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Alternative Methods for Granting Credits 5-30.2

School Board of the City of Virginia Beach
Regulation 5-30.2

STUDENTS

Alternative Methods for Granting Credits

A secondary school shall accept credits received from other accredited secondary schools, including summer schools, special sessions, schools accredited through the Virginia Council for Private Education, and educational programs operated by the state. Credit also shall be accepted for courses satisfactorily completed in accredited colleges and universities when prior written approval of the principal has been granted.

  1. Correspondence Courses

    Students may enroll in and receive standard or verified credit through supervised correspondence courses in subjects not available to them through the school's schedule with the prior approval of the principal. Credit shall be awarded for successful completion of such courses when the work is equivalent to that offered in the regular school program and the work is done under the supervision of a teacher licensed in Virginia, or a person holding a letter of eligibility issued by the Virginia Department of Education approved by the Superintendent. Verified credit may be earned when the student has passed the Standards of Learning (SOL) test, if any, associated with the correspondence course completed.

  2. Independent Study
    1. Generally

      Independent study allows eligible high school students to pursue self-initiated, academically advanced study projects within their special interest areas. Students identify a problem, conduct an investigation, and present their findings for evaluation. Participants may be scheduled one bell a day in their home school to work on their projects.

    2. Credit Awarded

      One-half credit for each semester's work as approved by the resource teacher.

  3. Dual Enrollment

    Beginning in the middle-school years, students shall be counseled as to opportunities for beginning postsecondary education prior to high school graduation. Students taking advantage of such opportunities shall not be denied participation in school activities for which they are otherwise eligible. Wherever possible, students shall be encouraged and afforded opportunities to take college courses simultaneously for high school graduation and college degree credit.

    1. Purpose

      Dual enrollment allows students to meet the requirements for high school graduation while simultaneously earning credit at Tidewater Community College (TCC). The particular courses to be offered are determined through the mutual agreement of the school system and the community college. All courses offered carry transferable college credit. Dual enrollment courses will be offered at each high school. Additional TCC courses are available for dual credit but must be degree credit courses and must be taken on the TCC campus with prior approval of the high school principal. Students may also enroll in degree credit courses for dual credit at other colleges and universities with the prior approval of the principal.

    2. Admission Requirements
      1. Only high school students from participating high schools are eligible to participate in courses offered at their school site.
      2. Every student must be qualified, i.e., amply prepared for the demands of a college-level course.
      3. Students must complete a registration form and return it to their school counselor.
      4. TCC registration forms are available in the high school counceling department.
      5. The course must be offered for degree credit by the college.
      6. The college must accept the student for admission to the course(s).
      7. College tuition is the responsibility of the student and must be paid at the time of registration. All tuition should be made to Tidewater Community College or other college or university.
      8. Applicants may be required to take placement tests in English or mathematics prior to admission in a course.
    3. Tuition Costs
      1. Tuition costs are the responsibility of the student.
      2. Individual course fees (i.e., lab sciences) and costs of textbooks are the responsibility of the student.
      3. Tuition and fees will be due as agreed upon by Tidewater Community College and the School Division.
    4. Course Eligibility

      College courses taken in lieu of courses offered in the high school must be on an approved course list as determined by the college and the School Division.

    5. Credit Awarded
      1. College credit shall be awarded by the college to the participating high school student upon successful completion of the course. Three semester hours will be equivalent to one-half Carnegie unit. Six semester hours will be equivalent to one high school Carnegie unit. In the case of lab sciences, eight semester hours is equal to a high school Carnegie unit.
      2. The college course semester grade will be used in computing the student's high school grade point average.
      3. After completing any college course at a college or university other than Tidewater Community College the student must request that the college send an official transcript to the high school principal.
    6. Transportation

      Transportation to off site college locations is the responsibility of the student.

  4. Additional Course Offerings
    1. Approve additional course options available only to students with disabilities to meet the standard credit requirements for the Standard Diploma.
      1. Augment the Personal Finance course (3120) to include the 21 Workplace Readiness Skills (WRS) for the Commonwealth. Allow this augmented course to meet the Economics and Personal Finance requirement if the student has earned at least 3 standard credits in history and social science. The economics strand in these courses would be deemed a credit accommodation. Upon completion of the augmented Personal Finance course, the student may take the WRS assessment to earn the Board-approved Work Readiness Skills credential. This approach would satisfy the graduation requirements for economics and personal finance, history and social sciences, and the workplace credential.
      2. Establish minimum content courses in the subject areas required for verified credits and provide flexibility in how the courses are delivered. Allow parts I and II of certain required courses to each earn a standard credit towards the total number required in the subject area. The student must successfully complete:
        1. 1) 4 standard credits in English and 1 verified credit each in Reading and Writing;
        2. 2) 3 standard credits in mathematics that include Algebra I and Geometry, and 1 verified credit in mathematics;
        3. 3) 3 standard credits in science that include Earth Science and Biology, and 1 verified credit in science; and
        4. 4) 3 standard credits in history and social science that include Virginia and U.S. History and Virginia and U.S. Government, and 1 verified credit in history and social science.

8VAC20-131-10 et seq., as amended. Board of Education Regulations Establishing Standards for Accrediting Public Schools in Virginia.

Approved by Superintendent: July 16, 1991
Revised by Superintendent: September 21, 1993 (Effective) August 14, 1993)
Revised by Superintendent: October 8, 1998
Revised by Superintendent: August 23, 2013
Revised by Superintendent: July 20, 2021