- What is it?
Credit by examination (CBE) is an acceleration opportunity for a student to potentially earn a unit of high school math credit without enrolling in the full year of the course. The CBE process requires a student to complete 40 weeks of course material in a six to eight week period over the summer.
- Who is it for?
The CBE process is for students who:
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- Are currently enrolled in Grade 8 math or Regents Algebra;
- Have shown a history of successful academic performance as well as success in their current math class; and
- Are seeking to receive credit for either Regents Algebra or Geometry.
A student may not attempt to earn credit by examination for a math course more than once.
| You may apply for credit by exam if: | ||
| Currently enrolled in: | Current grade level: | Credit by exam in: |
| Math 8 | 8 | Algebra I |
| Algebra I | 9 | Geometry |
- What are the required components of the credit by exam process?
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- Students and their families are required to secure a NYS certified math teacher as a tutor for this process. All learning over the summer will be exclusively through the tutor.
- The student will need to complete a comprehensive portfolio to demonstrate evidence of learning that is submitted prior to the August Regents exam.
- The student will need to achieve a score of at least 85% on the appropriate August Regents exam.
- What is the role of the tutor?
Your tutor will instruct all course material for the selected math course over a period of six to eight weeks. The Director of STEM will supply the tutor with an outline for the completion of the credit by exam course. The outline will include the chapters to be learned, timeline for completion, and arrangements for student completion of chapter tests.
Please be advised students and families are responsible for securing a tutor, however, the district can provide recommendations for tutors (a link to tutor recommendations is provided in the application). Further, the Niskayuna School District does not provide payment for tutors and does not manage or negotiate tutoring rates.
- What are the portfolio requirements?
The student will compile a portfolio of the work completed in a 3 ring binder. Portfolio requirements include:
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- A log of time the student worked with the tutor throughout the summer on the required lessons;
- An outline of all work assigned for each chapter;
- Minimum of 5 completed assignments from each chapter. These assignments should be organized by chapter and be clearly labeled to indicate chapter, page and problem numbers;
- Assignments that show mastery of the chapter’s concepts at a variety of cognitive levels. All student work must be neat and organized;
- Tests for each chapter. These tests will have been administered in test conditions. The student will show all work as evidence of the methods used in solving. The test will be corrected by the tutor with a test grade clearly visible on the paper.
- What happens if I do not complete the components of credit by exam?
If a student fails to earn credit by examination for a specific high school course before the next school year, the student must enroll in the course in the Fall and satisfactorily complete the course through the traditional route to receive credit for the course.
- If I am attempting credit by exam in order to access an upper level math course, when could I have my schedule changed to reflect the desired course?
The Niskayuna High School Guidance Department will only allow changes to a student’s schedule when a student has successfully met all components of CBE (see item #3). As Regents exams are held in mid August, a student may not receive the Regents score until late August. Furthermore, enrollment in the desired course is contingent upon enrollment priorities and cannot be guaranteed. Please be aware that enrollment in a desired course next year is not guaranteed and may need to be deferred for another school year.
- When and how do I apply for the high school level change process?
Applications will be sent out via Parent Square to families of all Grade 8 Math and Regents Algebra students in mid-March. Applications are due on May 15. Students and families should expect to receive a response to their application by June 15.