Grading Policy

Grade Point Average (GPA)

The student’s grade point average is calculated at the end of each semester grading period and is published on the student’s transcript. The GPA is derived from all core subjects in which a student earned credit while attending Round Rock Christian Academy.

High School Courses Taken Prior to High School

RRCA offers some high school courses to middle school students who meet the following criteria:

  1. Stanford Achievement scores with stanines of 7, 8, or 9 in that particular subject area
  2. Must have demonstrated mastery of the content in prior courses
  3. Receive a recommendation from the teacher or department
  4. Must have demonstrated a good work ethic in prior courses

While enrolled in this advance course, the student must maintain a “B” average in the course to be eligible for the next advance level course on the track.

Courses taken in middle school will be counted for high school credit toward graduation, however; the course averages will not be included when calculating GPA or numeric average for class rank.

RRCA presently offers Algebra I and Spanish I to middle school students for high school credit.

Homeschool Courses Taken Prior to Enrolling at RRCA

Students who have been homeschooled prior to attending RRCA may apply to have their homeschool credits count towards their graduation requirements provided that two of the following criteria are met:

  1. Student has been enrolled in an umbrella program of an accredited school.
  2. Adequate documentation can be provided to verify the student has satisfactorily completed the course requirements and that the course requirements are comparable to RRCA academic standards.
  3. The student has scored in the 60th percentile on a national standardized test in this academic area.

If the above criteria are met, courses taken in a homeschool program may be counted toward graduation requirements, however, the course averages will not be included in calculating the student’s GPA or Numeric Average for determining class rank.

In the event that a student cannot meet the above criteria, an option will be given to take a Credit-By-Examination in the course to verify satisfactory completion of the coursework. (See Credit-by Examination policies)

Credit by Examination

Credit by examination may be given to a student who has had prior instruction in a subject. A student can apply to take a credit by examination for the following reasons:

  1. The student has received a failing grade of “60” or lower in a course.*
  2. The student has not gained credit due to excessive absences.**

The student must score 70% or higher on each exam. The actual score is entered on a student’s transcript, but the grade will not be included in the GPA or Numeric Average for determining class rank. Students who apply to take these exams must have administrative approval and incur the full cost of each exam.

* A credit by examination may not be used to regain eligibility.
** An appeal must be made to and granted by the attendance committee for this option.

Independent Study Courses

Students in the 11th and 12th grade may request to take an Independent Study course if their schedule cannot be arranged to complete the course requirements for graduation. These courses must be supervised by a certified teacher of RRCA and must be completed during academic school year. Seniors must finish all Independent Study courses at least fifteen days prior to graduation. The student’s grade will be determined by test scores and projects. The grade will be included on the student’s transcript, but it will not be included in the GPA or Numeric Average for determining class rank.

Exceptions to this policy may be made with an Individual Education Plan (IEP) or Section 504 plan for students who have extenuating circumstances of prolonged illness or documented severe learning disabilities. The plan will be written and implemented by an academic review committee.

Correspondence Courses can be offered for credit towards graduation should one of the following situations occur:

  1. The course is not offered at RRCA.
  2. The student’s schedule cannot be arranged to take the course at RRCA.
  3. The student is attempting to recover credit for graduation.
  4. A junior or senior may take correspondence courses as dual credit provided that the course meets the requirements established in the Dual Credit Section of this document.

Correspondence courses must be taken from an accredited institution such as Texas Tech, The University of Texas at Austin or other accredited institutions approved by administration. The student must submit an official transcript for the course to receive credit. This grade will be added to the student’s transcript, but it will not be included in the GPA or numeric average for determining class rank Seniors must complete correspondence courses at least fifteen days prior to graduation.

Dual Credit Courses

Juniors and seniors may enroll in college concurrently with high school to accumulate college credit or to broaden their academic opportunities. Credit earned through dual credit courses may count towards high school graduation requirements if the college course fulfills the required curriculum objectives. Dual credit courses may only be taken from an accredited college institution.

To take dual credit courses, the student must receive parental and administrative approval. The student must incur all costs associated with the course. The student must submit an official transcript with a grade of C or above to receive high school credit. Although credit will be granted for the course, the grade will not be included in the GPA or Numeric Average for determining class rank.

While dual credit is accepted by universities and colleges in Texas, students interested in private or out-of-state institutions should check admissions policies to see if this dual credit will be recognized by the institution of their choice.

Summer School

Summer school opportunities are available for credit recovery or to accelerate their academic plan. These courses may be taken from the RRISD, GISD, PISD, ASID, or at RRCA, if the course is offered. The student must incur all costs associated with the courses and must submit an official transcript to receive high school credit. Summer coursework must have administrative approval prior to enrolling.