Mastery-Based Credit via Assessment or Course Completion

Mastery-based credit through assessment or course completion means a student can earn credit for a high school course by successfully completing an equivalent subject assessment or the next course in a sequence of courses.

This option can be used to:

• Recover credit for a course that was not passed, or
• Earn credit without repeating the same course.

Students do NOT need to retake a course if they can show mastery by assessment or by doing well in the next course in a sequence with a passing grade.

Any currently enrolled ninth through twelfth grade high school student in the Renton School District may be eligible if:

• The assessment is approved by the district or building as demonstrating mastery; or
• The courses are part of a clear course sequence with prerequisite learning standards; and
• The student successfully completes the higher-level course in the Renton School District

This option may be used in select courses in English Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, Career and Technical Education, and World Languages.

Credit may be awarded when a student passes an assessment or a higher-level course that builds on the same learning standards.

Assessments

• A student may earn credit from SBA, ASVAB, ACT, AP or IB courses as well as building-based assessments created by teachers (e.g. mid-term or final exams).

Two-Term (A/B) Courses

• A student may earn 0.5 credit for the first half of a course (often designated with an A in the course title) if they earn a passing grade in the second half (often designated with a B in the course title ), and the courses are based on a continuum of standards.

English Language Arts and Some IB Courses

• A student may earn 1.0 mastery credit for the previous course when they pass the first half of the next course in the sequence (e.g. Language Arts 10A may earn credit for Language Arts 9A and 9B).

Grade on the Transcript

• Mastery-based credit received is recorded on the official transcript.
• The credit will receive a grade of “P” (Pass), which earns credit without affecting GPA.
• The prior or attempted courses remain on the transcript with the “F” grade but are not included in the GPA.

• Stand-alone courses that do not connect to another course are not eligible for mastery credit.
• Students cannot earn mastery-based credit for a course they have already passed.
• Courses from other districts, programs or organizations that follow different rules (such as Running Start, or College in the High School) do not qualify for mastery-based credit.

Schools will:

• Talk with students and families before applying mastery-based credit.
• Explain how the credit supports graduation requirements or NCAA eligibility.
• Make sure credit is only applied with the student’s and family’s knowledge and consent.
  • Mastery Non-Instructional Credit Parent Form via Assessment
  • Mastery Non-Instructional Credit Parent Form via Course Completion

Families are encouraged to ask questions and request interpretation or translation support if needed.