Revised 5/2002

Carnegie Units Standard of Measurement

LVCA awardS traditional Carnegie units to our students and those units will transfer to a traditional high school if the student chooses that option. Traditional high schools loosely consider 12 to 15 hours of seat time equal to a Carnegie unit. We do not consider seat time when calculating units. We do consider the amount of material covered and learned.

A student may choose to fulfill any of the seven growth area requirements through the completion of Carnegie units. Students who elect to earn Carnegie units while making progress in the student standards will work with the Education Specialist to decide the most appropriate course, or body of work. The ES considers the body of work in terms of the age and ability of the student and then consults with the student/parent to determine the course content, the verification of learning, and potential units to be awarded. Some published curricula count their semester course work at 1/2 unit while others use another measure. LVCA awards five (5) units for a semester's worth of course work. We expect students to cover and master the educational material in order to earn the Carnegie units.

The goals of the student will be a determining factor in choosing course content and selecting appropriate curriculum. If the student is college bound, either at a 4-year institution or the local community college, s/he may wish to take courses that are A-G, AP, or Honors level. If the student plans to attend a specific post-high school learning institution, the student should contact the institution well in advance and determine the specific course requirements for admission.

LVCA will not award units or report attendance for Bible classes. Bible units transferred from official transcripts from other schools will be included on the student’s transcripts but they will not count as literature, history, or any other subjects required for graduation. Bible units will not count toward the total required number of units towards graduation. The parent, student, and ES must decide course content, expectations, and standards before the course actually starts. Deciding on course content can occur in a variety of ways, which allows for flexibility in meeting student needs and interests. The course content can be pre-prepared, or the student, parent, or Ed Specialist can develop it.

A specific high school level textbook can be chosen as the sole source of the content to be learned. College-bound students may want to pursue University of California designated A-G courses, honors courses, or AP courses. A-G courses require following a specific course description and using the designated textbook(s). Please use the information in the website to guide your students/parents in selecting curriculum and planning A-G courses. Honors courses are considered work at the college level. AP course credit is only given if the student takes and passes the AP course exam.

Parents may also choose to design a course using only the table of contents from a text or the California Department of Education State Standards as a guideline, developing their own readings and activities to cover the material. As always, using the learning modalities of the student will assure that the content is presented in a way that is most conducive to the student’s learning the material.