Credit Flexibility, or Credit Flex, refers to educational options at GHS including learning opportunities
and experiences that occur outside the realm of the school day. Students are encouraged to take advantage of these educational opportunities
by offering credit based on their experiences. Any educational option needs to be pre-approved by multiple
parties if high school credit is to be earned. Educational options at GHS include:
Independent Studies
Independent studies are designed for those
students who demonstrate the ability, interest and maturity to accept personal
responsibility for their learning in a selected curricular area and have the
opportunity to pursue it outside of GHS. The purpose of these programs is to develop learners who plan their own
research, learning objectives and a plan to attain those
objectives outside of the traditional classroom with an experienced
mentor. For independent study students,
the mentor is a GHS teacher (Teacher of Record), and the student will be
required to meet with the teacher periodically to monitor progress and provide
feedback.
Credit Flexibility for Outside Experiences
Credit flexibility offers students a chance to expand on the
independent study opportunities as the mentor is not a GHS teacher. The method of assessment will follow the guidelines for your Credit Flexibility Grade. The Board that will award the grade is comprised of an administrator, a teacher in the subject area or outside mentor, and potentially other
pertinent parties. These options are
designed to capitalize on educational experiences for students outside of
normal school hours, or to allow students to take classes that may not fit in
their academic schedules.
Testing Out/Demonstrating Mastery
The
testing out/demonstrating mastery option is an opportunity for a student to
test out of and receive credit for a course prior to taking it. This allows students who have mastered course
content to accelerate through the curriculum at an individual pace. The testing out option will be available to
students at various times before and during the school year (August and
January). GHS has set mastery level at
85%, meaning a student must receive an 85% on the test to opt-out and receive
credit for the class. Students doing
this at the semester must score at least an 85% on the first semester exam to
be eligible to take the second semester test-out option. Students who want to test out of AP courses
must take the AP test the prior spring and score a 3 (B), 4 (A) or 5 (A+). The testing out option for receiving credit
may not meet NCAA Clearinghouse standards for prospective college
athletes. Students who are testing out
may receive a textbook and course outline from GHS in order to prepare for the
exam.