Desoto independent school district

What is a Credit by Exam?
Credit by Exam (CBE) are online assessments that are aligned to the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) and provide students with an opportunity to accelerate to the next grade level or earn course credit without having received prior instruction in the grade level or course. According to HB 2694/SB 1365, which amends Sections 24.092 and 28.023 of the Texas Education Code, a school district shall approve at least four examinations for acceleration or for credit for each academic subject.  According to Texas state law, students may attempt acceleration two times, one attempt per testing window for the same grade/subject. After two attempts, the student must take the full course.  Each assessment must satisfy SBOE guidelines. EHDC (Legal) EHDC (Local). 

Who is Eligible to take a Credit by Exam?
Students must be entering grades 1 through 12 in a DeSoto ISD school and attending, if school is in session, to be eligible to take the test. The only students that should take a CBE assessment are those who display an extremely advanced level of understanding of the learning objectives assessed on the exam for acceleration which will be the grade level/course above the grade level/course in which the student is currently enrolled. These students are those that can demonstrate mastery with minimal review.  The student should also demonstrate social maturity and high interest in acceleration.  The exam is not designed for grade level recovery when a student is retained in a previous grade level. Credit by Exam is free to any student enrolled in a DeSoto ISD school.

Once a CBE has been passed, it may not be taken again. Students may only accelerate in one course per subject per testing window. (Example: a 4th-grade assessment and a 5th-grade assessment cannot be taken in the same testing window).  A student may take a specific assessment only once during each window.

Students entering kindergarten will notify the counselor during registration to request a CBE to be administered during the first six weeks of school.

DeSoto ISD shall provide opportunities for a student who is homeless or in substitute care who transfers to the district after the start of the school year to be administered CBE at any point during the school year. 19 TAC 74.24(a)(2)

Assessment Windows
• Assessments will be given at least four times a year according to the assessment windows established by the state.
• Placement in a new grade will only occur at the start of a school year regardless of when the CBE is taken.
• Students who register and do not report for exams may forfeit future opportunities for testing.

Click here for more detailed information regarding Credit by Exam. If you have any questions, contact your school counselor.