High School Semester Exam Exemptions
In CFISD, Semester Exam Exemptions are offered as attendance and behavior incentives for students. To qualify for an exam exemption in a class/course, a student must have per semester:
- five or less absences;
- three or less tardies;
- an average of 75 or higher for the semester;
- an E, S or I in conduct;
- no OSS, ALC or JJAEP Placement; and
- no fees or fines.
The number of available exemptions per grade level are as follows:
Grade Level | Fall Exemptions Available | Spring Exemptions Available |
---|---|---|
9 | 1 | 1 |
10 | 2 | 2 |
11 | 3 | 3 |
12 | 4 | 4 |
Absences that will not impact exemptions are listed below:
1. School-Sanctioned Field Trips
- No more than 10 in any one school year.
- This includes instructor-supervised field trips that are a part of the coursework for Off-Campus Physical Education.
2. Documented College Visits
- Two days (including travel) during the junior year and two days (including travel) during the senior year of high school.
- Upon their return to school, the student must present a completed College Visit Verification Form from the institution of higher learning.
3. Documented Military Branch Visits
- Four days during a student’s (age 17 or older) high school career.
- Upon their return to school, students must present a completed Military Visit Verification Form from a branch of the armed services or the Texas National Guard.
4. Documented Visit to the Driver’s License Office
- One day during a student’s (age 15 or older) high school career for the purpose obtaining a learner’s license and one day for the purpose of obtaining a driver’s license.
- Upon their return to school, students must present documentation from the driver’s license office confirming their attendance.
- Class absences resulting from a meeting initiated by an administrator/counselor or verified, medically necessary visits to the clinic shall not count against the student.
- Missing school for the purpose of observing religious holy days.
- Attending a required court appearance.
- Appearing at a governmental office to complete paperwork required in connection with the student’s applications for United States citizenship.
- Taking part in a United States naturalization oath ceremony.
- Serving as an election clerk. No more than 2 days in any one school year.
- For students in the conservatorship of the DFPS, participating, as determined and documented by the department, in an activity that is not practicable to schedule outside of school hours or required under a service plan.
- A temporary absence resulting from an appointment with health care professionals for the student or the student’s child if the student commences classes or returns to school on the same day of the appointment.
- An absence resulting from a severe or life-threatening illness or related treatment that makes the student’s attendance infeasible, with certification from a physician licensed to practice medicine in Texas specifying the student’s illness and the anticipated period of the student’s absence relating to the illness or related treatment.
- A temporary absence of a student diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder on the day of the student’s appointment with a health care practitioner to receive a generally recognized service for persons with autism spectrum disorder.
- Absences to visit with a parent, stepparent, or legal guardian who is an active-duty member of the uniformed services and has been called to duty for, is on leave from, or is immediately returned from continuous deployment of at least four months outside the locality where the parent, stepparent, or guardian regularly resides. No more than 5 days in any one school year.
For more information regarding Semester Exam Exemptions please refer to the Attendance Information section in the CFISD Student Handbook. Students and guardians may also visit their child’s campus and/or contact the Office of Student Services for a hard copy of the Student Handbook.