Credit by Exam
When can a student earn credit or advance through credit by exam, and what score is required?
LTS uses examinations and guidelines established by the State Board of Education (SBOE) to offer credit and acceleration by exam.
If a Student Has Prior Instruction (Grades 6–8)
A student who has previously taken a course or subject (but did not receive credit or a final grade for it) may, in circumstances determined by the principal or Attendance Review Committee, be permitted to earn credit or a final grade by passing an exam on the essential knowledge and skills defined for the course or subject. Prior instruction may include, for example, incomplete coursework due to a failed course or excessive absences, homeschooling, or coursework by a student transferring from a nonaccredited school. The opportunity to take an examination to earn credit for a course or to be awarded a final grade in a subject after the student has had prior instruction is sometimes referred to as “credit recovery.” To receive credit, a student must score at least 70% on the exam.
The Attendance Review Committee may also offer a student with excessive absences an opportunity to receive credit for a course by passing an exam.
If a Student Has Not Taken the Course
A student will be permitted to take an exam to earn credit for an academic course or subject area for which the student has had no prior instruction, or to accelerate to the next grade level. The exams offered by LTS are approved by the Board of Directors. The dates on which exams are scheduled during the current school year will be published in an appropriate school publication and on the LTS website.
A student in grade 6 or above will earn course credit with a passing score of at least 80 on the exam, a scaled score of 50 or higher on an examination administered through the College Level-Level Examination Program, or a score of three or higher on an Advanced Placement (AP) examination, as applicable. A student may take an exam to earn course credit no more than twice. If a student fails to achieve the designated score on the approved exam before the beginning of the school year in which the student would need to enroll in the course according to the school’s course sequence, the student must complete the course.
If a student plans to take an exam, the student (or parent) must register with the principal or designee no later than 30 days prior to the scheduled testing date. LTS will not honor a request by a parent to administer a test on a date other than the published dates. If LTS agrees to administer a test other than the one chosen by the school, the student’s parent will be responsible for the cost of the exam.