Dearborn High School NHS Selection Procedure Description
The National Honor Society chapter of Dearborn High School is a duly chartered and affiliated chapter of the National Honor Society.
Membership is open to those students who meet the required standards in four areas of evaluation: scholarship, leadership, service, and character. Students are selected for membership by majority vote of a 5-member Faculty Council, appointed annually by the principal, which bestows this honor upon qualified students on behalf of the faculty of our school each year. The chapter advisors, Mollie Crowl and Michael Rashad, are also appointed by the principal and facilitate all selection procedures and chapter activities during the year.
Students in 11th and 12th grade are eligible for membership (with 10th grade students applying in the second semester of their 10th grade year). For the scholarship criterion, a student must have a cumulative GPA of 3.7 or better on a 4.0 scale. Those students who meet this criterion are invited to complete a Candidate Form that provides the Faculty Council with information regarding the candidate’s leadership and service. A history of leadership experiences and participation in school or community service is also required.
A candidate should have accurate and complete examples of leadership roles, taking accountability, and why good communication is important in a leader. A candidate should also showcase their service with a minimum of 25 service hours total in the last year with a minimum of 12.5 hours found outside of the school community (service sought out independently by the candidate that are done without direct financial or material compensation or for a family member).
To evaluate a candidate’s character, the Faculty Council obtains additional professional input. First, official school disciplinary records are reviewed. It is expected that candidates have only reached PBIS level 3 a maximum of once in the current year or growth/improvement, and no major behavioral infractions in the current school year.
Second, members of the faculty are requested to provide their professional reflections on a candidate’s service activities, character, citizenship, and leadership. These forms and the Candidate Forms are carefully reviewed by the Faculty Council to determine whether each candidate meets the criteria for membership. A majority vote of the Council is necessary for selection. Following a review of the results of the Faculty Council voting by the principal, candidates are notified regarding selection or non-selection according to a predetermined schedule. AI use on any portion of the Candidate Form could result in ineligibility to join the chapter.
Once the notification process is completed, a formal induction ceremony is held at the school to recognize all the newly selected members. Once inducted, new members are required to maintain the same level of performance (or better) in all criteria that led to their selection. This obligation includes regular attendance at chapter meetings held biweekly during the school year, and participation in the chapter service projects(s). A full list of member obligations is provided to all candidates and is available from the chapter adviser upon request.
Students or parents who have questions regarding the selection process or membership obligations should review the chapter bylaws below, or contact the chapter advisors:
Mollie Crowl crowlm@dearbornschools.org
Mike Rashad rashadm@dearbornschools.org