CREDIT BY EXAM INFORMATION
Credit by Examination for Acceleration will be offered to students enrolled in the district four times a year. The district shall administer the Credit by Examination for acceleration for all exams (grades 1-12) on one date in November, March, June, and August in a location set by the Superintendent or designee.
Approved exams:
College Board advanced placement examinations
College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) examinations
Exams developed by Texas Tech University
Exams developed by University of Texas at Austin
Applications for testing can be requested from the school counselor on the campus where students are enrolled and must be filled out and returned to the school counselor no later than the deadlines listed below:
October 1, 2021 - for November testing
January 28, 2022 - for March testing
April 29, 2022 - for June testing
May 20, 2022 - for August testing
We have firm deadlines because of time requirements to order and receive tests.
Application for Credit by Exam can be found at the link below:
Eligibility Requirements
Kindergarten Acceleration is offered to students enrolled in the Rains ISD Kindergarten program.
Students must be 5 years of age on or before September 1st.
Students must score 80% or higher on both (Language Arts and Math) exams to accelerate to the first grade.
Students in grades one through twelve:
Must be enrolled in Rains ISD.
Must complete an Application for Credit by Exam and turn in by the posted deadline.
Must not have been enrolled, or received prior instruction, in the course for which they are attempting an exam for acceleration.
Must not have previously taken the credit by examination for the grade level courses requested.
Must have been in attendance 90% of the days enrolled in school.
Must score 80% or higher on the examination for acceleration in order to receive credit for the course.
Students in grades one through eight must score 80% on all core subject (Language Arts, Math, Social Studies, and Science) exams in order to be advanced to the next grade level.
Students in grades nine through twelve may receive credit for a course when the student scores 80% or higher on the exam. Students will still be required to take the STAAR End-of-Course exams for English 1, English 2, Algebra 1, Biology, and US History.
Study Guides
Students may download the study guides form the University of Texas at Austin K-16 Education Center at https://highschool.utexas.edu/cbe_study_guides. The TEKS may be downloaded at https:tea.texas.gov/Academics/Curriculum_Standards/TEKS_Texas_Essential_Knowledge_and_Skills_(TEKS)/Texas_Essential_Knowledge_and_Skills.
Fees
The district shall not charge for credit by examination for acceleration. If a parent requests an alternative examination, the district may administer and recognize results of test(s) purchased by the parent of the student from Texas tech University or the University of Texas at Austin.
CREDIT BY EXAM--Student has taken the course/subject (All Grade Levels)
The principal or designee or the attendance committee, as applicable, shall have authority to offer a student the opportunity to demonstrate mastery in a subject or to earn course credit by examination when the student has had prior instruction in a subject and when:
The student is enrolling in the District from a non-accredited school [see FD];
The student has failed a subject or course; or
The student has earned a passing grade in a subject or course but has failed to earn credit because of excessive absences [see FEC].
Examinations shall assess the student’s mastery of the essential knowledge and skills and shall be administered according to established District procedures. To receive credit, a student shall score a grade of 70 or above on the examination.
Prior to offering a student an opportunity to demonstrate mastery or earn credit by this method, an appropriate District employee shall review the student’s educational records to determine whether the student has had prior instruction in the subject or course.
Rains ISD Policy EHDB (Local)-X
CREDIT BY EXAM--Student has NOT taken the course/subject
If a student in grades 1-12 wishes to accelerate to the next grade level or earn course credit without having received prior instruction in the grade level or course, the District shall offer opportunities in accordance with state law and State Board rules for the student to take a Board-approved examination for this purpose.
A complete battery of exams for Math, Language Arts and Reading, Science, and Social Studies are required for K-8. Students may earn credit for an academic subject in grades 9-12 by taking the subject-specific exam offered for that course.
Students may earn credit for the course/subject in which the student has not had prior instruction if the student scores 80 or above on a criterion-referenced examination for acceleration in the applicable course. If such credit is given, the score will be entered on the student’s transcript, but grade points will not be awarded for credit earned through these exams.
Rains ISD Policy EHDC(Local)-A
Acceleration Specifics:
Students must complete an application by the deadline date provided.
A student is given credit in a subject on the basis of an exam on which the student scores 80% or higher.
Students will not receive any high school grade points for these exams and the final grade recorded will be the actual score received on the exam if the score is 80% or better.
A student may not attempt to earn credit by examination for a specific high school course more than two times.
If a student fails to earn credit by examination for a specific high school course before the beginning of the school year in which the student would ordinarily be required to enroll in that course according to the district sequence, the student must satisfactorily complete the course to receive credit.
It is highly recommended that those applying to be strong academically and meet all prerequisites for the course for which the student will be tested.