. are the property of the State of North Carolina and are provided free of charge for student use. Students will be charged a damage/replacement fee for books under their care which are not properly maintained. These fees are entered in SAM and must be paid in order to matriculate.

An End of 9 Weeks Test shall be given at the end of the first nine weeks of each term. This test will count for no more than 10% of the 1st nine weeks grade of each term.

In non-EOC and VOCATS courses, the final exam will count for 20% of the final course average. Final exams will be given in all courses.

The State of North Carolina currently requires end-of-course (EOC) exams in English 9, Algebra I, Algebra II, Geometry, Physical Science, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, U.S. History, and Civics/Economics. All EOC exams count 25% of the course average.

Students entering the ninth grade for the first time in 2008-2009 and beyond will be required to meet new exit standards. The exit standards will only apply to students following the Career Preparation, College Technical Preparation, or College University Preparation courses of study. These students will be required to pass five end-of-course (EOC) assessments and a senior project. The specific courses are: English I, Algebra I, Biology, Civics & Economics, and United States History. Students will be given a maximum of two retests on EOCs. The second retest opportunity must be preceded by a focused intervention/remediation.

Only in an emergency may a student drop a course after the first 5 days without a grade of WF being recorded. The principal must approve such courses of action.