Adopted: MSBA/MASA Model Policy 620
Revised: Rev. 2023
620 CREDIT FOR LEARNING
I. PURPOSE
This policy recognizes student achievement that occurs in postsecondary
enrollment option and other advanced enrichment programs. This policy also recognizes student
achievement that occurs in other schools, in alternative learning sites, and in
out-of-school experiences such as community organizations, work-based learning,
and other educational activities and opportunities.
This policy addresses transfer of student credit from
out-of-state, private, or home schools and online learning programs and to
address how the school district will recognize student achievement obtained
outside of the school district.
II. GENERAL
STATEMENT OF POLICY
The policy of the school district is to provide a process
for awarding students credit toward graduation requirements for credits and
grades students complete in other schools, postsecondary or higher education
institutions, other learning environments, and online courses and programs.
III. DEFINITIONS
A. “Accredited
school” means a school that is accredited by an accrediting agency, recognized
according to Minnesota Statutes, section 123B.445 or recognized by the
Commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Education (Commissioner).
B. "Concurrent
enrollment" means nonsectarian courses in which an eligible pupil under
subdivision 5 or 5b enrolls to earn both secondary and postsecondary credits,
are taught by a secondary teacher or a postsecondary faculty member, and are
offered at a high school for which the district is eligible to receive
concurrent enrollment program aid under Minnesota Statutes, section 124D.091.
C. “Course”
means a course or program.
D. “Eligible institution” means a
Minnesota public postsecondary institution, a private, nonprofit two-year trade
and technical school granting associate degrees, an opportunities
industrialization center accredited by an accreditor recognized by the United
States Department of Education, or a private, residential, two-year or
four-year, liberal arts, degree-granting college or university located in Minnesota.
E. “Nonpublic
school” is a private school or home school in which a child is provided
instruction in compliance with the Minnesota compulsory attendance laws.
F. “Weighted
grade” is a letter or numerical grade that is assigned a numerical advantage
when calculating the grade point average.
IV. TRANSFER OF
CREDIT FROM OTHER SCHOOLS
A. Transfer
of Academic Requirements from Other Minnesota Public Secondary Schools
1. The school district will accept and
transfer secondary credits and grades awarded to a student from another
Minnesota public secondary school upon presentation of a certified transcript
from the transferring public secondary school evidencing the course taken and
the grade and credit awarded.
2. Credits and grades awarded from another
Minnesota public secondary school may be used to compute honor roll and/or
class rank.
B. Transfer
of Academic Requirements from Other Schools
1. The school district will accept
secondary credits and grades awarded to a student for courses successfully
completed at a public school outside of Minnesota or an accredited nonpublic
school upon presentation of a certified transcript from the transferring public
school in another state or nonpublic school evidencing the course taken and the
grade and credit awarded.
a. When a determination is made that the
content of the course aligns directly with school district graduation
requirements, the student will be awarded commensurate credits and grades.
b. Commensurate credits and grades awarded
from an accredited nonpublic school or public school in another state may be
used to compute honor roll and/or class rank.
c. In the event the content of a course
taken at an accredited nonpublic school or public school in another state does
not fully align with the content of the school district’s high school
graduation requirements but is comparable to elective credits offered by the
school district for graduation, the student may be provided elective credit
applied toward graduation requirements.
Credit that does not fully align with the school district’s high school
graduation requirements will not be used to compute honor roll and/or class
rank.
d. If no comparable course is offered by
the school district for which high school graduation credit would be provided,
no credit will be provided to the student.
2. Students transferring from a
non-accredited, nonpublic school shall receive credit from the school district
upon presentation of a transcript or other documentation evidencing the course
taken and grade and credit awarded.
a. Students will be required to provide
copies of course descriptions, syllabi, or work samples for determination of
appropriate credit. In addition,
students also may be asked to provide interviews/conferences with the student
and/or student’s parent and/or former administrator or teacher; review of a
record of the student’s entire curriculum at the nonpublic school; and review
of the student’s complete record of academic achievement.
b. Where the school district determines
that a course completed by a student at a non-accredited, nonpublic school is
commensurate with school district graduation requirements, credit shall be
awarded, but the grade shall be “P” (pass).
c. In the event the content of a course
taken at an non-accredited, nonpublic school does not
fully align with the content of the school district’s high school graduation
requirements but is comparable to elective credits offered by the school
district for graduation, the student may be provided elective credit applied
toward graduation requirements.
d. If no comparable course is offered by
the school district for which local high school graduation credit would be
provided, no credit will be provided to the student.
e. Credit and grades earned from a
non-accredited nonpublic school shall not be used to compute honor roll and/or
class rank.
C. A student must provide the school with
a copy of the student’s grades in each course taken for secondary credit under
this policy, including interim or nonfinal grades earned during the academic
term.
V. POSTSECONDARY
ENROLLMENT CREDIT
A. A student
who satisfactorily completes a postsecondary enrollment options course or
program under Minnesota Statutes, section 124D.09 that has been approved as
meeting the necessary requirements is not required to complete other
requirements of the academic standards corresponding to that specific rigorous
course of study.
B. Secondary
credits granted to a student through a postsecondary enrollment options course
or program must be counted toward the graduation requirements and subject area
requirements of the district.
1. Course
credit will be considered by the school district only upon presentation of a
certified transcript from an eligible institution evidencing the course taken
and the grade and credit awarded.
2. Seven quarter or four semester postsecondary
credits shall equal at least one full year of high school credit. Fewer postsecondary credits may be prorated.
3. When a determination is made that the
content of the postsecondary course aligns directly with a required course for
high school graduation, the commensurate credit and grade will be recorded on
the student’s transcript as a course credit applied toward graduation
requirements.
4. In the event the content of the postsecondary
course does not fully align with the content of a high school course required
for graduation but is comparable to elective credits offered by the school
district for graduation, the school district may provide elective credit and
the grade will be recorded on the student’s transcript as an elective course
credit applied toward graduation requirements.
5. If no comparable course is offered by
the school district for which high school graduation credit would be provided,
the school district will notify the Commissioner, who shall determine the
number of credits that shall be granted to a student.
6. When secondary credit is granted for postsecondary
credits taken by a student, the school district will record those credits on
the student’s transcript as credits earned at a postsecondary institution.
C. A list of
the courses or programs meeting the necessary requirements may be obtained from
the school district.
D. By the earlier of (1) three weeks prior to the date by which a student
must register for district courses for the following school year, or (2) March
1 of each year, the school district must provide up-to-date information on the
district's website and in materials that are distributed to parents and
students about the program, including information about enrollment requirements
and the ability to earn postsecondary credit to all pupils in grades 8, 9, 10,
and 11.
VI. CREDIT FOR EMPLOYMENT WITH HEALTH CARE
PROVIDERS
Consistent with the career and technical pathways program, a student in
grade 11 or 12 who is employed by an institutional long-term care or licensed assisted
living facility, a home and community-based services and supports provider, a
hospital or health system clinic, or a child care center may earn up to two
elective credits each year toward graduation under Minnesota Statutes, section
120B.024, subdivision 1, paragraph (a), clause (7), at the discretion of the
enrolling school district. A student may earn one elective credit for every 350
hours worked, including hours worked during the summer. A student who is
employed by an eligible employer must submit an application, in the form or
manner required by the school district, for elective credit to the school
district in order to receive elective credit. The school district must verify
the hours worked with the employer before awarding elective credit.
VII. ADVANCED
ACADEMIC CREDIT
A. The
school district will grant academic credit to a student attending an
accelerated or advanced academic course offered by a higher education
institution or a nonprofit public agency, other than the school district.
B. Course
credit will be considered only upon official documentation from the higher
education institution or nonprofit public agency that the student successfully
completed the course attended and passed an examination approved by the school
district.
C. When
a determination is made that the content of the advanced academic course aligns
directly with a required course for high school graduation, the commensurate
credit and grade will be recorded on the student’s transcript as a course
credit applied toward graduation requirements.
D. In
the event the content of the advanced academic course does not fully align with
the content of a high school course required for graduation but is comparable
to elective credits offered by the school district for graduation, the school
district may provide elective credit and the grade will be recorded on the
student’s transcript as an elective course credit applied toward graduation
requirements.
E. If
no comparable course is offered by the school district for which high school
graduation credit would be provided, the school district will notify the
Commissioner and request a determination of the number of credits that shall be
granted to a student.
VIII. WEIGHTED
GRADES
A. The school district does not offer
weighted grades.
IX. PROCESS
FOR AWARDING CREDIT
A. The
building principal will be responsible for carrying out the process to award
credits and grades pursuant to this policy.
The building principal will notify students in writing of the decision
as to how credits and grades will be awarded.
B. A
student or the student’s parent or guardian may seek reconsideration of the
decision by the building principal as to credits and/or grades awarded upon
request of a student or the student’s parent or guardian if the request is made
in writing to the superintendent within five school days of the date of the
building principal’s decision. The
request should set forth the credit and/or grade requested and the reason(s)
why credit(s)/grade(s) should be provided as requested. Any pertinent documentation in support of the
request should be submitted.
C. The
decision of the superintendent as to the award of credits or grades shall be a
final decision by the school district and shall not be appealable by the
student or student’s parent or guardian except as set forth in Section IX.D. below.
D. If
a student disputes the number of credits granted by the school district for a
particular postsecondary enrollment course, or advanced academic credit course,
the student may appeal the school district’s decision to the Commissioner. The decision of the Commissioner shall be
final.
E. At
any time during the process, the building principal or superintendent may ask
for course descriptions, syllabi, or work samples from a course where content
of the course is in question for purposes of determining alignment with
graduation requirements or the number of credits to be granted. Students will not be provided credit until
requested documentation is available for review, if requested.
Legal References: Minn. Stat. § 120B.02 (Educational
Expectations and Graduation Requirements for Minnesota’s Students)
Minn. Stat. § 120B.021 (Required Academic Standards)
Minn. Stat. § 120B.11 (School District Process for Reviewing
Curriculum, Instruction, and Student Achievement; Striving for the World’s Best
Workforce)
Minn. Stat. § 120B.14 (Advanced Academic Credit)
Minn. Stat. § 123B.02 (General Powers of Independent School
Districts)
Minn. Stat. § 123B.445 (Nonpublic Education Council)
Minn. Stat. § 124D.03, Subd. 9
(Enrollment Options Program)
Minn. Stat. § 124D.09 (Postsecondary Enrollment Options Act)
Minn. Stat. § 124D.094 (Online Instruction Act)
Minn. Rules Parts 3501.0640-3501.0655 (Academic Standards
for Language Arts)
Minn. Rules Parts 3501.0700-3501.0745 (Academic Standards
for Mathematics)
Minn. Rules Parts 3501.0820 (Academic Standards for the
Arts)
Minn. Rules Parts 3501.0900-3501.0960 (Academic Standards in
Science)
Minn. Rules Parts 3501.1200-3501.1210 (Academic Standards
for English Language Development)
Minn. Rules Parts 3501.1300-3501.1345 (Academic Standards
for Social Studies)
Minn. Rules Parts 3501.1400-3501.1410 (Academic Standards
for Physical Education)
Cross References: MSBA/MASA Model Policy 104 (School
District Mission Statement)
MSBA/MASA Model Policy 601 (School District Curriculum and Instruction
Goals)
MSBA/MASA Model Policy 613 (Graduation Requirements)
MSBA/MASA Model Policy 614 (School District Testing Plan and
Procedure)
MSBA/MASA Model Policy 615 (Testing Accommodations,
Modifications, and Exemptions for IEPs, Section 504 Plans, and LEP Students)
MSBA/MASA Model Policy 616 (School District System
Accountability)
MSBA/MASA Model Policy 618 (Assessment of Student Achievement)
MSBA/MASA Model Policy 624 (Online Instruction)