College Readiness Coursework for High School Seniors

College readiness coursework for high school seniors is intended to assist students in reaching their goal of being fully prepared to enter into the workforce or a postsecondary institution following high school graduation. Secondary or postsecondary credit may not be earned for this type of coursework.

Frequently Asked Questions
District Information

Students who successfully complete the college readiness coursework program while in high school are able to avoid remedial coursework at South Dakota’s Technical Institutes and Board of Regents institutions and with direction from their university admissions, register directly into credit-bearing college-level, saving both time and money.

Requirements to register in Credit-Bearing Coursework

Access the SD BOR Guidelines (updated: 08/16)

Summary of the SD BOR Placement Guidelines for credit bearing Math and English:

To be placed into Math 102 (College Algebra) a student needs to meet one of the following benchmarks:

  • Smarter Balanced Math Test Score of 2628 or higher
  • Math Index (MI) score of 1150 or higher
    • MI = (17 * Math ACT Subscore) + (250 * HS GPA)
  • Accuplacer Elementary Algebra Placement Test score of 76 or higher
Note: If no HS GPA is available and thus no MI is available, an ACT MATH score of 20 or higher or the SAT equivalent can be used as a benchmark. If a student does NOT meet one of the benchmarks, then the student is encouraged to consider taking the College Readiness Course: Elementary Algebra. As a part of the elementary Algebra Course, students would complete the program and take the Accuplacer Placement test and attempt to achieve a score of 76 or higher.

To be placed into English 101 (Composition) a student needs to meet one of the following benchmarks:

  • ACT English Test Placement Subscore of 18 or higher
  • Smarter Balanced English Score of 2583 or higher
  • Compass Test Writing Score of 74 or higher
  • Accuplacer Sentence Skills score of 86 or higher
Note: If a student does NOT meet one of the criteria, then the student is encouraged to consider taking the College Readiness Course: Sentence Skills. As a part of the Sentence Skills Course, students would complete the program and take the Accuplacer Placement test and attempt to achieve a score of 86 or higher.

Information for Students

The college readiness coursework program is intended for students with modest skill gaps (1-4 points below an institution’s ACT benchmark).

Students must register for the college readiness coursework program through their local school district. Payment for the coursework is required at the time of registration either by the student or the school district.

Students begin the courses by taking a proctored exam. The results of the exam generate online, individualized coursework which allows the student to develop his or her skills with the support of a certified teacher. After completing the coursework, the student takes a second proctored exam. The score of the final exam determines a student’s placement at his or her postsecondary institution.

College readiness coursework is available for English, reading, and mathematics in three separate timeframes: 10 weeks, 6 months, or 12 months. Costs for the coursework range from $125-$175 depending on the timeframe selected.

All coursework must be completed by July 1 in order to count towards the Fall semester of the same year.

Reimbursement for Cost of Coursework

High school seniors enrolled in public school districts who complete the coursework during their registered time frame are eligible for reimbursement for the full cost of up to three separate courses.

Coursework may be repeated at student expense.

Useful Links:

South Dakota Virtual School
South Dakota Board of Regents

Contact

Direct questions to Nicol Reiner, with the Department of Education's Division of Learning and Instruction at (605) 295-2507.