Alternative Methods of Earning Credit May 2005 Revised

Concurrent Enrollment

The purpose of concurrent enrollment is to encourage and provide opportunities for high school seniors to take advanced courses concurrently at the high school and post-secondary institutions if they wish to accelerate their learning experiences. Credit for advanced course work taken at a public post secondary institution may be granted by the high school, subject to the following provisions:

1. The District will grant credit for pre-approved concurrent enrollment in institutions with which the District has concurrent enrollment agreements. Programs not currently recognized for concurrent enrollments will be analyzed and approved/disapproved by the Superintendent as the need arises.
2. The basis of assignment of credit will be one-half (.50) high school credit per subject area that will be equivalent to a semester of three (3) hours of work at the university or college.
3. The student must be enrolled in the home high school for at least three (3) classes and have approval of the principal prior to enrollment in a course at the post-secondary institution. Programs of students enrolled in fewer than three subjects in the home high school must be approved by the appropriate assistant superintendent and will be granted only if the high school cannot serve the instructional needs of the student.
4. The high school will assign such credit upon the official notification by the post secondary institution of the student’s satisfactory completion of the work.
5. Verification of course completion is the student’s responsibility.
6. The concurrent enrollment program is an option provided for high school seniors. Underclass enrollment programs must have the approval of the appropriate assistant superintendent and will be granted only if the District is unable to meet the instructional needs of the student.
7. Students who opt to drop out of high school to enroll in post secondary institution’s early admission program will not be eligible to receive an APS diploma.

Correspondence Courses

The District accepts credit toward graduation from correspondence schools accredited by the National Home Study Council, the state board of education of the state in which the school is located, or by a college or university that is regionally accredited for such purposes. The North Central Association Summer Quarterly annually lists all colleges and universities accredited to offer courses for high school credit.

Students who request information about correspondence courses should be counseled to enroll in accredited programs.

Matriculation may not interfere with the regular attendance at the high school unless arrangements are made for released time.

It is the student’s responsibility to provide verification of course completion to the high school.

Schools may not impose a limit on the number of accredited courses they will accept. However, it is the high school’s responsibility to determine whether a correspondence course may meet a specific graduation requirement or be counted as an elective credit. The student must supply course descriptions, syllabi, and other information needed by the high school principal (or designee) to make the determination.

Educational Travel

Credit for educational travel is limited to pre-approved participation in planned education travel programs with a formal study component. Approval of credit for such programs will be contingent upon demonstration of the following program components:

1. Sponsorship by an APS teacher who is qualified to provide instruction related to the trip itinerary.
2. Stated objectives of academic value to the students.
3. Sufficient instructional time, either prior to departure, during the trip, or both, to qualify for credit (see below).
4. A final examination related to course objectives.
5. One or more assigned projects or other written assignments demonstrating achievement of course objectives.

The District does not sponsor, manage, supervise or administer educational travel for credit tours.  The District assumes no responsibility or liability for students or employees participating in this type of travel.

The selection of the tour rests solely with the parents.

APS teachers will be fully informed as to the purposes, criteria, and evaluation procedures involved in granting credit for travel.

The District for educational travel credit will not recognize trips of an individual, family type, and/or of a personal nature.

Under no circumstances will the District lend its name to advertising nor may it be cited or represented as endorsing a particular agency, tour, or leader.

Requirement for Credit

An equivalency of hours will provide the basis for the application and assignment of elective credit with no grade designation. Hours that are spent in class or formal study prior to and/or in conjunction with a tour may be counted along with the hours spent in actual on-site visitation. A maximum of five (5) hours per day will be allowed for computation.

90 hours = one-half (.50) elective credit

180 hours = one (1.00) elective credit.

Granting of Credit

A student wishing credit must make an application to the home school. The application must be approved in advance. Forms are available at the home school.

Requirements for Tour Leader

1. Tour Leader must be over 21 years of age.
2. Tour Leader must be a certified teacher, comparable professional or responsible adult. If the tour leader is not an APS teacher, an APS teacher must sponsor the student and administer the final exam.
3. Tour Leader must be able to devote full-time to the group.
4. Tour Leader must not be pursuing formal study on his/her own.
5. Tour Leader must have three (3) qualified references as to his/her skill in handling teenagers, and his/her understanding, maturity, and dependability.
6. Tour Leader must not be responsible for more than ten (10) students.
7. Tour Leader must select students through careful screening and without discrimination on any basis.

Procedures for Tour Leader

1. By April 15, tour leaders must submit to the appropriate assistant superintendent the completed tour leader information form, agenda for the tour, and items listed in "Requirements for Tour Leader" above.
2. The appropriate assistant superintendent will review and approve or disapprove the granting of credit for the tour and notify the tour leader and school of the decision.
3. Any and all tours must be approved on a yearly basis.
4. Upon return, the tour leader must verify that the student did complete the tour. The tour leader must see that the verifications are submitted to the student’s home school assistant principal in charge of student transcripts by September 15.

Procedures for Students

1. The student will pickup Form INS-01 and INS-01a from the school.
2. The student/parent will complete the form (and the Notice of Indemnification for Participation in a Non-School Sponsored Educational Travel Program.) The form will be given to tour leader who will supply the information for the appropriate section.
3. The student will present the form to the home school administration for endorsement.
4. The school will submit the forms to the appropriate assistant superintendent by May 1.
5. After review, the appropriate assistant superintendent will make a record and return forms to the home school.
6. The school will notify the student of the tentative approval and make arrangements for the verification upon return.
7. After the student has paid a two dollar ($2.00) fee, the school will record the credit on the transcript.

Independent Study

Independent study credit may be undertaken only by a student who has completed all available coursework in a given field and wishes to do advanced study with an appropriately certified APS teacher as a mentor. Instruction may be designed to meet the student’s needs and talents and should be at a level beyond that in regularly scheduled courses at the school.

Schools providing for planned programs of independent learning may not wish to require all students to attend classes for a specific amount of time during a semester. In such instances, credit may be granted for successful completion of curricular units, steps, or projects that have been established by the school as comprising the equivalency of a unit of work.

The criteria for independent study programs are a written contractual agreement between student and teacher. The teacher will provide a formal evaluation of the student’s program at the normal grade reporting periods as well as providing on ongoing supervision of his/her academic performance. The contract must have the approval of the principal (or designee).

Work Experience Programs

Credit for supervised work experience may be granted only if the student is enrolled in a district-approved program which meets all federal and state requirements. Programs may be approved by the School to Careers Office.

The course description(s) for each program must incorporate State Department of Education Employability Skills Competencies.

Special Programs

Students enrolled in a chemical dependency rehabilitation program will be disenrolled from the home high school if the program is not supported by APS. If such programs are accredited by state or regional (North Central Association) accreditation-granting institutions, upon receipt of official transcripts from these programs, credit will be granted toward graduation.

If a student is enrolled in a program that is not supported by APS and is not accredited by a state or regional accrediting agency, no credits toward graduation will be granted unless approve by the assistant superintendent in charge of instruction.

Cross Ref.: Board Policy I.03: Treatment of Religious Issues

NSBA/NEPN Classification: IMBA

Revised: May 1995
Revised: April 1996
Revised: May 1997
Revised: June 2002
Revised: May 2005

This page was last updated on: December 9, 2009.