Frequently Asked Questions Regarding Credits

The Northwest Association of Accredited Schools has established policies in its Policies and Procedures Manual 4.4.5 that all member schools are to abide by and shall adopt polices and implementation procedures for addressing the acceptance of credit.

This FAQ was last updated 7-30-08.

Acceptance of Credits

With the proliferation of new types and kinds of “schools” some questions have been raised regarding the acceptance of credits by NAAS accredited schools from those schools that are not accredited by the Northwest Association, including those that are accredited by a state other than the one in which the NAAS member school is located. To review the membership policy of NAAS, member schools should recall that they are obligated to accept credits only from other NAAS or regionally accredited schools, at least as elective credits, but need not, and probably should not accept credits at face value from non-accredited schools. That is why your school is accredited and one of the main reasons for belonging to a regional accreditation organization.

NAAS highly recommends that each school or district have a written policy regarding the evaluation and acceptance of any credits not earned in a NAAS accredited school. Such a policy could be as simple as not accepting any credits from non-accredited schools. If a school opts to accept some credits from non-accredited schools; however, a strict policy should be enforced. Such a policy should include elements such as the following:

1. Requiring a detailed transcript that includes course description, curriculum materials used, time spent by the student in achieving the credit, evaluation of the coursework, etc.
2. Devising a system for determining equivalence to courses required by the NAAS member school. This could be through some form of standardized or teacher-made test.
3. Documenting some reference to the nature of instruction (correspondence, distance education, classroom, etc.)
4. Documenting some reference as to who provided the instruction including whether there was a certified teacher involved.

By establishing a fair, legal, and comprehensive policy regarding the acceptance of credit from non-accredited schools NAAS members will ensure that their accreditation continues to be valid and worthy to students regardless of whether they graduate from the NAAS member school, transfer to another member school, or enroll in a college or university that recognizes or demands credits from an accredited school. An additional value of having such a policy may be that the school will be protected in any possible litigation, which happens to be the most common source of challenge to the school credit issue these days.

The Northwest Association of Accredited Schools stands ready to assist member schools as they encounter questions or challenges related to the issue of acceptance of credits from non-accredited schools. Please contact either the office or that of your state accreditation committee chair if we can be of any assistance in the interpretation or development of credit policies.

Below are answers to questions frequently asked on this topic.

What is a credit?

The Northwest Association of Accredited Schools Policies and Procedures Manual defines a credit as a common unit of measure that represents successful student achievement relevant to a predefined area of study. The standard for the predefined area of study shall be determined by the particular state, informed by national guidelines. A credit is often defined as a unit of credit awarded for successful completion of a course, which shall include not less than 120 hours of instruction or its equivalent per year.

How does the Northwest Association of Accredited Schools ensure integrity of the credits issued by its member schools?

Three major activities provide the basis for granting accreditation and provide opportunities for determining how schools conduct assessment. Applicant schools are required to host an initial team visit, secondly, and after completing a self-study, schools must host a second visiting team that reviews and validates their self-study and third an annual report is reviewed by the particular state committee. Through this process the visiting teams will review the practices of the schools to ensure they are consistent with state laws.

If I move will my credits transfer to a school in another state?

Generally Yes. Northwest Association of Accredited Schools along with the other five regional accreditation agencies participates in reciprocity of credits between regions and states. Where a question arises parents are encouraged to meet the principal of the receiving school. If resolution cannot be met they can call the Northwest Association and NAAS will seek to involve the particular region's association.

Will a school accept credits for courses in religion?

Northwest Association's member schools are required to accept credits from schools accredited by the regional accreditation agencies subject to state laws. Northwest Association of Accredited Schools encourages the review of the particular state law or regulation before transferring a student from a religious school to a public school.

Do my classes in religion count toward graduation?

In a Northwest Association's member school the credit may be counted as a course meeting graduation requirements and/or an elective depending on local district policy and therefore would fall into the required elective count.

Are home school credits accepted in accredited schools?

Generally the answer is no unless the state law and regulation provide for the acceptance of home school credit.

Are all courses equal in earned credit?

Generally yes, but not in all cases. Some districts or schools may grant quarter (1/4) credit or (1) full year credit for certain courses where otherwise a one half (1/2) credit is granted. School course descriptions and information usually lists the amount of credit may be earned in a particular course.

What is weighted credit?

Many school districts and schools grant weighted credit for high honors, AP courses or other courses. In some cases the weighted credit may impact a GPA allowing for a higher GPA than those who did not complete credit in the identified courses.

Can my child earn more than a 4.0 GPA?

See above

Who can sign or issue transcripts?

Transcripts are signed and issued by the school where a student is enrolled under the guidelines of the school or school district. Procedures should be on file describing transcript contents.

Who interprets or determines transcript content at a receiving school?

Generally it is the guidance counselor with the final determination resting with the principal. Accredited schools are to have in place procedures that outline how transcripts are analyzed. In some districts there is a district level person with the responsibility for interpretation to assure consistency as well as having experience dealing with foreign transcripts.

Can a school limit the number of credits accepted? Who determines this limit?

State and local districts may have laws and/or regulations in place that provide the number of credits that can be earned from an outside program when an enrolled student takes courses for dual credit at local colleges, correspondence programs or other local school district prescribed methods.

Do all schools accept credits and assign value consistently?

Generally yes. The Northwest Association of Accredited Schools requirement is that all schools maintain a record of decision-making regarding granting credit from non-accredited schools. There is no method of assuring that all schools assign credit the same.

Can a school change a transcript?

Northwest Association of Accredited Schools policies do not allow for a school to alter or not include all sources of credit.

What do I do if I disagree with a schools decision regarding credit acceptance?

The school principal or school head is the appropriate person to meet with to review all student records. In many cases regulations provide that the school principal is the final authority for determining grades, credit and hearing appeals.

Who governs non-accredited school transcripts?

Generally the school or the district has regulations or procedures in place regarding transcripts. Accredited schools adhere to the policy that transcripts include all credits earned and the school of origin. The receiving school is responsible for determining how the courses listed on the transcript apply toward local graduation requirements.

What if a non-accredited school will not accept credits from an accredited school?

Parents are encouraged to meet with the principal first and if resolution cannot be met they can call the Northwest Association and where NAAS will seek to help resolve the issue with either a phone call or letter. If it is in another region NAAS will seek to involve the particular region's association.

Do colleges accept applicants from non-accredited schools?

It depends on the particular college or university. Usually state colleges and universities accept graduates from the high schools in their own state if the student meets the entrance requirements. Out of state applicants will have a greater advantage if they are from an accredited school. The military seeks applicants who attended accredited schools.

What is the difference between credits/transcripts/diplomas from a state accredited school and a regionally accredited school?

It depends on the state and what laws and/or regulations are in place regarding accreditation. The member states of Idaho and Washington have a state accreditation option as well as Northwest Association of Accredited Schools. Alaska, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, and Utah use only Northwest Association of Accredited Schools as their accreditation agency.

How long does it take to earn a credit?

It depends on the kind of school program. Many traditional public school programs use the Carnegie unit (explained below). Distance education schools, special purpose schools and others use completion time for awarding the credit for completing a subject. Schools accepting these credits will review course syllabi and scope and sequence to determine that the course completed matches the content of the course offered in the receiving school.

What is the Carnegie unit?

The Carnegie credit is defined as a minimum of 120 hours of time in a class. It is sometimes referred to as seat time.

Who can grant diplomas?

Schools licensed within the seven Northwest states according to the laws and regulations of the particular state grant diplomas according to published graduation requirements. All states and even school districts may have different graduation requirements.

Who determines at what age a child can enter school?

Individual state laws and/or regulations.

My child is taking dual courses at the community college. Will these credits transfer an out of state college?

Yes, particularly if the community or middle college is an accredited institution.

Are Supplementary School credits accepted by public schools?

Generally, yes. Supplementary Schools have worked to establish communication with the local public schools and school districts to establish procedures for credit acceptance. Sylvan Centers for example provide templates for its centers to use when working with local schools. Parents are encouraged to obtain this information before enrolling students.