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Student Records & TranscriptBest Practices

Counseling and GuidanceAlabama State Department of Education

Today’s VERY Flexible Agenda

1:00 pm ACCESS Information 1:10 pm Student Records1:30 pm Transcripts Part I2:15 pm BREAK2:30 pm Transcripts Part II3:00 pm Student Data Application/Credit Tracking Tool

Local Boards of EducationRecords Disposition AuthorityThis RDA establishes retention and disposition instructions for records listed, regardless of the medium on which those records maybe kept. Electronic mail, for example, is a communications tool that may record permanent or temporary information. As for records in any other format, the retention periods for e-mail records are governed by the requirements of the subfunctions to which the records belong.

Any record created by a local school or board of education prior to 1900 shall be regarded as permanent.

Student Records§ Student Records (7.01). These are the official student records of an

individual student during his/her period of enrollment in the school. They have continuing legal and administrative value to the school and local board of education, as well as to the student, gathering in one file all important and relevant information pertaining to the student. These remain in a school or another location designated by the superintendent for all students who have attended the school.

§ A duplicate copy is filed in the local superintendent’s office or some storage place other than the school ( AAC, 290-3-1). The records are subject to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) (34 CFR, 99.3).

Student RecordsNumber Record Title Disposition

7.01 Student Records PERMANENT

These are the official records of individual students for their period of enrollment at a school. Information in student records may include identifying information, immunization data, standardized test scores, writing assessment results, cumulative card, health information, legal records, English as a Second Language (ESL) records, final reportcard, and graduation/termination data. Access to these records is governed by the Federal Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) (34 CFR, 99.3)

Student RecordsNote: It is not the legal mandate of the Local Government Records

Commission to set policy concerning the contents of student records. This is a matter for the local school board to decide, in consultation with the State Department of Education.

Note: The local board has the responsibility to maintain student recordsof any nonpublic school that discontinues operation and has no higher administrative office, as well as those of closed public schools. Under the Private Tutor Law, student records of home-schooled children are also reported to the board, as required by Code of Alabama 1975, Section 16-28-5.

Student RecordsNumber Record Title Disposition

7.08 Requests for Transcript/Records Retain for 1 Year*

These records document requests from current and former students for copies of their records to be sent to other educational institutions or employers and the response to such requests.Requests go to the school, if it is still in existence, or to the school board if the school has closed.

*ALSDE Recommendation is to retain until the Graduation Cohort has been finalized.

STUDENT TRANSCRIPTS

Student Academic Information § Schools should use Alabama state-approved course titles and six-digit

course code numbers§ All courses to be counted toward a student’s diploma requirements

must be listed on the high school transcript with grades and credits and factor into the cumulative GPA.

§ Designation of diploma endorsements awarded should be included, if applicable.

§ Cumulative grade point average (GPA) should be calculated by semester, trimester, or on an annual basis. The total number of credits earned by the student should also be listed.

§ Class rank may be listed. § Honors and/or weighted courses should be clearly identified.

VALID COURSES

Valid CoursesThe school system and individual school valid course files should be updated annually to reflect only those courses which are found in the current Subject and Personnel Codes. The 2017-2018 Subject and Personnel Codes can be found at: http://www.alsde.edu/dept/data/Pages/subjectandpersonnelcodes-all.aspx

Valid Courses Notes from Transcript Audits§ Course Names in ALL CAPS§ Regular ”General and Basic” vs. Advanced vs. Honors§ Advanced Placement/International Baccalaureate § Biology II and Chemistry II§ AP/IB Labs§ Intervention courses for Reading and Mathematics§ Physical Education Courses§ Local Electives

Valid Courses Notes from Transcript Audits§ Algebra with Finance Modified§ Using AP Course Numbers but not AP Course Names§ Using AP Course Numbers and AP Course Names without College

Board approval. See AP Course Audit and AP Course Ledger.§ Health 1.0 CR and Drivers Education 1.0§ Essentials Pathway Courses and Alternate Achievement Standards

Courses

ALABAMA HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMAGRADUATION REQUIREMENTS

TRANSFER STUDENTSGRADES AND TRANSFER TRANSCRIPTS

TRANSFER STUDENTSGRADES AND TRANSFER TRANSCRIPTS§ Transfer grades in coursework should always be recorded as

indicated on the transcript from the sending school. The school administrator should always do his or her best to match coursework to courses within the Alabama Course of Study, when possible, and follow all local school board policies regarding the recognition and acceptance of transfer credit. In cases where courses taken at the sending school are determined to align with Alabama courses, the previous course title may be used or converted to the Alabama course title.

§ Often an elective course title, even those not listed in the Alabama’s Subject and Personnel Codes, are transferred, as is, to the receiving high school transcript.

TRANSFER STUDENTSGRADES AND TRANSFER TRANSCRIPTS§ If information on the transcript is not clear, it is incumbent upon the

receiving school to contact the applicable high school for clarification. In addition, schools and school systems are strongly encouraged to recognize the work the student has accomplished to date in an effort to prevent the student from starting the course from the beginning. Dates of attendance, in conjunction with the course enrollment dates, can be used to derive this information.

§ Most credits are transferred as they were earned in the previous school. There may be instances of schools that use different credit conversion scales. In these cases, school systems should have a clear local board policy and regarding the transfer of credits into the credit conversion scale used by the new school.

JROTC, LIFE PE, and CAREER PREPAREDNESS

JROTC, LIFE PE, & CAREER PREPAREDNESSOne (1.0) JROTC course may substitute for LIFE PE and one (1.0) JROTC course may substitute for Career Preparedness.

Local school systems should have clearly defined course progression pathways that indicate the embedded course standards and all information related to JROTC/LIFE PE/CAREER PREPAREDNESS course pathways should be included in the Student Handbook.

In the directions included in the JROTC memos, it is required that LEAs demonstrate that content standards of LIFE PE and Career Preparedness are included within JROTC courses.

MATH AND MATH-ELIGIBLE CREDIT COURSES

MATH AND MATH-ELIGIBLE CREDIT COURSES

Once a student completes the mathematics courses required for graduation (Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II), the 4th and/or the 5th math decision is up to what the LEA will allow. This would include dual enrollment mathematics courses.

*NOTE—Algebraic Connections must be taken between Geometry and Algebra II and must never be the final math course a student takes.

MATH AND MATH-ELIGIBLE CREDIT COURSESIt is imperative that a student’s plans for college or postsecondary should be considered when selecting a mathematics-credit eligible course:

Career Mathematics (400024)AP Computer Science A, AP (520007)AP Computer Science Principles (520018)

*NOTE—Career Mathematics or Algebra with Finance may serve as a substitute for Algebra II. Career Mathematics or Algebra with Finance may be taken before or after Algebra II.

SCIENCE AND SCIENCE-ELIGIBLE CREDIT COURSES

SCIENCE AND SCIENCE-ELIGIBLE CREDIT COURSESThe following Career and Technical Education courses are science-credit eligible. Teachers holding the appropriate science certifications and those with appropriate Career and Technical Education certification may teach the courses below for science credit.§ Forensic and Criminal Investigations (410025)§ Plant Biotechnology (420053)§ Aquaculture Science (420037)§ Introduction to Biotechnology (490041)§ PLTW Principles of Engineering (560016)

SCIENCE AND SCIENCE-ELIGIBLE CREDIT COURSESThe following Career and Technical Education courses contain similar content as courses in the 2015 Alabama Course of Study: Science. Students may not receive science credit for both courses.§ Chemistry of Food (510013)—similar content as Chemistry (220061)§ Environmental Management (420026)—similar content as

Environmental Science (220029)§ Human Body Structures and Functions (490015)–similar content as

Human Anatomy and Physiology (220026)§ PLTW Human Body Systems (490043)–similar content as Human

Anatomy and Physiology (220026)

COURSES PRIOR TO GRADE 9

Courses Prior to Grade 9The following courses have been approved for students to complete prior to Grade 9:

§ Algebra I—1.0§ Foreign Language I—1.0§ Business Technology Applications—1.0§ Career Preparedness Part A—0.5

It is local school system decision to award graduation credit for any approved courses in Grade 8. Awarding of graduation credit for courses in Grade 8 must be included in local school board policy. If no graduation credit is awarded, students would fulfill the high school diploma graduation requirement but would be responsible for earning additional graduation credit in respective content areas.

STUDENT ASSESSMENT RESULTS

STUDENT ASSESSMENT RESULTS

LEAs and local schools should have clear policies and procedures that address how student assessment results are displayed on student cumulative records (Chalkable, Labels, Score Reports, etc.)

LEAs and local schools should have clear policy and procedure for the use of student assessment result labels and how those labels are stored and secured. Student assessment results must remain as part of the student’s permanent record and results labels must remain as part of the local school’s records retention/disposition.

STUDENT ASSESSMENT RESULTS

§ College Board policy suggests that PSAT/NMSQT scores not become part of any student’s transcript that is routinely shared with outside entities, such as colleges, scholarship organizations, or potential employers.

§ Sharing of scores should only be at the student’s request. The same policy applies to SAT scores, which can become particularly important since students have the option of score choice, allowing them to choose which scores are sent to colleges.

§ ACT policies allow schools to locally decide whether to list ACT scores on a student’s transcript.

DUAL ENROLLMENT

DUAL ENROLLMENT

§ Dual Enrollment vs. College Credit

§ Only Dual Enrollment courses that fulfill the Alabama High School Diploma requirements should be listed on the student’s high school transcript.

§ College Credit courses should only be listed on the student’s college transcript.

DUAL ENROLLMENT

Potential Hurdles:§ Cumulative Grade Point Averages (GPAs) could potentially be

calculated inaccurately.§ Class Rankings could potentially be reported inaccurately.§ Students’ Academic Achievements could potentially be overstated or

not fully recognized.§ Examples of students completing HS course(s) as well as college

course(s). ENG 101 & ENG 102 as well as Honors English 12.

TRANSCRIPT ERRORS AND CORRECTION PROCEDURES

TRANSCRIPT ERRORS AND CORRECTION PROCEDURES§ To ensure the integrity of the process, it is recommended an official

grade/course change form be approved and signed by the principal and also signed by the local superintendent before any change is made to a student transcript.

§ Once approved, the school principal, school counselor, or registrar should place a copy of the form in the student's cumulative record in the event that concerns arise.

NON-TRADITIONAL HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA OPTION

NON-TRADITIONAL HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA OPTIONOption 1: An adult who earned an Alabama High School Certificate

of Attendance , but did not pass the Alabama High School Graduation Exam.

Option 2: An adult who has dropped out of high school and has earned 10 or more graduation credits from an Alabama High School, and requires additional graduation credits for high school completion.

NON-TRADITIONAL HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA OPTION

STUDENT CREDIT TRACKING TOOL AIM PORTAL

Sean J. Stevens, Education Administratorsstevens@alsde.edu

Willietta Conner, Education Specialistwconner@alsde.edu

Wanda Langley, Education Specialistwlangley@alsde.edu

Counseling and GuidanceAlabama State Department of Education

334-242-9111

http://www.alsde.edu/sec/cg/Pages/home.aspx