Board Policy 3420(g): The superintendent shall provide opportunities for students in grades 9 through 12 to earn course credit by demonstrating mastery of course material without first completing the regular period of classroom instruction in the course.  Students in grades 6 through 8 may earn credit by demonstrated mastery for high school courses offered in middle school.  To earn credit by demonstrated mastery, students must demonstrate a deep understanding of the content standards and application of knowledge through a multi-phase assessment, in accordance with standards established by the State Board of Education and any additional standards established by the superintendent. 

Students may earn high school credit for specified courses without spending a set number of hours taking the course in a classroom.

Under the state’s Credit by Demonstrated Mastery (CDM) option, uniquely qualified students may “test out” or bypass a course if they have already mastered the content.

The program provides another opportunity for students to learn new content, to challenge themselves with the next level of rigor in a subject, and even graduate early. This option is not designed to replace existing accelerated pathways, such as the Academically and Intellectually Gifted (AIG) program.