Exams/Testing

Spring Exam Schedule

Exemptions

Semester Exams (High School Credit Courses) are administered in all high school credit courses at the end of the fall and spring semester.

1.  Semester exams must be representative of the work of the entire semester.
2. Exams for courses in which students are required to take a STAAR EOC exam will count as a major grade during that nine-week grading period.
3. Any exceptions to this policy for the administration of semester exams must be made at the department level with Principal approval. 

High School Exam Exemption Criteria

Course Exemption List

• Core courses are defined as courses within the English language arts (Not including Language Arts elective), Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, and World languages and Cultures content areas—unless identified as an elective in the course description of the Educational Planning Guide (EPG).
• Electives are defined as any/all CTE, VPA, Health/Physical education, innovative course/s, and other courses identified as an elective in the course description as outlined in the EPG. Any other course would be considered a core course (excluding AP).

o   Example: If the course is listed as both core and CTE in the EPG, it is considered an elective and not core for the purposes of exemption.

Criteria/Guidelines for Exemption Qualification

1. Unpaid fees/fines = exemption denied for ALL exams
2. Course Semester Average & Attendance Requirements per course

* Note: If an AP student does not meet criterion #2 above, they MUST meet criterion #3 below:

3. AP Course Semester Average & Attendance Requirements per course
   1. Must take the AP exam aligned with the course (Fall semester AP courses – must be registered for the AP exam)
   2. 90-100 and no more than 4 absences per semester
   3. 80-89 and no more than 3 absences per semester
   4. 70-79 and no more than 2 absences per semester
   5. All absences count against exemption qualifications with the exception of school related business (such as UIL, field trips, etc).       5 tardies = 1 absence
4. Discipline

• ISS/OSS the semester of the exam = exemption denied for ALL exams
• DAEP placement or continuation of prior placement = exemption denied for ALL exams for the Fall and Spring semester
• Honor Code violation = exemption denied for ALL exams for the Fall and Spring semester
• Discipline referral in a class during the semester = exemption denied for THAT class

Any student eligible for exemption may elect to take semester exams to improve his/her grade. With this choice, a student’s semester average may only be increased by the examination grade and may not be reduced by the examination grade.

 Appeals regarding the loss of exemption eligibility must be submitted in writing to the campus Administrator for consideration for a waiver to these criteria, prior to semester exams. Decisions regarding waivers and exam exemptions may not be appealed beyond the campus Principal.

 Exemption eligibility only excuses a student from taking a semester exam. It does NOT excuse a student from class attendance.