To maintain athlete academic eligibility, which actions should a school take?

• A. Delay reporting ineligible students to avoid conflicts with families.
• B. Monitor grade requirements, credit hours, and progress toward graduation; report ineligible students and provide academic support as needed.
• C. Only track attendance at practices.
• D. Replace grades with attendance as an eligibility metric.

Answer: (B)

Maintaining athlete eligibility relies on actively watching academic progress and taking timely action. A school should keep an eye on grade requirements, the number of credits earned, and progress toward graduation, and when a student isn’t meeting those standards, report that status to the appropriate eligibility authority and provide the necessary academic supports to help the student regain eligibility.

This approach mirrors how eligibility rules work in practice: students must satisfy academic criteria to participate, and schools are responsible for both identifying when those criteria aren’t met and offering help to get students back on track. Providing supports—such as tutoring, study halls, or targeted interventions—helps athletes meet the standards without penalizing their opportunity to improve.

Delaying reporting undermines fairness and the integrity of the eligibility system, and tracking only attendance ignores the actual academic requirements. Replacing grades with attendance misrepresents a student’s academic standing.