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Education Commission of the States • 700 Broadway, Suite 810 • Denver, CO 80203-3442 • 303.299.3600 • Fax: 303.296.8332 • www.ecs.org
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Virtual High Schools: Has the State Set a Cap on the Number of Courses a Student May Take?
These policies relate to states' decisions to set a cap on the number of credits a student may take in a given semester (or year or high school career). Some states, it should be noted, do not set a cap on credits.
Why does it matter?
States and districts benefit when they can predict the costs of virtual school programs.
Setting caps requires students to take courses in a traditional classroom setting, and students benefit from engaging with their peers and teachers in the classroom.
However, caps do risk limiting student options.
Highlights:
Eighteen states do not set a cap on the number of courses.
Five states allow the local school district to decide.
Five states have set a cap on the number of courses a student can take which ranges from three to six credits per year. Methodology: This information was collected from state statutes, rules and regulations, and state education agencies, and will be updated as new policies and programs are enacted. Sources for all data points are available through this link. Last updated: December 3, 2007 Research conducted by Melodye Bush and Michael Colasanti. Please contact Melodye Bush (303.299.3631 or mbush@ecs.org) with comments or questions about this database. |
| Alabama |
No |
| Alaska |
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| American Samoa |
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| Arizona |
No |
| Arkansas |
No |
| California |
No |
| Colorado |
No |
| Connecticut |
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| Delaware |
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| District of Columbia |
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| Florida |
No |
| Georgia |
One semester course during regular school year. Limits on enrollment are based on program resources for classes taken outside the regular school day. |
| Guam |
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| Hawaii |
Students are limited to two classes per semester. |
| Idaho |
Local school district determines. |
| Illinois |
No; however, it is not unusual for the local school districts to establish policy in this area.
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| Indiana |
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| Iowa |
Local school district determines. |
| Kansas |
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| Kentucky |
Local school district determines. |
| Louisiana |
Yes, since no course fees are charged, Louisiana Virtual High School used a three-phase registration system that initially caps course registrations from any single school. |
| Maine |
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| Maryland |
No |
| Massachusetts |
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| Michigan |
No |
| Minnesota |
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| Mississippi |
No |
| Missouri |
Six credits per year |
| Montana |
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| Nebraska |
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| Nevada |
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| New Hampshire |
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| New Jersey |
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| New Mexico |
No |
| New York |
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| North Carolina |
No information available |
| North Dakota |
No |
| Ohio |
|
| Oklahoma |
|
| Oregon |
Local school district determines. |
| Pennsylvania |
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| Puerto Rico |
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| Rhode Island |
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| South Carolina |
Yes, a student may take a maximum of three credits per school year, and a maximum of twelve credits throughout his/her high school career. However, a student may appeal to the school district and obtain a waiver to exceed the course limits. |
| South Dakota |
Local school district determines. |
| Tennessee |
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| Texas |
No; however, students who reside in Texas but who are not enrolled in a school district or open-enrollment charter school as a full-time student may not enroll in more than two electronic courses through the virtual school network. |
| Utah |
No |
| Vermont |
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| Virgin Islands |
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| Virginia |
No |
| Washington |
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| West Virginia |
No |
| Wisconsin |
No |
| Wyoming |
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