High School Credit and Placement for Summer Coursework Taken Outside of Local Schools: Ten Years After Accreditation
Paula Olszewski-Kubilius, Ph.D & Seon-Young Lee, Ph.D.

Accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCA) in 1994, the Center for Talent Development grants 1 or 2 semesters of credit (depending on the course) upon completion of high school-level courses. CTD surveyed 262 school administrators (180 high school, 82 middle school) of students who attended CTD’s accelerated Summer Program to determine if students were awarded course credit and/or appropriate placement as a result of CTD coursework.

The following summary highlights important findings from this survey, and presents them in the context of previous research data (from surveys conducted in 1992 and 1994).

Findings:

Students increasingly receive credit for CTD summer courses: 28.0% in 1992, 36.0% in 1994, 64.1% in 2002. (Olszewski-Kubilius, Laubscher, Wohl, & Grant, 1996)

60% of schools awarded high school credit or appropriate placement in honors-level or AP courses in similar subjects.

Despite CTD’s designation of most summer courses as two-semester courses, schools increasingly award only one semester credit. One awarded: 34.2% in 1992, 30.0% in 1994, 52.4% in 2002; two awarded: 6.1% in 1992, 50.0% in 1994, 29.5% in 2002.

The school’s policy on credit and placement, the school’s evaluation of students’ mastery level, and summer instructors’ comments about student performance all critically affected whether credit or appropriate placement was awarded.

Both CTD’s accreditation by NCA and the school’s policy regarding credit or placement profoundly impacted schools’ actions.

Prior notice of students’ planned participation and previewing summer course syllabi increasingly factored into high schools’ decisions about credit: 24.8% in 1992, 35.8% in 1994, and 61.2% in 2002.

High schools in states with dual enrollment programs were more likely to grant credit and factor CTD grades into the overall GPA since they already accepted credits earned “outside” their schools.

The type of course (i.e. whether it was the same as the school’s course or different) was increasingly an important consideration for credit decisions (48.2% from 1994 to 74.0% from 2002).

Middle schools used the level of students’ mastery or achievement, based on the school’s own criteria or the summer program’s standardized tests or measures, to decide whether to adjust students’ placement.

Less than half of students had CTD course grades factored into their GPA. Families may have been concerned how CTD course performance would affect GPA.

Advocacy for outside-of-school coursework credit is imperative to receiving it (Olszewski-Kubilius, Laubscher, Wohl, & Grant, 1996).

Putting the Research to Use:

Students considering taking a credit-bearing CTD summer course should:

Consider requesting credit from their home schools, particularly if the school is also accredited by NCA, CTD’s accrediting agency.

Familiarize themselves with the school’s stated policy on credit and placement.

Contact the school prior to the summer program, providing school personnel with the opportunity to preview the summer course syllabus.

References are available at www.ctd.northwestern.edu.