Students may earn high school credit in a variety of ways beyond traditional classroom instruction. This page outlines options to:
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Recover credit for courses previously failed or incomplete,
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Earn credit through examination or self-paced coursework, and
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Take certain courses on a Pass/Fail basis when appropriate.
These pathways provide flexibility for students to stay on track for graduation, accelerate learning, or complete coursework at an individualized pace.
Online & Virtual Options
The tabs below outline how students can earn or recover high school credit through online or virtual programs, allowing for flexible, self-paced learning.
Credit by Exam (CBE) allows students in grades 6–12 to earn course credit by demonstrating mastery of course content through an approved examination. CBE may be used for course acceleration, credit validation, or, in some cases, credit recovery. Austin ISD uses Texas Education Agency (TEA) approved examinations provided by the University of Texas and Texas Tech University.
Students who have not received prior instruction in a course may take a CBE to earn credit if they demonstrate mastery.
- Score 80% or higher on the CBE assessment
- Score 3 or higher on an AP exam
- Score 50 or higher on a CLEP exam
Additional Guidelines:
- Failing scores are not recorded on the transcript.
- Passing grades may be averaged with classroom grades.
- Students may not rescind a CBE request once completed.
- Credit is recorded as non-weighted unless AP/CLEP.
Students who have received formal instruction in a course may take a CBE to earn or validate credit.
- Score 70% or higher on a District-approved CBE.
Additional Guidelines:
- Failing scores are not recorded on the transcript.
- If not passed, students may retest once at their expense.
- Passing grades may be averaged with classroom grades.
- Students may not rescind a CBE request once completed.
- Cannot retake for higher grade after passing standards.
- Credit is recorded as non-weighted unless AP/CLEP.
The DELTA Program is an academic option for students currently enrolled at Navarro, offering individualized, self-paced instruction to help students earn credits and graduate on time.
Courses are completed during a scheduled class period. Students may access materials online or offline using AISD curriculum. Enrollment continues until all courses are completed.
Garza High School Online offers AISD students the opportunity to enroll in self-paced online courses for credit recovery or credit acceleration. Courses must be completed within a two-semester period during the Garza academic year. These courses are free for AISD students in grades 8–12.
To enroll, students must first receive approval from their cohort counselor and submit an online application to Garza High School Online. For more information, contact Garza High School Online at (512) 414-8622.
Outside of the Traditional School Day Options
The tabs below outline ways students can earn or recover high school credit through programs held outside regular school hours, including Summer School and Twilight Evening School.
Summer School provides students opportunities to earn original credit or recover failed courses. Courses are completed during the summer session and are designed to keep students on track for graduation or advance them academically.
Twilight Evening School gives high school students the opportunity to regain lost credits during extended hours, Monday through Thursday, 4:30 PM to 7:30 PM. Students can complete courses through online or teacher-led instruction.
The program supports students in staying on track to graduate by helping them:
- Recover and re-enroll students who have dropped out, using extended hours as an incentive.
- Regain high school course credits.
- Prepare for standardized tests, including EOC preparation classes.
Additional Options
The tabs below outline other ways students can earn or recover high school credit beyond the online, virtual, and extended-day programs listed above.
High school students may choose to take certain courses on a Pass/Fail (P/F) basis. This option allows students to earn course credit without the grade impacting their grade point average (GPA). Pass/Fail courses must be taken beyond state and district graduation requirements and cannot be used to satisfy elective credit requirements for the student’s declared graduation plan.
Pass/Fail Guidelines:
- Students must request Pass/Fail status no later than the last instructional day of the first nine weeks of the semester.
- Approval is required from the principal or designee, the course teacher, and the student’s parent or guardian.
- Pass/Fail status must be requested each semester and cannot be changed once approved.
- This option is available only for courses that award high school credit.
- Numerical grades are recorded during the grading periods, but the final course grade will appear as “P” (Pass) or “F” (Fail) on the transcript.
- Transfer courses with a Pass or Fail grade will remain recorded as “P” or “F,” will not be included in GPA calculations.
Yearlong averaging allows students to earn full course credit by combining the grades from both semesters and calculating the average. For example, if a student earns a 64 in Semester 1 and a 76 in Semester 2, the average is 70, and the student earns full credit for the course.
Students who currently owe hours due to credit denials will not receive full course credit through yearlong averaging until the outstanding hours for one or both semesters have been cleared.
Yearlong averaging is processed by the Office of the Registrar and is updated in the Student Information System on a weekly basis.