Policy for Accepting Credits
5.6.6 Credits and Records.
Each school shall abide by the following policies and shall adopt policies and implementation procedures for addressing the acceptance of credits.
5.6.1 Accepting Credits from Regionally Accredited Schools.
Member schools are required to accept credits from schools accredited by any Northwest Association of Accredited Schools member and schools located only within the original states of the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools, North Central Association of Schools and Colleges, New England Association of Schools and Colleges, Northwest Association of Accredited Schools, Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, and Western Association of Schools and Colleges, and subject to any of their own state laws. Credits must also be accepted from third-party schools that are accredited by the Northwest Association through official third-party agreement with those agencies.
Districts and schools can certainly put limits on the number of credits, if any, that are allowed from other regionally accredited school toward any recognition, such as valedictorian, salutatorian, honors, etc. Schools hold the ultimate decision when determining credit acceptance toward student recognition.
It is recognized that a student may transfer to a regionally accredited public school from a regionally accredited private religious schools and seek to transfer credits for courses that are not allowable in public institutions. To ensure the student’s transcript is an accurate record, the transcript must identify the courses and school of origin in accordance with policy .5.5.4 - Records and Transcripts. The receiving school is responsible for determining whether or not these courses apply toward local graduation requirements.
5.6.6.2 Accepting Credits from Non Regionally Accredited Schools.
Member schools are required to adopt written policies and implementation regulations for accepting credits from nonregionally accredited schools and identifying the school of origin. Schools in this category may include nonregionally accredited schools that may be state-accredited, and schools accredited by other agencies (such as third party agencies) that are not current members of the Northwest Association. Such a policy could be as simple as not accepting any credits from nonregionally accredited schools. Schools and districts can certainly put limits on the number of credits, if any, that are allowed from a non-accredited school toward completion of required courses, graduation with their school’s diploma and/or any recognition, such as valedictorian, salutatorian, honors, etc. Schools hold the ultimate decision when determining whether and how to accept credits from nonregionally accredited schools.
5.6.6.3 Definition of a Credit.
A credit is 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 state, informed by national guidelines.
5.6.6.4 Records and Transcripts.
a. Record of the Decision Process. Schools are required to keep record of the decision-making process for granting credit from non-accredited schools.
b. Transcripts. Transcripts must reflect the origin of credits from all schools.
5.6.6.5 Release of Information.
State Accreditation Committees or the Association Office shall not release to the press or other communication agencies any comparative data involving member schools. Information relating to a school's specific deviations from standards and information related to the Response Team (Visiting Committee) report must be obtained from the member school.
5.6.6.6 Student Records.
a. Schools are required to maintain records for each student that sha ll include:
- subjects taken,
- grades by subject,
- credits earned,
- attendance records, and
- standard test scores.
b. Other records should include, but not be limited to, the following:
- participation in school activities,
- citizenship and discipline information as required by law, and
- health information.
No personally identifiable information from the educational records of any student or group of students may be released by a member school except as provided by relevant state and federal legislation.