405R-E - Entering Frederick County Schools from Non-Accredited Private or Non-Public Schools

  1. Entering Frederick County Schools from Non-Accredited Private or Non-Public Schools 

    An elementary or middle school student transferring from a private or parochial school without accreditation recognized by the Virginia Board of Education or other state’s Board of Education or accrediting agency must meet established grade assignment criteria for Frederick County Public Schools. Placement may be made on the basis of previous school records or placement may, in the judgment of the principal, require an assessment provided by Frederick County Public Schools. 

    Children who reached the age of five after September 30, who were not eligible to attend public school, and have been attending kindergarten in a non-accredited private school, will normally be registered for kindergarten placement for the next academic year. However, the parents of any such student may request the school principal to consider the student for possible placement in grade one. Prior to the student’s entry, the principal will determine the appropriate placement upon review of the student’s transcript, other school records and curricula, and the results of any placement tests that may have been administered. The principal shall meet with the parents to consider any information they may wish to present. The principal’s grade placement decision shall be final. 

    A high school student transferring into Frederick County Public Schools from a non-public school without accreditation recognized by the Virginia Board of Education or other state’s Board of Education or accrediting agency will earn credits and have grade level assignment determined in the following manner: 

    1. Credit will be considered in academic courses in which a student has documentation of passing such courses through Virginia Department of Education approved distance learning or correspondence courses or verified by the official transcript issued by the non-accredited private school.

    2. Credit will be awarded for such courses (English, mathematics, science, and social studies) in which a student satisfactorily passes tests that may be approved by the superintendent of schools. Efforts will be made to complete the testing within twenty (20) school days after the date of admission.

    3. Credit may be awarded in other disciplines or non-core courses (courses other than English, mathematics, social studies, or science) when documentation of accomplished work is approved by the assistant superintendent for instruction. For example, a portfolio or performance may be required for a student seeking credit in the arts, foreign language, or other elective courses.

    4. Courses transferred from non-accredited schools will receive "P" or "F" grades.

    5. Grade level placement will be determined by the number of credits earned in accordance with established grade assignment criteria of Frederick County Public Schools. (See school handbook or policy manual.)

      1. Graduation Requirements

         Graduation requirements for students who have participated in non- accredited schools will be the same as those for all Frederick County Public School students, with exceptions provided for in Regulations Establishing Standards for Accrediting Public Schools in Virginia, in its most recently adopted form.

      2. Grade Point Average and Class Rank

         Students previously instructed in non-accredited private or non-public schools will not receive a grade point average or class rank until 51% of their credits are in regular education courses taught at an accredited public or private school and for which grades of A, B, C, D, F are awarded. See school handbook for schedule for calculations of grade point average.

    6. Honors and Awards

      Students previously instructed in non-accredited schools may compete for, be considered for, and earn all honors on the same basis as all Frederick County Public School students subject to the provisions provided in the previous section of this policy/regulation.

  2. Admission of Non-public School Students for Part-time Enrollment

    Parents or legal guardians of private school students who wish to enroll their children on a part-time basis in Frederick County Public Schools for participation in academic and or certain extracurricular/club activities, shall, along with the student, conform with the following provisions: 

    1. Admission

      The parent or guardian shall identify children as private school students who desire part-time enrollment in academic, fine arts, or career and technical education courses.

      • These students must register in the attendance zone school serving their residence for a maximum of two classes on a space-available basis. 

      • Application for private school students as part-time students must be submitted to the school principal no later than August 1 of the school year in which the parent or guardian wishes to enroll the students. Applications received after that date will not be considered for admission for that school year. 

      • Students admitted under this regulation shall be designated as part-time students. They must meet all requirements for admission to a public school including immunizations. 

      • Part-time enrollment is not available to students of elementary or middle school age. 

      • At the time of application for admission, part-time students shall designate each allowable extracurricular or club activity in which they wish to participate. 

      • Extracurricular or club activities are limited to one option for each class in which the student is enrolled (maximum two); all club rules shall apply. 

      • Circumstances may exist, as determined by the principal, that make registration of a student impractical. Non-consecutive classes resulting in layovers at the school is an example of such a circumstance. 

      • All applying non-public resident students must be “students in good standing” meaning that there are no pending or active administrative, school board, or court actions related to the student. 

    2. Enrollment

      Part-time students must enroll in at least one academic class for each co-curricular or club activity in which they request to participate.

      • Part-time students shall have completed or met all prerequisite course work or the equivalent required of full-time public school students wishing to enroll in that course. 

      • Enrollment of part-time students in a course will always be on a space-available basis as determined by the principal. 

      • Students may enroll in no more than two courses at the high school level. Such enrollment is subject to space availability and shall be in the students’ designated school attendance zone. 

      • Once enrolled, a part-time student shall comply with all applicable school rules and regulations including code of student conduct. 

      • Part-time students who violate school board policy or regulation shall be subject to disciplinary action up to and including dismissal and shall be afforded due process, as provided for by law. 

      • Part-time students are not eligible to participate in Virginia High School League sanctioned activities. 

    3. Activities

      1. Part-time students wishing to participate in an extracurricular or club activity (excepting Virginia High School League activities) shall satisfy the same criteria required for such activities that full-time students must satisfy and shall participate in any try-out or selection process required of full-time students.

      2. Part-time students enrolled in Frederick County Public Schools will not be permitted to try-out for or participate on any team or in any activity that requires eligibility which cannot be met by part-time status.

    4. Transportation

      The parents or guardians of part-time students shall be responsible for the transportation of the child to and from school, including any expenses incident thereto. The Assistant Superintendent for Administration or designee, however, may conditionally authorize such a student temporarily to utilize general student transportation provided by Frederick County Public Schools, subject to: reasonable space availability; assurance of no modification in schedules, routes or stops and no additional expense to Frederick County Public Schools; strict compliance with transportation rules and other codes of conduct; and written acknowledgement by the parents or guardians that the authorization may be revoked at any time by the superintendent, director of transportation, or school principal at any time without cause or prior notice. Determinations of authorization, denial, or revocation of temporary transportation for part-time students shall be final upon the decision of the superintendent or designee.

    5. Academic Credit
      1. Part-time high school students are not candidates for graduation from Frederick County public high schools.

      2. Class ranking and grade-point average shall not be computed for part‑time students.

      3. Part-time students enrolled in a class that requires a Standards of Learning end-of-course test shall be required to take that test.

Adopted: July 16, 2008 
Amended: July 3, 2018