Administrative Procedure 5111.2 - Admission of Students From Non-Approved or Non-Accredited Schools Grades 9 to 12

I. Purpose

To provide the procedure for the registration and enrollment of all students entering Prince’s George’s County Public Schools (PGCPS) from nonapproved or non-accredited schools in grades 9-12.

II. Background

Credits earned at a non-accredited high school may not be accepted in a Maryland Public High School unless they have been validated by an appropriate standardized examination administered to the transferring student. Prince George’s County Public Schools follows the guidelines in the Code of Maryland Regulations (COMAR) 13.A.03.02.04, Other Provisions for Earning Credit, to accept credits by examination in grades 9-12.

III. Definitions

Non-Approval or Non-Accredited School: A school that is unaffiliated with an organization authorized by the state education agency in which the school is located to operate a school.

IV. Procedures

1. Determination of Status of Prior School:
   
   1. The principal and Professional School Counselor will ascertain whether the school(s) previously attended by the student are accredited. This may be done by:
      
      1. reviewing of an official transcript which indicates approval accreditation status;
      2. referring to the list of “Maryland Nonpublic Schools” which is published yearly by the Maryland State Department of Education and lists all approved schools in the State of Maryland (Approved 13A.09.09 Schools);
      3. sending an official inquiry addressed to the State Department of Education in the state in which the school is located; or
      4. seeking assistance from the Department of Student Services.
   2. Foreign students’ previous schools’ accreditation or approval will be handled by the International Student Admissions and Enrollment Office (ISAEO).
2. Registration and Temporary Placement of Student:
   
   1. The student may be registered in accordance with Administrative Procedure 5111.
   2. While the status of the student’s prior school is being determined, the student is to be placed in age appropriate courses. Placement in grade level will be at the lowest of the grades under consideration -- i.e., if the question arises between 11th and 12th grade placement, 11th grade placement will be granted.
   3. The receiving school in PGCPS will call and ask the sending school for course information (syllabus, transcript, name of course textbook, etc.) and grade level placement for a student who registers without an official transcript from an accredited institution.
   4. For families who are unable to produce documentation in a timely manner and for whom the receiving school is unable to obtain information, schools will interview both parent and student to determine course selection, while understanding that all graduation requirements must be met and documented. Review Administrative Procedures 5121.3 – Grading and Reporting High School and 6150 – Educational Requirements and Options in Secondary Schools for additional information.
3. Process for Testing Students:
   
   1. In order for a non-approved or non-accredited school student to be eligible to test for course credit, an official transcript that includes the courses they have taken and passed in their previous school is required.
   2. Students who enroll in PGCPS without a transcript will be scheduled for appropriate grade and course sequence needed to fulfill graduation requirements.
   3. Once a transcript is verified and courses are identified, a Professional School Counselor will submit a request for applicable and available Test of Achievement and Proficiency (TAP) tests from the Department of Testing, Research, and Evaluation. The content supervisors are responsible for ensuring that eligible core contentTAP tests remain current.
      The tests will be administered at the school level by school-based staff unless there is a special circumstance where the designated central office supervisor will administer and score the TAP examinations. In the event that there is a core course needed for graduation and there is no TAP test for the course, the Professional School Counselor will inform the Department of Student Services. The Department of Student Services will then seek direction from the Department of Curriculum and Instruction.
   4. Upon completion of any test(s) administered, the teacher coordinator or his/her certified designee will score the exam and then notify the Professional School Counselor of test results. Students will receive credit for courses required for graduation if they obtain passing or proficient scores as determined by the appropriate content office.
   5. The tests are to be administered one time only. If there are extenuating circumstances (such as a test security violation or testing error – see Administrative Procedure 6139, Test Security and Data Reporting) that indicate the test should be re-administered, a written justification must be submitted to the Supervisor of Internal Assessment by the professional school counselor. The Supervisor of Internal Assessment will make a final determination on whether or not a test is re-administered.
   6. Students with Individual Education Plans (IEPs) or 504 Plans will receive the same accommodations that they are afforded for state testing. (See State testing guidelines).
   7. Credits may be granted for elective courses taken at a nonaccredited or non-public schools based on appropriate documentation, including clock hours, course catalogs/descriptions, and a valid copy of a student’s transcript. The latest graduation requirements can be found in Administrative Procedure 6150 – Educational Requirements and Options in Secondary Schools).
4. Sequential Courses:
   For sequential courses, the school counselor should consult the Professional School Counseling Office to determine an appropriate placement. For World Languages see below as this applies to transfer students as well.
   Effective July 1, 2018, PGCPS no longer requires two years of the same World Language to meet the requirement for a graduation completer. We strongly encourage students to complete two years in the same World Language to meet the following needs:
   • Better mastery of the language;
   • Support for reaching an Advanced Placement language course;
   • Support to meet college entrance requirements and for the continuation of a language at the college level;
   • Support for the Maryland Seal of Biliteracy; and
   • Support of the language component for the Global Studies Academy.
     
     Please note that students taking a World Language in middle school MUST take the next sequential course in the same language in order to receive high school credit. If a student takes a Level 1 language in middle school and then takes the Level 2 in high school, the Level 2 must be a continuation of the Level 1 course or the student may do Level 1 and Level 2 of the same language in middle school to receive high school credit.
5. Recording Grades and Filing:
   All courses from non-approved, non-accredited secondary schools are posted either pass or fail with appropriate credit recorded. No grades are to be recorded on permanent record cards. Transcripts from non-approved or non-accredited schools are filed in school cumulative folders.
6. English 9 in Middle School:
   Student who transfer in must meet the requirements listed below if they want to take English 9 in middle school. Please refer to AP 5123.2 – Promotion, Retention and Acceleration of Students for middle school acceleration guidelines.
   
   1. Students at the middle school level will take and complete all of English 6 (6th grade) and all of English 7 (7th grade).
   2. After completing English 6 and 7 (the entire course for both grades) – if school staff have students who may be able to accelerate to English 9 as 8th graders, the students will have to take the TAP Test for English 8 and receive a qualifying combined score of 80% on the critical reading and analytical writing portions of the exam in order to advance to English 9 as an 8th grader. All tests for students who take the TAP for English 8 will have the test administered and scored by the Curriculum and Instruction Middle School Reading English/Language Arts Office (central office).

V. Monitoring and Compliance

The Department of Testing, Research and Evaluation will keep a list each year of all students who have completed a TAP test. This list will include student name, school name, staff member who administered the test, course and score of the test. This information will be kept in a notebook or folder labeled with the appropriate school year.

VI. Legal Authority

COMAR 13A.03.02.04, Other Provisions for Earning Credit; COMAR 13A.09.09.

VII. Related Policies and Procedures

• AP 5111 - Registration and Withdrawal of Students.
• AP 6139 - Test Security and Data Reporting
• AP 6150 - Educational Requirements and Options in Secondary Schools

VIII. Maintenance and Update of These Procedures

This procedure originates with the Division of Academics, Department of Curriculum and Instruction and the Division of Special Education and Student Services and will be updated as required.

IX. Cancellations and Supersedures

This Administrative Procedure cancels and supersedes Administrative Procedure 5111.2, October 2, 2019.

X. Effective Date

Last Revised: October 8, 2019

Documents

• Administrative Procedure 5111.2 - Admission of Students From Non-Approved or Non-Accredited Schools Grades 9 to 12.pdf
• Procedimiento Administrativo 5111.2 - Admisiones de estudiantes de escuelas no aprobadas o no acreditadas de 9.˚ a 12.˚ grado.pdf