Earning Credit
Students must complete 60 hours of instruction in a course to earn 0.5 credits at the end of each semester. The Clark County School District (CCSD) has a variety of ways for students to earn credit.
Internal credits are taken at a CCSD school.
Dual Enrollment coursework taken in a CCSD classroom is considered to be internal credit.
External credits are taken outside of the school district.
External credits are limited to 6.0 total credits in high school, and must be pre-approved by the school of full-time enrollment.
Dual Credit coursework taken at a higher education institution (not in a CCSD classroom) is considered to be external credit.
Concurrent credits are taken when a student attends a CCSD school full-time and earns credit at another school at the same time. Concurrent credits must be pre-approved by the school of full-time enrollment.
SOURCE: NAC 389.040
Internal Credit
Students are enrolled in courses at their school of full-time enrollment to earn the majority of the credits needed for graduation. Your high school has a list of all the courses being offered for internal credit in this catalog. That list contains core subject areas and elective courses. Additional internal credit examples are listed below.
High School Credit Taken in Middle School
Certain coursework taken in middle school (Grades 6–8) may be counted as credit required to graduate from high school. Courses may include, but are not limited to:
Algebra I
Geometry Honors
A Foreign Language
Honors and College-Level Course Offerings
The CCSD Honors and College-Level Course Offerings are designed to challenge students to enroll in more demanding and rigorous coursework and to improve advanced academic achievement of students demonstrating accelerated educational potential, while providing college and career readiness skills in preparation for postsecondary enrollment. College-Level Course Offerings include AP, IB, and Dual Enrollment coursework.
AP and IB students shall demonstrate preparation for college-level instruction by taking the AP or IB examinations sponsored by the College Board and the International Baccalaureate. Students are required to take the AP or IB examinations for each course. Parents/guardians may waive the testing requirement related to AP and IB by informing the school administration in writing.
SOURCE: CCSD Regulation 5127
Career and Technical Education (CTE)
Career and Technical Education in Nevada is organized into sixteen (16) nationally and federally recognized clusters. Each high school in CCSD may offer different programs and course sequences. Please review the section Courses and Descriptions for details on CTE courses. Additional information can be found online at: http://www.doe.nv.gov/CTE/
Dual Enrollment
Students take a college-level course at the school of full-time enrollment that is taught by an approved instructor. There is typically a cost. Dual Enrollment courses taught through a formal cooperative agreement with CCSD are considered to be internal credit.
CTE College Credit
Students complete state-approved programs in CTE to earn postsecondary credit at no cost to the student. CTE College Credit is articulated credit (the high school coursework aligns to postsecondary courses) and the teacher of record is a high school CTE teacher. Students complete an application through the college of their choice (e.g. CSN).
To qualify for the CTE College Credit, students must earn a 3.0 GPA in the CTE course sequence, pass the state end-of-program technical content assessment, and pass the state Workplace Readiness assessment for employability skills.
Families can use Campus Student/Parent Progress Report to track progress toward a CTE program (career tech program) online. Students that complete a CTE program of study according to the criteria are eligible to earn the CTE College Credit within three years of graduating from high school and upon admission to the postsecondary institution. The amount of credit is dependent upon the state standards for each high school CTE program and how the standards align to the college courses for a certificate or degree in a related career pathway.
Credit by Exam (CBE)
Students can earn credit for certain courses in which they demonstrate mastery of course material. CBE is not a credit retrieval option. To be eligible to take a CBE, the student must not have previously been enrolled in the course and received a progress grade. Nevada Learning Academy (NVLA) offers a variety of options for CBE. For more details, please visit www.nvlearningacademy.net.
CBE Policies
Tests can only be taken for original credit
Tests can only be taken one time per course
CBE credits are considered internal credit
All exams are computer-based and will be taken online
English courses require reading for the exam
CBE is not considered Honors credit
Students must earn a 70% on the CBE to earn credit
Final grades are posted as a P for passing
Failed tests are not posted to the student’s transcript
External Credit
External credits may be granted for coursework completed outside of the Clark County School District (CCSD) while a student is enrolled in CCSD. CCSD enrollment includes coursework taken during the school year and during summer months. Dual Credit courses taken outside of CCSD are considered to be external credits. A maximum of six (6) external credits can be applied toward graduation from high school. A maximum of three (3) external credits can be earned in the combined core areas of English, mathematics, science, and social studies.
External credits in the following categories must be pre-approved with supporting documentation by a student’s school of full-time enrollment. The school determines which supporting documentation is accepted, but all external credits must be from accredited institutions. Students may request the External Credit Application (CCF-850) from a school counselor.
Dual Credit
Students take coursework outside of the regular school day from an accredited college/university. There is typically a cost.
Physical Education II Waiver
1.0 Physical Education credit (required for graduation) will be waived for 120 hours of activity completed under the direct supervision of a qualified instructor/coach who is a credentialed or licensed professional in that activity. To be approved, this activity must be geared toward competition.
Community Service
0.5 elective credit will be granted for volunteering 60 hours (1.0 credit for 120 hours) of time at a school-approved community agency (1 credit max).
Educational Travel Credit
0.5 elective credit will be granted for a 21-day educational trip/tour (1.0 credit for 42 days). Students are required to submit a log with general descriptions of sites visited detailing items of interest, the student’s reactions, and photographs of the student at the sites. A parent or guardian may sign logs for educational travel credit supporting documentation.
Enrichment Program
Elective credit will be granted for successful completion of academically accelerated coursework at accredited institutions.
Online/Correspondence Course
High school credit will be granted for high school coursework completed at accredited institutions.
Music Equivalent Credit
High school credit will be granted for private music lessons. A student is limited to 0.5 credit for each school year (1 credit max). The instructor must be certified, or demonstrate membership in one of the following organizations: The National Association for Music Education, The American Music Teachers Association, The Music Teachers National Association, The Suzuki Music Teachers Association, or a faculty member at a college, university, or school of the arts.
Concurrent Credit
Concurrent credits are credits a student earns from another CCSD school while still attending the school of full-time enrollment. A student may not be enrolled in two or more instances of the same course at the same time. All concurrent course enrollments require prior approval from a school counselor. There is no limit on earning concurrent credits. See a school counselor for more information on concurrent credit options.