Albuquerque Public Schools
PI22 High School Credit Earned by Middle School Students
While middle school students may take middle school courses equal in difficulty to those taught at high school, high school credit is not awarded for middle school courses. The only exception occurs when the middle school teaches a high school algebra course. Credit for this course is not placed on the student transcript until the student is enrolled in high school, and the student has the option of claiming credit or not. Under limited circumstances, however, middle school students may receive approval to take high school classes on the high school campus and receive high school credit
Guidelines to Identify Eligible Students
Students who meet the following criteria are eligible to apply for placement in a high school class:
- Student has exhausted available learning opportunities in a specific subject at the middle school including individual enrichment within the middle school class, gifted education, and services provided by district resource/itinerant teachers.
- Student has demonstrated readiness for high school coursework and student requirements.
- Student is able to arrange transportation to a high school campus and return to middle school campus for the remainder of school day. If transportation cannot be arranged the middle school is responsible for providing enriched learning opportunities without high school credit.
A student who meets the criteria in three or more subjects should be certified for high school placement. The transfer must be made prior to the beginning of a semester so the student will be present for the full semester.
Procedure to Place Eligible Students
- A student may apply for permission to take a high school class by completing a Request to Enroll in High School Class, Part A. The application must be submitted to the middle school principal in early spring of the year prior to assignment in a high school class.
- The principal will confer with appropriate teachers, support staff, and parents to determine whether all alternative placements at the school have been exhausted and whether enrollment in a high school class is the recommended placement for the student. If the school and parents agree to recommend enrollment in a high school class, they will complete the application (Part B) and sign it.
- The middle school will contact the high school the student plans to attend to determine the feasibility of scheduling the student in the desired class. If placement is possible, the application will be sent to the high school by May 1. If the desired course cannot be scheduled at a time available to the middle school student, the student may be referred to another high school.
- Assignment of middle school students to high school classes is made on a space-available basis. If the high school is notified of the desired placement by May 1 it should attempt to schedule the class at a time available to the student, but the high school is not obliged to change its schedule to accommodate a middle school student’s needs.
- Courses attempted prior to full-time certification to high school will be reflected on the middle school report card and transcript of courses taken at a second location. At the time of full-time enrollment in high school, all credits earned in classes taken on a high school campus prior to high school enrollment will be placed on the student’s high school transcript.
Cross Ref.: Board Policy I.01: Instructional Program
Acceleration:
- Algebra I in Grade 8 directive
- Request to Enroll in High School Class form
NSBA/NEPN Classification: IKF
Revised: May 1995
Revised: April 1996
Revised: May 1997
Revised: June 2002