This policy has been adopted by the NC State Board of Education, but is still pending codification in the NC administrative code.  all codified rules may be accessed by going to the oah website.

 

1.         A credit course, one for which credit toward high school graduation is awarded and which qualifies as part of the instructional day:

 

1.1   must consist of 150 clock hours of instruction in a traditional schedule or

 

1.2   must consist of a minimum of 135 clock hours of instruction in a block schedule; developed curriculum guides, or Advanced Placement syllabi in which high school students are enrolled; and

 

1.3   must be directed by a teacher.

 

2.         Public University, Community College, and Private College Courses

 

2.1   Courses taken for high school graduation requirements at community colleges and private or public colleges/universities are exempt from the 135 or 150 instructional hours with the exception of the following courses required for high school graduation, which must be taken at the high school or middle school where indicated:

- English I, II, III, IV (English I may be taken in the middle school);

- Algebra I, Algebra II, Geometry, and any higher level mathematics course with Algebra II as the prerequisite that will be used to fulfill the fourth mathematics requirement or Integrated Mathematics I, II, III (These mathematics courses may be taken in middle school.)

- Biology, Earth/Environmental Science, and a physical science course that is used to fulfill the third science requirement (These science courses may be taken in middle school.);

- Civics and Economics, US History, World Studies (These social studies courses may be taken in the middle school.);

- first year of a Second Language (This Second Language course may be taken in middle school.);

- second year of the same Second Language (This Second Language course may be taken in the middle school.); and

- one credit of Health/Physical Education.

 

3.         Beginning in the 2007-08 school year, students who pass mathematics or foreign language courses during grades 6-8 that are described in the North Carolina Standard Course of Study for grades 9-12 must achieve level III or IV on an EOC, if available, to meet that high school graduation requirement. High school mathematics and foreign language courses taken in grades 6-8 which do not have an EOC shall use high school course codes and shall be aligned to the North Carolina Standard Course of Study for grades 9-12. The courses will count toward graduation requirements, but the students’ GPA will be computed with courses taken during the high school years.

 

4.         Beginning in the 2008-09 school year, students who pass science courses during grades 6-8 that are described in the North Carolina Standard Course of Study for grades 9-12 must achieve level III or IV on an EOC, if available, to meet that high school graduation requirement.  High school science courses taken in grades 6-8 which do not have an EOC shall use high school course codes and shall be aligned to the North Carolina Standard Course of Study for grades 9-12.  The courses will count toward graduation requirements, but the students’ GPA will be computed with courses taken during the high school years.

 

5.         Beginning in the 2009-2010 school year, students who pass social studies courses during

            grades 6-8 that are described in the North Carolina Standard Course of Study for grades

            9-12 must achieve level III or IV on an EOC, if available, to meet that high school graduation requirement.  High school social studies courses taken in

            grades 6-8 which do not have an EOC shall use high school course codes and shall be

            aligned to the North Carolina Standard Course of Study for grades 9-12.  The courses will count toward graduation requirements, but the students’ GPA will be computed with  courses taken during the high school years.

 

6.         Beginning in the 2010-2011 school year, students who pass English I during grades 6-8 as described in the North Carolina Standard Course of Study for grades 9-12 must achieve level III or IV on an EOC, if available, to meet that high school graduation requirement.  Courses taken in grades 6-8 which do not have an EOC shall use high school course codes and shall be aligned to the North Carolina Standard Course of Study for grades 9-12.  The courses will count toward graduation requirements, but the students’ GPA will be computed with courses taken during the high school years.

 

 

7.         Laboratory facilities must meet safety requirements and state and national guidelines for laboratory expendables and equipment to allow the same opportunities for laboratory work as the high school laboratory in the local education agency.

 

8.         Each local superintendent may grant a waiver to allow students to take the courses listed above at the Public University, Community College, and Private College and exempt them from the 135 or 150 instructional hour requirement, if these courses are not available to the student at his or her local high school. Courses taken at a Community College that have a corresponding end-of-course assessment at the high school require that the assessment be taken.

 

9.         Each local superintendent shall ensure that all required and elective courses have sufficient rigor, breadth, and depth to be awarded high school credit.

 

10.       An e-learning course qualifies for course credit if it meets the following requirements:

 

10.1     Any K-7 e-learning course or 8-12 course taken for credit toward a diploma must first be approved for credit by the NC Virtual Public School (NCVPS).

 

10.2     E-learning courses offering instruction in courses included within the NC Standard Course of Study must meet the Standard Course of Study competency goals and objectives.  E-learning courses offered for Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate credit must align with nationally validated standards for AP and IB, where available.

 

10.3     E-learning courses offering instruction in courses not included in the Standard Course of Study curriculum must have rigor, depth and breadth comparable to courses included in the Standard Course of Study.  When determining whether an e-learning course has such rigor, depth and breadth, the NCVPS shall consider whether the course meets the SREB (Southern Regional Education Board) and/or NACOL (North American Council for Online Learning) criteria for awarding credit or is offered for credit toward a degree by a University of North Carolina institution, an institution in the North Carolina Community College System, or a regionally accredited college.

 

10.4     Where available, end-of-grade tests, end-of-course tests, and post assessments must be used as an indicator of student mastery.  The student’s base school schedules and administers EOC and EOG tests.  These scores shall be included in the determination of the base school’s ABCs and AYP status.

 

10.5     Enrollment in an e-learning “for credit course” shall count toward satisfying local board requirements related to minimum instructional days, seat time policies, student attendance, athletic and/or extracurricular obligations. Furthermore, LEAs are instructed to be purposeful in establishing processes and procedures to enroll and manage such e-learning students in an environment where they can be successful.

 

11.   Credit may not be awarded for school bus driving, office assistance, teacher assistance, or laboratory assistance.