State Board of Education (SBE) policy CCRE-001 Course for Credit provides guidelines for offering Credit by Demonstrated Mastery (CDM) to North Carolina students

Credit by Demonstrated Mastery (CDM) is an option that allows students to earn course credit without taking the class if they can clearly demonstrate that they already understand the course content. Instead of seat time, students show mastery through assessments and applied work.

CDM is designed to support:

• Academic acceleration

• Personalized learning pathways

• Appropriate challenge for students who have already mastered course material

CDM is open to all students enrolled in the district.

• Students in grades 9–12 may attempt CDM for eligible high school courses.

• Students in grades 6–8 may attempt CDM for high school courses offered in middle school (English I is the only English course permitted at the middle school level).

Participation is voluntary and is intended for individual students—not groups or entire classes.

Students may only attempt CDM for the next course in a required sequence (for example, Math II before Math III).

Students have one attempt per course.

• Career and Technical Education (CTE) work-based learning courses

(co-op, internship, apprenticeship)

• CTE courses that have a clinical setting as a requirement of the course,

such as Early Childhood Education I/II and Nursing Fundamentals

• CTE Advanced Studies courses or any course without state technical standards

• English Language Learner (ELL) courses

• Healthful Living required courses

• AP Courses

Phase I Testing Timeline: 

Spring: Complete and submit application by end of February Testing during the last 10 days of March

Fall: Complete and submit applicationn by end of September Testing during last 5 days of October

Contact: 

Your child's school counselor will have more information

General Appeals Guidelines: 

• Appeals must be received in writing within ten days of decision. Appeals should be directed to the Advanced Learning and Gifted Education Coordinator.

• A review panel will conduct an appeals review within ten days of receiving an appeal request and will collect any additional data requested by the panel.

• Final recommendations will be made within ten days of Appeals Review.

• The decisions of appeals panels are final.

Phase 1 Assessments:

• Students attempting CDM receive only one opportunity per course to achieve the minimum standards to earn CDM.

• EOC/EOG/CTE test scores are not appealable. Scores within one standard error of measurement are not qualifying scores.

• For EOC/EOG, CTE, and non-EOC courses, retesting is not permitted.

Phase 2 Appeals:

• The student and the parent/guardian will be allowed to file for an appeal of the outcome of Phase II of the process if they do not agree with the decision of the team. 

• Students must receive a C / 70% or higher on the Phase II assessment to be eligible for an appeal.