Boulder Valley School District

JECD-R

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  • Students
JECD-R

File: JECD-R (pdf)
Issued: June 25, 1998  
Revised: March 13, 2001, June 12, 2002

ASSIGNMENT OF TRANSFER STUDENTS
TO CLASSES AND GRADE LEVELS

Students from Accredited Public, Parochial, and Private Schools

Credit will be accepted from public, parochial, and private schools which are accredited by a recognized accrediting agency or organization.

Subject to verification of the student's school record, students entering grades two to twelve from such accredited public, parochial, or private schools shall be placed in grades and classes on the basis of their grade placement/credits in the school from which they are transferring. The principal shall request a complete record from the student's former school principal.

Students from Non-Public Home-Based Educational Programs and Non-Accredited Schools

Assessment procedures, which may include achievement tests and observations, may be required for appropriate grade placement and awarding of credit when a student enrolls from non-public home-based instructional programs or home school by a licensed teacher (collectively, "home instruction") or from public, parochial, or private schools not appropriately accredited by a recognized accrediting agency or organization. After such assessments, the student shall be placed at the grade level and awarded credit as deemed most appropriate by the School District with the consent of the child's parent or legal guardian.

Grades K-8 Enrollment and Placement

Home instruction students or students from public, parochial, or private schools not appropriately accredited transferring to District schools in grades K-8 should enroll at the school in their attendance area at least two weeks before the beginning of the school year. This will allow time for testing, if needed, and appropriate placement of the student.
Such students enrolling in school during the school year will be placed at the appropriate grade level after such time as assessments are completed and the results are considered. Students may be temporarily placed in a grade or class, subject to reassignment pending completion of assessments and consideration of results.

  1. For purposes of placement only, students in grades K-8 enrolling in the District after a semester or more of home instruction or attendance at a school not appropriately accredited must comply with the following:

    a. Parents of students in grades two through eight will submit results from District-approved assessments administered within the current or previous school year. Based on these assessment results and any other information provided by the parent, the student will be placed at the grade level deemed most appropriate by the School District with the consent of the child's parent or legal guardian. If test or assessment results are not submitted, the District will determine how to assess the student for purposes of grade placement.
     
  2. The School District shall accept the transcripts from the home instructional program or a school not appropriately accredited. However, the District will determine the amount of credit awarded and/or the grades recorded on the District transcript. Grades from home instruction or a school not appropriately accredited will be recorded as "S" (satisfactory) and "U" (unsatisfactory). The transcript will indicate if credit is awarded for work done other than in the District and that it is the responsibility of the reviewer to determine if the work completed in a home instruction program or at a public, parochial, or private school is from an accredited or non-accredited institution.
     
  3. Students who re-enroll in the District after nine weeks or less of home instruction will be placed in the grade level or in the courses in which they would have been enrolled had they continued uninterrupted in the District. The students will be eligible to receive credit and a letter grade. After nine weeks but less than a semester/trimester of enrollment in home instruction the re-enrolling students will be eligible to receive credit and a pass/fail or satisfactory/unsatisfactory grade in such courses.
     
  4. At the parent's request, the principal will meet with the parent and student to notify them of and explain the decision regarding the student's placement.

Grades 9-12 Enrollment and Placement

Home instruction students or students from public, parochial, or private schools not accredited by a recognized accrediting agency or organization transferring to District schools (grades 9-12) should enroll at the school in their attendance area at least 30 days before the beginning of the school year. This will allow time for records and documentation to be submitted and evaluated and credit to be issued, where warranted, toward a Boulder Valley School District high school diploma.

Students enrolling in school during the school year will be placed at the grade level and awarded credits after such time as appropriate assessments are completed and the results considered and after complete documentation, as set forth below, is received and reviewed. Students may be temporarily placed in a grade or class, subject to reassignment upon completion of assessments and consideration of results and review of submitted documentation.

  1. For purposes of placement and credit toward District graduation requirements, students in grades 9-12 enrolling in the District after a semester or more of home instruction or attendance at a school not appropriately accredited must coply with the following:

    a. Meet with school or District officials to review procedures and secure any necessary forms.

    b. Complete necessary forms and organize and submit documentation regarding the work which was completed and for which District credit is requested. Documents should include:
  • Course descriptions and number of credits being requested.
     
  • Information about the curriculum and instructional methods that were used in the courses for which credit is sought. Such courses should be grade appropriate, organized, and sufficiently challenging.
     
  • Detail about the hours of instruction for each course for which credit is sought. Such hours should be equivalent to or greater than the number which would have occurred in the District school for the same or similar courses or 60-80 hours of teacher-student contact time per course, not including homework/independent time.
     
  • Evidence that the student sufficiently mastered the curriculum, including such items as standardized test results, subject tests, papers, and other examples of work.

Principal/designee will review this information and determine the number of credits, if any, to be awarded based on a comparison to District standards for the awarding of credit.

  1. The School District shall accept the transcripts from the home instructional program or a school not appropriately accredited. However, the District will determine the amount of credit awarded and/or the grades recorded on the District transcript. Grades from home instruction or a school not appropriately accredited will be recorded as "S" (satisfactory) and "U" (unsatisfactory). The transcript will indicate if credit is awarded for work done other than in the District and that it is the responsibility of the reviewer to determine if the work completed in a home instruction program or at a public, parochial, or private school is from an accredited or non-accredited institution.
     
  2. A maximum of the equivalent of 30 credits per semester will be accepted as transfer credits.
     
  3. At the parent's request, the principal will meet with the parent and student to notify them of and explain the decision regarding the student's credit. The student shall be placed at the grade level deemed most appropriate by the School District with the consent of the student's parent or legal guardian.
     
  4. Students transferring from home instruction or schools must earn a minimum of 100 credits in accredited high school courses in grades 9-12. Fifty of these credits earned in grades 9-12 must be in academic subject areas. In addition, students must successfully complete 50 of the 100 credits in their senior year in a District high school in order to graduate and receive a diploma from that school.
     
  5. Students who re-enroll in the District after fewer than nine weeks of home instruction will be placed in the grade level or in the courses in which they would have been enrolled had they continued uninterrupted in the District. Students will be eligible to receive credit (partial or full) for the course and a letter grade. Students who re-enroll after nine weeks but less than a semester/trimester of enrollment in home instruction will be eligible to receive partial credit and a pass/fail grade.
  6. High school students enrolling from home instruction will be subject to Colorado High School Activities Association (CHSAA) regulations to qualify for athletics and activities.
     
  7. All NCAA requirements apply for athletic eligibility.

Appeal Procedure

If the parent of a home instruction student or a student from a school not appropriately accredited wants to appeal the credit decision or grade placement recommendation of the principal, these steps will be followed:

  1. For an appeal of a credit decision, the parent will submit a written request for review to the Executive Director of Learning Services within one week after receiving the principal's decision.
     
  2. For an appeal of a grade placement recommendation, the parent will submit a written request for review to the Executive Director of Elementary or Secondary Education, as appropriate, within one week after receiving the principal's decision.
     
  3. The designated administrator will make a decision after consulting with appropriate personnel. The decision will be communicated to the parent no later than the 15th day after receiving the request.
     
  4. If the parent is not satisfied with the decision, within one week after being informed of the decision the parent may request in writing a review by the Deputy Superintendent. The Deputy Superintendent will issue a formal, written decision within 15 days after meeting with the parent. The decision of the Deputy Superintendent will be final.

Part-Time Students

Accredited public, parochial, or private school students may apply for enrollment in classes offered by District schools while they are in public, parochial, or private school. Parents should request information and follow timelines for pre-registration at their neighborhood school. To be eligible to participate, public, parochial, or private school students must be enrolled and attending prior to October 1 in courses sufficient to be counted as a part-time student, which is 90 hours of instruction for the first semester. (The formula is "minutes of instruction x number of days in first semester ÷ 60 = >90 hours.") Students in public, parochial, or private schools may follow the District Open Enrollment Procedure to apply for enrollment in a school other than the neighborhood school for a minimum of 90 hours of instruction for the first semester, after applicants for full-time admission are accommodated. Approval will be subject to space availability, as determined by the District, to the other limitations for open enrollment, and to the satisfaction of any prerequisites and other applicable District or school requirements for a particular course.
 
Cross References:
JEG-R, Exclusions and Exemptions from School Attendance (Home-Based Education)

End of File: JECD-R