Academics: Upper School 
Effort System - The Heart of Trinity-Pawling
What makes Trinity-Pawling unique? The Effort System is at the heart of everything we do. If you’re willing to give your best effort, regardless of the challenge—be it academic, athletic, artistic and personal—you’ll wind up one of our most recognized and most rewarded kids. That’s because we believe that the principle around which Dr. Gamage organized Trinity-Pawling a hundred years ago is still alive and well today: persistence and hard work do lead to achievement.
Effort System 101
Here's how the system works. Every six weeks, you receive effort marks ranging from "1" through "5" in seven different areas of campus life: academic achievement, academic participation, attendance and discipline, work program, extracurricular activities, athletics and the dormitory. Each area is weighted differently. Academic participation, for instance, counts for 30% of your overall effort ranking. Dorm citizenship is 15%. Athletics counts for 10%. Once all the effort marks have been generated, they are weighted appropriately and averaged together. One number between "1" and "5" is generated.
If you're on the First Effort Group, you have every privilege the school can offer. And remember, your group rating is not just about grades. You can be a straight "C" student and be in the First Effort Group. For you, Evening Study Hall is optional. You can take more weekends off campus than anyone else. You don't have to come back from your weekends until 9 PM. You don't have to get up for breakfast. When you demonstrate responsibility, you earn respect.
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Student Enrollment
Enrollment for the 2007-08 school year is 325: 235 boarding and 60 day students in the Upper School and 30 in the Middle School. Twenty-five states, the District of Columbia and 15 foreign countries are represented. The Trinity-Pawling Upper School is for grades 9-12; the Middle School is a day school for boys grades 7 and 8.
Grades and Reports
The school year has three terms – fall, winter and spring. Final examinations are held at the end of both the fall and spring terms. Students are graded on a scale of 1-100. The passing certification grade is 60; the honor grade is 80. Grades are available to parents online and presented to students approximately every three to four weeks. You can access the link to information for grades online or go directly to the login page to Grades online. Faculty comments are available through the online grading system three times a year at the end of each term. Weekly reports are sent when a student’s performance warrants more frequent monitoring. All students in Advanced Placement courses take A.P. exams in May. A student’s privileges are based on academic rating, citizenship, and most importantly, academic effort. Academic effort is weighed more heavily than achievement in view of the School’s academic philosophy. Effort grades are given out twice each term, at the midpoint and at the end. They are based on effort in academic courses, dormitory, work program, attendance, discipline, activities, and athletics.
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Accreditation and Membership
The school is accredited by the New York State Association of Independent Schools and is registered by the New York State Board of Regents. The School is a member of the National Association of Independent Schools. Other memberships include the New York State Association of Independent Schools, The International Boys School Coalition, The Council for Religion in Independent Schools, The American Alumni Council, the National Association of College Admissions Counselors, the College Board and the Secondary School Admission Test Board.
Graduation Requirements
In order to graduate from Trinity-Pawling, a student must obtain a minimum of 112 credits. A full-year course is worth 6 credits. If a student enters the school after grade 9, his academic record will be evaluated and translated into our system. Required courses total 90 credits: 24 credits in English; 18 credits in mathematics; 18 credits in laboratory sciences; 18 credits in history; 12 credits in a foreign language (excluding Language Program students) 6 credits in the fine performing or studio arts (this requirement may be met by courses in music, art and drafting, or by significant participation in the School's dramatic productions); 4 credits in religion; and 2 credits in health. Elective courses make up the additional 22 credits.
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