JFABC
ADMISSION  OF  TRANSFER  STUDENTS

(Academic Credit Transfer)

Academic credit for students who transfer from public schools, private schools, Arizona online instruction, or a homeschooling environment shall be determined on a uniform and consistent basis.

Elementary

Academic credit for placement in the common school subjects and grades shall be based upon teacher recommendations and previous grade level assignments subject to the determination that the student can meet the standards adopted by the State Board of Education for the grade level assignment.

Credit  for  Graduation  Requirements

Core credit for purposes of this policy shall be the nineteen and one half (19 1/2) units of non-elective credit required for graduation by the Catalina Foothills Unified School District No. 16 Governing Board: four (4) units of English, four (4) units of mathematics, three (3) units of science, four (4) units of social studies, two (2) units of world languages, one (1) unit of fine arts or career and technical education, one (1) unit of physical education, and one-half (1/2) unit of health and wellness.

The District may evaluate the transcripts of transfer students for the assignment of credit pursuant to Section 15-701.01.

The District shall provide to a student who transfers credit from a public school, private school, Arizona online instruction, or a homeschooling environment a list that indicates which credits have been accepted as either elective or core credits by the District.  Within ten (10) business days after receiving the list, a student may request to take an examination in each particular course in which core credit has been denied.  The District shall accept the credit as a core credit for each particular course in which the student takes an examination and receives a passing score on a test aligned to the competency requirements adopted pursuant to A.R.S. 15-701.01, that is designed and evaluated by a teacher in the District who teaches the subject matter on which the examination is based.

The District shall not charge a fee to a student who takes an examination in a particular course to obtain academic credit from the District.  Any test administered shall be an assessment that is aligned to the course-relevant state academic standards.  The District shall not require proof of payment as a condition of the District accepting credits earned from an Arizona online course provider for classes taken between May 1 and July 31.

All core credit courses must meet the standards adopted by the State Board of Education.  If the State Board of Education has not adopted standards for an elective subject, the District is responsible for adopting competency requirements for the successful completion of the elective subject.

School  Districts  Receiving  Students  in
Foster  Care  Who  Transfer  Pursuant
to  a  Best  Interest  in  Educational
Placement  Determination  in  Grades
Nine  Through  Twelve

Pursuant to 15-701.04, the District will:

1.  Specify how academic credits, including partial credits, that were earned by the student in foster care at the school of origin will be calculated for students who transfer schools while the student is enrolled in grades nine (9) through twelve (12); guidelines shall include alternative methods for the enrolling school to calculate and accept academic credit; and

2.  Determine if earned credits will be accepted as core or elective credits.  All reasonable measures shall be taken to ensure that the credits that foster students earn are accepted as core credits.

No later than ten (10) business days after the District receives the foster child’s educational records from the school of origin, the District must meet with the foster child to review and update the student’s graduation plan, including participation in credit recovery programs, if necessary.  A written copy of the graduation plan shall be provided to the student, parents who have maintained parental rights, and any legal guardian, custodian, caregiver, or foster parent.

School  Districts  Transferring
Educational  Records  for  Foster
Students  Who  Transfer  Pursuant
to  a  Best  Interest  in  Educational
Placement  Determination  in
Grades  Nine  Through  Twelve

The District shall develop and adopt policies concerning the transfer of educational records by a school of origin for a foster child enrolled in grades nine (9) through twelve (12).  These records must include: all earned academic credits, including partial credits and documentation of competencies achieved in a course in which partial credit was not received.  An enrolling school may administer a local competency assessment to award full or partial credit for core competencies identified in a foster child’s educational records.  The District may not require that a foster child, enrolled in grades eleven (11) or twelve (12), satisfy graduation requirements that are in addition to or higher than those prescribed by the State Board of Education.

Graduation requirements as prescribed by the Arizona State Board of Education (ASBOE) and Catalina Foothills School District (CFSD) are as follows:

The ASBOE and CFSD require all students to pass the Arizona Civics Test per A.R.S. 15-701.01.  Through the graduating class of 2025, students must correctly answer sixty (60) of one hundred (100) questions in order to meet the graduation requirement.  Beginning with the graduating class of 2026, students must correctly answer seventy (70) of one hundred (100) questions to meet the requirement.

Adopted:  October 1, 2024

LEGAL REF.:
A.R.S.
1-701
15-189.03
15-701.01
15-701.04
15-745
15-808
A.A.C.
R7-2-302

CROSS REF.:
JFABDA - Admission of Students in Foster Care
JG - Assignment of Students to Classes and Grade Levels