Testing

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. 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. 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 an 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.

STAAR end-of-course (EOC) assessments are administered for the following courses: Algebra I, Biology, English I, English II, and U.S. History. Satisfactory performance on the applicable assessments is required for graduation unless otherwise waived or substituted as allowed by state law and rules. A student is assigned a testing date based on what test he/she needs to take. If a student does not meet satisfactory performance, the student will have additional opportunities to retake the assessment. In limited circumstances, a student who fails to demonstrate proficiency may still be eligible to graduate if an Individual Graduation Committee, (IGC) formed in accordance with state law, unanimously determines that the student is eligible to graduate. STAAR-Alternate 2 is available for eligible students receiving special education services who meet certain criteria established by the state as determined by the student’s ARD committee. An ARD committee for a student receiving special education services will determine whether successful performance on the EOC assessments will be required for graduation within the parameters identified in state rules and the student’s personal graduation plan.

STAAR EOC Performance Standards:

To find the most recent STAAR EOC Performance Standards, visit the Texas Education Agency (TEA) website.