Summer school once was for students who had flunked out of their classes or, in some cases, for a few go-getters who wanted to take an elective.

But at Bedford High, the program is also for students who had passing grades but nonetheless did not earn credit in their courses because of the new grading system at the school which measures competencies. More than a fifth of all students are in summer school, many because of this new system.

“The face of summer school is different,” said Lisa Ransom, dean of students.

The number of students attending summer school has surprised some parents.

John Walsh, whose son is among those in summer school, said he and his ex-wife were struck by how many parents had lined up outside the main office with their children the first day of the program.

“It just seemed kind of odd,” Walsh said.

Students still get traditional grades based on homework, exams and other assignments in their courses at Bedford High School. The difference is they cannot earn any credit without mastering all the essential skills and knowledge – known as competencies – of the course, even if they are passing overall.

For example, a student would receive no credit in Algebra I if he had a handle on most of the essentials of the course, but could not graph linear equations.

The change in grading is affecting summer school. At Bedford, summer school has students who both failed a course outright as well as many who had higher grades but were below par in at least one competency.

This fall, all New Hampshire high schools must switch to the competency grading system.

Bedford is ahead of the deadline because it opened this year.

Summer school, which is in session during July, has 118 students out of a freshmen and sophomore student body of 580 students. They are making up a total of 144 courses. There are two morning sessions, a later and an earlier one, but students could actually do three courses, since English and social studies are combined into one session, said Ransom.

Half the students are in summer school because of the competencies, said Superintendent Tim Mayes. That number does not include a competency-only session of summer school one week in August. Moreover, some students may be turning to tutors or private summer academies for help with the competencies. Some parents think there are too many in the summer school.

“If a lot of these kids are going to the summer program, then we did something wrong,” Walsh said.

His son had a B-minus in biology, but is in summer school because he failed one of the competencies. He said the communication between his son and the biology teacher had not been good during the academic year. His son raised the issue with a guidance counselor, but the administration kept him in the class, according to Walsh.

“You have the best of everything,” Walsh said. “You should be able to get through to the students. There should be no excuses.”

Scott Earnshaw, another parent whose son is not in the program, viewed the competencies as a benefit during the regular academic year.

“I would have hoped that the competencies wouldn’t dramatically impact that, the number of students in summer school, so much as they would provide guidance to parents, students, and teachers all along as to what needs to happen,” Earnshaw said.

Normally, about 5 percent of all students in a high school return for the summer program, according to Ransom. At nearly 120 pupils, Bedford is at about 20 percent, not counting the August session.

School officials cite several reasons for why the number is higher. Ransom said students are still getting used to the competencies. She noted that Campbell High School in Litchfield, the only other secondary school that adopted competencies early, had a similar experience.

Also, school officials said freshmen and sophomores attend summer school at higher rates than upperclassmen.

When the school expands to all four grades in a year, the summer enrollment rate will be lower, said School Board Chairman David Sacks.

Pam Hickman does not think competencies are to blame, as her daughter and her friends passed all of theirs.

“I think the competencies, I think, it’s what you put into it,” she said.

Students had a chance to make up the competencies before the end of the academic year, Ransom said, adding both sessions of summer school are an opportunity for them to get the most out of their classes.

Ransom said the school scheduled the August session after parents said the July schedule interfered with vacations, summer camps, and other plans.

“We’re trying to make it as painless as possible,” she said.

Sacks said the extra school time in the summer would put students in a better position for the fall.

“The bottom line is kids are challenging themselves to do better, to improve, to sharpen their skill,” he said. “I see this as a huge positive.”

A third option is private tutors. Felix Alvarado, a Bedford High School Spanish teacher, was confident that there would be enough of a demand for those services from competency- failing students that in May he decided to open a private academy. Registration for his Straight “A” Academy began the first week in July.

“The school administration has addressed the issue in a very thoughtful manner, but it was obvious to me that students would still need some outside support and practice,” Alvarado said. “Students will have to prove through some sort of assessment that they are now competent in an area that, heretofore, they were not.”

Principal George Edwards said students who took that route would have to present a formal plan for their summer school alternative to the administration for approval.