eXAM Exemptions

Students may earn exemptions from their Spring Final Exams if they qualify by meeting the criteria described below. Exemptions from Final Exams are an honor earned by students who attend school regularly, follow the student code of conduct, master the required content and demonstrate required grades. Students who qualify for spring semester exam exemptions must attend all classes during the week of semester exams. Qualifying students are exempt from taking the semester exam but are not exempt from attending class.

Spring Final Exemption Requirements:

• Minimum Average Grade Required is determined by averaging the 5 grading cycles. Students must obtain a grade average of 80-100. Students who level down from AP/Pre-AP to an on-level course must follow the general exemption requirements.

• Number of Absences must not exceed 6 per class period for the entire year. Students moving in at semester must not exceed 3 absences per class period.

• Types of Absences that count AGAINST Exemptions (i.e. these are counted towards the number of absences that will cause you to lose your exemptions)

  • Excused Absences (A on your report card) including, but not limited to:

    • Absences related to illness

    • Full Day absence, even with a doctor's note

    • Sent home by the school nurse

    • A parent note does not necessarily mean that the absence will be excused--it is the REASON for the absence that makes it excused or unexcused

  • Unexcused Absences (U on your report card) including, but not limited to:

    • Unverified (meaning no documentation was turned in)

    • Examples: visit to the DMV/passport office, personal reason, family emergency, missed the bus, etc.

Additional Exemption Considerations:

• Semester Courses including AP Government and AP Economics are not eligible for exemptions. Students enrolled in semester courses will be required to take the semester exams.

• Students taking an AP/IB exam for the course in consideration will not have an additional final exam in that class (except AP Government, AP Economics).

• All students enrolled in an AP/IB course will take the AP/IB Exam or the Spring final for the course in consideration. AP/IB courses are considered college level courses; therefore, they are not eligible for exemptions.

• Students with a passing semester average in a course that requires an End of Course (EOC) exam are exempt from the final exam in that class.

• Students who have earned an exemption for a class may choose to take the semester exam and have the exam count in their semester grade if it improves their grade for the course.

• Students and parents/guardians may check attendance and grade records for accuracy through their LISD Home Access Center (HAC) account.

Taken from the 2020-2021 LISD High School Handbook