PI22 High School Credit Earned by Middle School Students

PI22

With the exceptions of Health, Algebra 1, and Geometry (to include Honors and Bilingual), high school credit is not awarded for middle school courses. All 8th-grade students are eligible to take Algebra 1 and all 8th-grade students are required to take Health for high school credit. Under limited circumstances, middle school students may receive approval to take Geometry on the high school campus and receive high school credit.

Mandatory 8th Grade Health Credit

Effective for the 2025-26 school year, all 8th-grade students will be enrolled in a semester-long Health course, which will award 0.5 high school credit. This credit will be applied directly to high school graduation requirements and will appear on the student's high school transcript.

The letter grade earned in this course is final and cannot be waived.
Students who fail the Health course must retake it before graduating high school as credit recovery.

Guidelines for High School Algebra I/Honors Algebra I Credit

Effective for the 2026-27 school year, the final grade for high school Algebra I (Regular, Bilingual, or Honors) taken by middle school students will be posted on their high school transcripts. This credit will be recorded on their high school transcript and applied toward graduation requirements.

The letter grade earned in these courses is final and cannot be waived.
Once the grade and credit are posted on the high school transcript, they cannot be removed and will be calculated in the high school GPA.
Honors Algebra I in 8th grade earns weighted GPA points.
Students must earn four math credits, including Algebra I and Geometry, to graduate from high school.
Students who fail Algebra I or Honors Algebra I must retake it before graduating high school.

Transcripts, Graduation Requirements and Important Considerations

Effective for the 2026-27 school year, the final grade for high school Algebra I (Regular, Bilingual, or Honors), Health, or Geometry taken by middle school students will be posted on their high school transcripts and applied toward graduation requirements.
The grades earned in these high school credit courses will become a permanent part of the student's high school academic record.
The opportunity to take Algebra 1 or Geometry in 8th grade provides a head start on graduation requirements and offers increased flexibility in high school scheduling.
Courses taken before full-time enrollment at the high school level will appear on the middle school report card, as well as on the transcript from the location where the course was taken. Once a student enrolls full-time in high school, all credits earned from classes taken at a high school prior to that enrollment will be added to the student's high school transcript.
It is vital that students and parents understand that these are real high school classes, and the grades earned will impact the high school transcript, GPA, and potentially final class rankings
School counselors and /or administrators will communicate with the parent/legal guardian of 8th grade students planning to take Algebra 1 or Geometry to ensure that they are aware of the repercussions and expectations of taking the course. Parents and students will sign a consent form indicating their understanding and agreement.

Duplicated Credit

Students have the option to retake the class in high school for a better grade through credit recovery.
Taking Algebra I or Honors Algebra in both 8th grade and high school results in only one credit awarded.
Both grades will appear on the transcript, but only the higher grade counts for credit and is calculated in the GPA. The higher grade will be marked with a letter “G” for ”grant” and the lower grade will be marked with an "R" for "repeat."

Guidelines for 8th Graders taking Geometry

Students who meet the following criteria are eligible to apply for placement in a high school geometry class:

Students must have successfully completed Algebra 1 in middle school.
The student has exhausted available learning opportunities in mathematics at the middle school, including individualized enrichment within the middle school class.
The student has demonstrated readiness for high school coursework and student requirements as demonstrated by standardized test scores, coursework, and teacher/parent/counselor communication.

Students taking Geometry in 8th grade will be enrolled through eCademy. If eCademy is not available, the student may take Geometry at a high school campus. In this case, the parent/legal guardian is responsible for providing transportation to and from the high school. High schools are not required to adjust their schedules to accommodate 8th-grade students taking Geometry on their campus.

Procedure to Place Students into HS Geometry

The middle school principal will confer with appropriate teachers, support staff, and parents to determine whether enrollment in a high school class is the recommended placement for the student.
School counselors and/or administration will communicate with the parent/legal guardian of 8th grade students planning to take Geometry to ensure that they are aware of the repercussions and expectations of taking the course. Parents and students will sign a consent form indicating their understanding and agreement prior to enrollment in the course.

The student will enroll in eCademy to register for the Geometry course.

Administrative Position:

Deputy Superintendent of Leadership and Learning
Chief Academic Officer

Department Director:

Assistant Superintendent for High School
Assistant Superintendent for Middle School

Legal Cross Reference:

Board Policy Reference: IH Instructional Program

Resources: High School Credit Earned by Middle School Students Permission Form

NSBA/NEPN Classification: IGE

Adopted: November 17, 2025