Douglas County School

I. Awarding High School credit for courses taken prior to a student’s 9th grade year

A student may earn credit towards a Douglas County School District high school diploma for courses that are taken prior to the official start of their 9^thgrade year, and if courses taken are at a Douglas County School District school, transferring in from another public school, or in another educational program, as follows:

1. The course is successfully completed at a Douglas County School District school, out of district public/private school, or an accredited institution or program.
    
2. The course meets the following criteria:
   
   1. Mathematics: Geometry course or higher levels.
   2. World Language: Level II or higher levels.
   3. If a course being proposed for high school credit does not meet the criteria 1 or 2, the following information must be presented to indicate the level of rigor that would demonstrate the course is a high school course at grade level:
      
      1. Course description.
      2. Detailed curricular content objectives.
      3. Official transcript.
      4. Course taken at an accredited institution or program.
      5. The final authority on awarding credit will reside with the high school building administration and the Superintendent or Superintendent's designee.

1. Awarding Credit
   Select one of the following two options:
   1. The student and parent/guardian wish the course completion to be used for placement purposes only. No course title, credit or grade will be recorded on the high school transcript.
   2. The student and parent/guardian wish to receive both credit and grade which will be calculated into the cumulative high school GPA on the official high school transcript. The parent/guardian and student must complete the middle school credit form by the end of the first semester of their 11^th grade year and submit this to the High School Principal and High School Counselor. Once this option is selected, the credit and grade will not be removed from their official high school transcript.

II. If students, currently enrolled in a Douglas County School, wish to obtain credit from an outside educational program, the outside educational program must meet the following criteria:

1. The course fills a Douglas County School District High School graduation requirement.
2. Prior approval from the school Principal before credit and grade are accepted and posted on the high school transcript.
3. The credit-granting institution must provide evidence to meet Sections III and IV below.

1. III. Credit earned through online programs/institutions may be accepted based on a thorough review of the program/institutions accreditation process and proof of high school course equivalency. The student must provide the following information:

   1. Course description.
   2. Detailed curricular content objectives.
   3. Meets the state expectation for college preparatory academic rigor (Colorado Commission Higher Education Admission Requirements) and/or the course is NCAA approved.
   4. Proof of an academically reputable accreditation process of the outside educational program/institution.

   IV. Regulation regarding Accreditation

   1. If the credit-granting institution accreditation is either in question or not accredited, Douglas County School District’s Superintendent or Superintendent's designee will determine if the granting institution provides students with the academic rigor that meets the equivalency of a DCSD board approved course and level equivalency. The final authority on awarding credit will reside with the high school building administration and the Superintendent or Superintendent's designee.

1. Adopted: March 12, 2008
   Revised: September 16, 2010
   Revised: July 7, 2016
   Revised: October 27, 2016

   CROSS REFS.:
   IKF - Graduation Requirements