BART Charter Public School Competency Determination Policy

Approved by the Board of Trustees on December 3, 2025

Competency Determination Requirements (CD)

To satisfy the Competency Determination (CD) requirement for graduation, students must complete a designated minimum amount of coursework and demonstrate mastery in core content areas, as defined below.

Demonstration of Coursework Mastery

Students must show mastery of the skills, competencies, and knowledge defined by the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks in the following subjects. Mastery is defined by BART Charter Public School as earning a final course grade of at least 70%.

Content Area	Required Coursework	Aligned Courses	Applicability
English Language Arts (ELA)	At least 1 year of Grade 9 ELA and 1 year of Grade 10 ELA (or equivalent).	English I, English II, English Language & Composition, English Literature & Composition, AP English Language & Composition, AP English Literature & Composition. Note, aligned courses may include approved English as a Second Language (ESL) courses for eligible students.	All students
Mathematics	At least 1 year of Algebra I and 1 year of Geometry (or equivalent).	Algebra I, Topics in Algebra I, Topics in Introductory Algebra, Topics in Intermediate Algebra, Geometry	All students
Science and Technology/ Engineering (STE)	At least 1 year-long course (or equivalent) in one of the following: Biology, Introductory Physics, Chemistry, or Technology/ Engineering.	Biology, Chemistry, AP Chemistry, Physics, AP Biology	All students
US History/ Civics	At least 1 year of U.S. History (or equivalent).	American History I, American History II, AP U.S. History	Required for the Graduating Class of 2027 and thereafter.

Provisions for Specific Student Populations

BART Charter Public School adheres to the philosophy that all students shall have equal opportunity to meet the Competency Determination requirements.

A. Students with Disabilities (SWD)

BART adheres to the legal requirement that all children shall receive a Free and Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) and be educated in the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE). The IEP Team is responsible for determining the educational program that is appropriately ambitious and reasonably calculated to enable the student to make progress.

1. General Education with Supports: The primary pathway for students with disabilities is enrollment in general education courses with the necessary specialized instruction, accommodations, and related services documented in their Individualized Education Program (IEP). This may include regular inclusion services, co-taught sections, and instructional modifications.
2. Specialized Courses: When the school determines a different enrollment is necessary for a student to make effective progress, the student may enroll in a course taught by a content-area educator. Priority standards are aligned with the general education courses while providing required specialized instruction.
3. Alternative Demonstration of Mastery: In accordance with district policy and DESE guidance, an IEP Team may determine that a student will demonstrate competency through alternative or modified assessments. These can include capstone projects, performance-based tasks, or portfolios of work that are aligned with state curriculum frameworks and documented in the student's IEP.

B. English Learners (ELs)

BART is dedicated to providing English Learners (ELs) with the necessary supports to meet the CD requirements while they are simultaneously developing English proficiency.

1. Specialized Supports and Accommodations: ELs are provided with Sheltered English Immersion (SEI) instruction in their content area classes and direct English as a Second Language (ESL) instruction from a licensed ELE teacher. Appropriate accommodations are provided on classroom assignments and assessments to ensure equitable access to demonstrate mastery, which may include the use of bilingual word-to-word dictionaries, extended time, and clarification of instructions.
2. ESL Courses for ELA Credit: For some ELs, typically those at lower levels of English proficiency, certain ESL courses may meet the English Language Arts (ELA) coursework requirement.

• Determination: This is made on a case-by-case basis by the school in consultation with the ELE Department, based on the student's English Language Proficiency (ELP) level (as measured by ACCESS for ELLs), prior schooling, and literacy background.
• Curriculum Alignment: The curriculum for ESL courses is aligned with the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks for ELA, integrating grade-appropriate ELA standards (reading, writing, speaking, and listening) with targeted English language development. Identified ELs in an ESL-only course will demonstrate competency on the WIDA ELD Standard—Language of Language Arts, including all key uses for language (narrate, inform, and argue) as part of satisfying the ELA competency criteria.

C. Late-Enrolling Students

BART will provide a comprehensive and equitable evaluation for students who enroll late in their high school careers to ensure a viable pathway to meet the Competency Determination requirements.

1. Transcript Review: Upon enrollment, a school counselor will conduct a thorough review of the student's transcript to determine the equivalency of prior coursework to BART’s CD requirements. This review will be conducted promptly to develop an appropriate academic plan.
2. Course-Taking Opportunities: If the transcript review reveals that the student has not yet met the CD coursework requirements, the school will provide the student with a clear plan and opportunity to do so. This may include enrollment in necessary courses, credit recovery options, approved online courses, or summer school.
3. Demonstration of Mastery: When a transcript does not clearly indicate that a student has demonstrated mastery (equivalent to a 70% final grade) in a required content area, the student may be offered an opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge and skills through alternative means, such as a portfolio review or a competency-based assessment for the relevant course.

Appeals Process

A student may appeal the District’s decision to award or deny a CD. Appeals must be submitted in writing to the Principal within 10 school days of the decision. The appeal will be reviewed by the Principal and the Director of School Counseling. The review may include coursework transcript evaluation, teacher input, and/or portfolio review. Appeals of the Principal’s decision must be submitted in writing to the Executive Director within 10 school days of the decision. The Executive Director’s decision on an appeal is final.

Diploma Request Process for Previously Enrolled Students

Those enrolled at BART in the classes of 2003 through 2024 who did not earn a diploma may also appeal the decision through the following process:

Eligible students:

• Were previously enrolled in the district; and
• Previously met the criteria for Certificate of Attainment (they met local graduation requirements but did not receive a high school diploma because they did not earn a CD); and
• Were not previously reported as a graduate in any district’s Student Information Management System (SIMS) submission.

To request a review:

1. Requests must be submitted in writing to the Principal.
2. A team consisting of the Director of School Counseling, Principal, and Vice Principal will complete the review. This team will review coursework, transcripts, or equivalent demonstrations of competency and their alignment to the DESE MA Curriculum Frameworks in ELA, Mathematics, Science, and/or U.S. History.
3. Notification will be provided in writing within 10 school days of a completed request.