Tuscaloosa County School System

Enrolling In A Tuscaloosa County School:     Placement of Transfer Students

STUDENTS TRANSFERRING FROM A DIFFERENT ACADEMIC CALENDAR

The high schools in the Tuscaloosa County School System operate on a schedule that allows students to complete eight credits each year.  Transfer students who enroll from a different academic calendar will be placed in the most closely matched courses to earn the student the maximum credit possible.  Due to state mandates that require a student to pass specific content in the core courses and state guidelines that will not allow a student to receive credit for a course for which he/she has already received credit, it will at times be impossible to receive eight credits in a transfer year.

The students must be aware that the later in the semester one enters, the more difficult the task of making up work and/or mastering content necessary for successful completion of all courses.  The responsibility for mastering content already presented prior to the student's enrollment rests with the student.  Teachers will make information and materials available to students and will assist newly enrolled students in any ways which are practical; however, re-teaching of previous content, administering additional tests, or reviewing the course is not practical.

THE FOLLOWING PLACEMENT PROCEDURES SHALL APPLY TO ALL STUDENTS TRANSFERRING INTO THE SCHOOL SYSTEM:

TRANSFERS FROM ACCREDITED SCHOOLS

1. A student transferring from a public or non-public school accredited by AdvancED Accreditation Commission (NCA Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement, the Northwest Accreditation Commission, and the SACS Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement) will have credits accepted without validation upon receipt of official transcripts (AAC 290-3-1-02 (7)(d)).
2. The decision about grade placement (K-12) will be based solely on the grade classification of the student at the school previously attended.

GPA DETERMINATION FOR TRANSFERS FROM ACCREDITED SCHOOLS

1. Transfer student coming in with AP/IB courses:  Students receive the weight indicated on the transcript for AP/IB courses.  The transcript is not changed.  However, weight is not to exceed 1.0 for AP/IB and 0.5 for Honors.
2. If former school did not give weight for Honors courses, do not give weight.  The transcript is not changed.  If additional weight was not added for honors courses at former school, no weigth will be added.  EXCEPTION - weighted credit of 1.0 may be given for AP/IB courses even if former school did not give weight.
3. Students transferring into Tuscaloosa County School System for the senior year are not eligible for valedictorian or salutatorian.
4. Accept grades submitted along with grading scale (cannot change a grade - for example, if grade submitted is 74-D, cannot change this to a C based on Tuscaloosa County School System's grading scale).
5. If former school awarded weight for elective courses, no weight will be awarded by the Tuscaloosa County School System.  EXCEPTION - weighted credit of 1.0 may be given for AP/IB elective courses if former school awarded weight.

TRANSFERS FROM NON-ACCREDITED SCHOOL SETTINGS

Grades K-5 - Using all available records and nationally standardized tests, if available, from the sending school, the principal or his/her designee shall determine placement.  The process for making decisions about grade placement may take into consideration a variety of factors, including age, maturity, motor coordination, capacity for learning, and academic progress.  If there is a question about a transfer student's placement, he/she may be assigned to a lower grade for a three (3) to six (6) weeks evaluation period.  Based on the student's performance during this evaluation period, placement may then be changed to the appropriate grade level for a probationary period.  Final grade placement will be determined after this probationary period.

Grades 6-8 - Using all available records and nationally standardized tests, if available, from the sending school, the principal or his/her designee shall determine placement.

Grades 9-12 -  To allow transfer of credits and/or determine the appropriate class/grade placement of a student transferring to this system from a non-accredited or home school, the following shall be implemented:

1. Credit for all elective courses shall be accepted without validation.
2. Uncontested credit for core courses (English, mathematics, science and social studies) shall be transferred as follows:

• • Using all available records and nationally standardized tests, if available, the principal or his/her designee shall determine the appropriate placement and then notify the student and the parent/guardian.
  • For any initial core course the student completes successfully in this system, he/she shall be permitted to transfer in that subject area all previous credits earned at a non-accredited or home school.

      3. Contested credit for core courses (English, mathematics, science and social studies) shall be transferred as follows:

• • The principal or his/her designee shall supervise the administration of the school systems' content-based course specific validation test.  For each validation test passed, the student shall be placed in the next level core course and credit for the prerequisite course(s) shall be transferred.  Once a grade-level has been validated, all preceding courses in that content area are recorded as validated.

      4. In the event of the existence of controversial records/transcripts and/or the absence of any official or notarized records/transcripts, the principal or his/her designee shall supervise the administration of the school systems' content-based course specific validation test.  For each validation test passed, the student shall be placed in the next level core course and credit for the prerequisite course(s) shall be transferred.  Once a grade-level course has been validated, all preceding courses in that content area are recorded as validated (Policy 4.80).

SENIOR TRANSFER STUDENTS

Except in a case of bona fide change of residence or other circumstances equally valid for making an exception, a student is not to be graduated from high school unless he/she has been in continuous attendance therein during the entire high school year immediately preceding the date of graduation.

STUDENTS ENTEREING WHO HAVE NOT ATTENDED ANY SCHOOL PREVIOUSLY THIS YEAR