A student who has previously taken a course or subject—but did not receive credit for it—may, in circumstances determined by the principal or attendance committee, be permitted to earn credit by passing an exam on the essential knowledge and skills defined for that 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 counselor or principal would determine if the student could take an exam for this purpose. If approval is granted, the student must score at least 70 on the exam to receive credit for the course or subject.

The attendance review committee may also offer a student with excessive absences an opportunity to earn credit for a course by passing an exam.
[For further information, see the counselor and policy EHDB(LOCAL).]

Pleasanton ISD utilizes the University of Texas or the Texas Tech University series of credit by exams.  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 dates on which exams are scheduled during the 2024 – 2025 school year are listed below:

• August 7, 2024 - August 8, 2024

• November 12, 2024 - November 13, 2024

• January 6, 2025 - January 7, 2025

• May 28, 2025 - May 29, 2025

A student will earn course credit with a passing score of at least 80 on the exam. Depending on the student’s grade level and course for which the student seeks to earn credit by exam, an end-of-course assessment (EOC) may be required for graduation.

A student in kindergarten through grade 5 will be eligible to accelerate to the next grade level if the student scores at least 80 on each exam in the subject areas of language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies, the school administration recommends the student be accelerated, and the student's parent (or guardian) gives written approval for grade advancement.

A student in any of Grades 6-12 must be given credit for an academic subject in which he or she has had no prior instruction if the student scores:(A)  a three or higher on a College Board advanced placement examination that has been approved by the school district board of trustees for the applicable course;(B)  a scaled score of 50 or higher on an examination administered through the College-Level Examination Program and approved by the school district board of trustees for the applicable course; or(C)  80% on any other criterion-referenced test approved by the school district board of trustees for the applicable course.

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 in accordance with the school district's prescribed course sequence, the student must satisfactorily complete the course to receive credit.  If a student is given credit due to meeting one of the above referenced requirements in a subject on the basis of an examination on which the student scored 80% or higher, the school district must enter the examination score on the student's transcript, and the student is not required to take an applicable end-of-course assessment instrument for the course. 

If a student plans to take an exam, the student (or parent) must register with the principal no later than 30 days prior to the scheduled testing date. The district may honor a request by a parent to administer a test on a date other than the published dates. If the parent agrees to administer a test other than the one chosen by the district, the student’s parent will be responsible for the cost of the exam.
[For further information, see policy EHDC(LOCAL).]