Course Credit (Secondary Grade Levels Only)
A student at any grade level enrolled in a high school course will earn credit for the course only if the final grade is 70 or above. For a two-part (two-semester, 1-credit course), the student’s grades from both halves (semesters) will be averaged and credit will be awarded if the combined average is 70 or above. If the student’s combined average is less than 70, the student will be awarded credit only for the half (semester) with the passing grade.
Credit by Examination
A Credit by Examination (CBE) is an exam a student can choose to take to earn credit for a course in which the student has not received instruction or retrieve/earn credit for a course in which the student has had prior instruction. District-wide exams are administered multiple times per year. The student can also take a CBE to satisfy a prerequisite for a course. The CBE must be taken and passed prior to the beginning of the school year. There may be a fee for the exam. See the school counselor for more information.
Successful course credit will be indicated on the transcript with the actual grade earned, but the grade will not be used in the calculation of GPA. If credit is not awarded, documentation of the examination will be placed in the student’s academic achievement folder.
Credit by Examination With Prior Instruction (If a Student Has Taken the Course/Subject (Grades 6-12))
A student who has previously taken a course or subject but did not receive credit or a final grade for it may, in circumstances determined by the principal or attendance committee, be permitted to earn credit or a final grade by passing an examination approved by the district’s board of trustees on the essential knowledge and skills defined for that course or subject.
A student can take a CBE when the student has had prior instruction and when:
- The student is enrolling in the District from a non-accredited school or home school; or
- The district needs to determine the proper placement of the student; or
- The student failed a subject or course; or
- The student has earned a passing grade in a subject or course but failed to earn credit due to excessive absences.
To receive credit for the course, a student must score a 70 or above on the CBE. Examinations will assess the student’s mastery of the essential knowledge and skills and will be administered according to established District procedures.
Successful course credit will be indicated on the transcript with the actual grade earned, but the grade will not be used in the calculation of GPA. If credit is not awarded, documentation of the examination will be placed in the student’s academic achievement folder.
Prior to offering a student an opportunity to demonstrate mastery or to earn credit by this method, an appropriate District employee will review the student’s educational record to determine whether the student has had prior instruction in the subject or course.
[See the school counselor and policy EHDB(LOCAL) for more information]
Credit by Examination without Prior Instruction (for Advancement/Acceleration - If a Student Has Not Taken the Course/Subject)
A student will be permitted to earn credit by examination for an academic course or subject area for which the student had no prior instruction for advancement or to accelerate to the next grade level.
No prior instruction is defined as having no formal instruction in the specific course content and/or grade for which the examination is given. In order to receive credit, a student must earn a score of 80 or above. Award of credit for a two-semester course is based upon successful passing scores on CBEs for both semesters.
Students will only be administered the tests for which they have an official registration verified and signed by their counselor. Students cannot register to take a CBE while concurrently enrolled in the course for which they are taking the exam. CBEs are not recognized by the NCAA for athletic eligibility purposes.
The examinations offered by the district are approved by the district’s board of trustees. Testing windows for these examinations will be published in district publications and on the district’s website. A student may take a specific examination only once per testing window.
In accordance with Texas Administrative Code (TAC), §74.24(c)(2), any CBE for a course that has a state end-of-course (EOC) assessment instrument, the school district or the provider, including Texas Tech University and The University of Texas at Austin, of the assessment must certify, prior to the first administration, that the examination
- meets the criteria listed:
- covers all assessable TEKS for the course;
- has not been published or made publicly available;
- will only be administered in a secure environment under standardized conditions by a school district or institution of higher education;
- has been evaluated to ensure test scores can be interpreted as indicators of what the test is intended to measure; and
- has been evaluated to ensure consistency of test results across testing conditions.
- has been externally validated and determined to align to and appropriately address all assessable TEKS for the course; assess the appropriate level of rigor for each student expectation; and yield comparable distribution of results across tested subgroups.
The only exceptions to the published testing windows will be for examinations administered by another entity or to accommodate a student experiencing homelessness or a student involved in the foster care system.
When another entity administers an examination, the student and the district must comply with the testing schedule of the other entity.
If a student plans to take an examination, the student or parent must register with the school counselor no later than 30 days prior to the scheduled testing date. [See policy EHDC for more information.]
Students in Grades 6-12
A student in grade 6 or above is eligible to earn course credit with:
-A passing score of at least 80 on each part of the examination approved by the board; or
-A scaled score of 50 or higher on an examination administered through the College Level Examination Program (CLEP); or
-A score of 3 or higher on an AP examination, as applicable.
A student may take an examination to earn high school course credit no more than twice. If a student fails to achieve the designated score on the applicable exam before the beginning of the school year in which the student would need to enroll in the course according to the school’s high school course sequence, the student must complete the course.
Application Requirements and Procedures
If a student plans to take a CBE, the student and parent must:
- Obtain district representative recommendation for student to be accelerated.
- Register with the counselor and complete the required documentation no later than 30 days prior to the scheduled testing date.
- Review the course objectives and exam specifications.
2023-2024 Credit By Exam Application - No Prior Instruction
2023-2024 Credit By Exam Application - With Prior Instruction
