Credit Flexibility

I want to start off with a disclaimer… this post is going to give you a broad overview of Credit Flexibility, but it will, in no way, provide all of the information or details about the Worthington Schools Credit Flexibility program. The entire plan is 27 pages long and can be found here. The development of this plan has taken over a year and there are a lot of different aspects so if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to let me know. If I don’t know the answer I will certainly work to find out for you.

As you know, you must earn credits in order to graduate from high school. Typically, you sit through a semester of classwork taught by a teacher and earn ½ a credit when you pass the class. This traditional format can be called “seat time” credit. The simplest way that I can explain credit flexibility is that it is any other way a student earns high school credit other than the traditional seat time credit option. So, for example, a student can develop an independent study project for credit, a student can demonstrate proficiency of a course material by completing an end of course test, project, or combination of test and project, or a student can elect to complete a course through some other program such as online or through a correspondence course.

Educational Options is the first category for credit flexibility. This would be any student designed project or program to earn credit in some area of interest. The most common way that I see this option being used is with independent study programs. One of the neat aspects of this category is that it does not have to be for a course that is already in existence. So, if a student has a passion for underwater basket-weaving and can demonstrate how he/ she will study and develop this area of learning and how it will meet various learning targets then it could be possible for the student to earn high school credit for this area of study.

Demonstration of Proficiency is the second category for credit flexibility. This is basically a way for students to declare that they already have proficiency or understanding of the course content and objectives and that they will demonstrate that proficiency. Each department was required to go through all of the courses offered and determine if it could be assessed through a one time test, through a test plus some type of performance or if it must be through performance alone. For example, a math course likely falls in the test only category. So, a student who wants to demonstrate that they are proficient in Algebra 2, for example, would complete a credit flex application indicating that he/ she would be demonstrating proficiency in Algebra 2. The tests will then be administered on designated dates during the weeks of August 8th, January 2nd, or June 4th and the student would complete the test on the date he/ she had selected. Whatever grade he/ she earned would be reflected on the student’s transcript. A course that is test plus performance might be a Chemistry class where the student would complete the test for the course, but also have to demonstrate that he/ she had knowledge of how to complete some lab elements fundamental to the course curriculum. A performance only option might be a theater course where the student would perform in various plays and programs and earn his/ her credit in that manner.

The final credit flexibility category is “other.” This is basically all of the other aspects of earning credit that do not fall into one of the first two major categories. Courses that are designed, developed and accredited, but provided by a source outside of the traditional Worthington Schools option would be in the other category. This includes courses that are completed through the GOAL’s program, Post-Secondary Enrollment Options, online courses, and correspondence courses.

If you are interested in completing a course through Credit Flexibility, you must complete an application to have it approved before starting your work. The application is available on the district website.

There are a lot of students for whom credit flexibility will be a great option. Please be cautious though because each attempt you take to complete a course through credit flexibility will be reflected on your transcript. As always, if you have any questions, please feel free to stop by and I will do my best to answer them for you.