1. A. Length of School Year. Maryland public high schools shall be open for at least 180 school days and a minimum of 1,170 school hours during a 10-month period in each school year.

2. B. Graduation Requirements for Transfer Students.

   1. (1) Attendance Requirements.

      1. (a) To receive a diploma, a student shall be in attendance at a Maryland public high school one full semester immediately preceding graduation in addition to meeting the other diploma requirements.
      2. (b) In cases where this requirement creates an undue hardship for a student transferring to or from a Maryland nonpublic school or from an out-of-State school and wishing to receive a Maryland high school diploma, the local superintendent of schools may waive the one full semester attendance requirement.
      3. (c) Exception shall be made for a student with disabilities in a State-approved nonpublic program.
      4. (d) Students transferring from one Maryland public high school to another during the second semester of their senior year and meeting all requirements for graduation shall be given the option of graduating from either high school by agreement of the local superintendent of schools or the respective local superintendents when more than one local school system is involved.

   2. (2) Maryland Comprehensive Assessment Exemption Requirements.

      1. (a) A student who transfers from a nonpublic school or a school out of State is exempt from one or more of the Maryland Comprehensive Assessments if, consistent with local school system policy and procedure, the local superintendent determines that the course taken is aligned with the relevant Maryland Comprehensive Assessment and awards the student credit for taking any of the courses aligned with the Maryland Comprehensive Assessments, that is, algebra, science, English, or government, or all of these, in accordance with the principles set forth in §B(2)(c) of this regulation.
      2. (b) A student who transfers from a nonpublic school or a school out of State and has not received credit for algebra but has demonstrated mastery of the Maryland College and Career Ready Standards for algebra either through an evaluation or successful completion of subsequent mathematics courses for which algebra is a prerequisite is exempt from the Maryland Comprehensive Assessment for algebra.

      3. (c) To award credit for taking any of the courses aligned with the Maryland Comprehensive Assessments, that is, algebra, science, English, or government, a principal shall determine through the following considerations whether the transfer student demonstrates subject matter knowledge aligned with the content standards for the subject:

         1. (i) Administration of standardized tests and examinations;
         2. (ii) Observation of the student in the classroom;
         3. (iii) Use of interviews that are focused around the student's demonstration of course content knowledge and performance levels; and
         4. (iv) Inspection of transcripts, report cards, and other documentation.
      4. (d) A student who transfers from a nonpublic school or from a school out of State into a local school system after the first semester of their senior year is exempt from the Maryland Comprehensive Assessment Requirements.
      5. (e) The exemption provided in §B(2)(d) of this regulation does not apply to a student with disabilities in a State-approved nonpublic program.

   3. (3) Local Graduation Requirements.

      1. (a) A student who enters a local school system in their senior year shall be granted a waiver from locally established graduation requirements unless the student chooses to fulfill the requirements.
      2. (b) A student in foster care or a homeless student who enters a local school system in their junior year shall be granted a waiver from locally established graduation requirements unless the local school system makes a finding that the student is reasonably able to complete the locally established graduation requirements in time to graduate from high school.

   4. (4) Unavailability of Official Transcript. If the transcript of record is not available, a local superintendent of schools or designee shall determine the appropriate placement of the student within the high school program by an evaluation of the student that shall include one or more of the following:

      1. (a) Administration of standardized tests and examination;
      2. (b) Observation of the student in a classroom setting;
      3. (c) Use of interviews that are focused around the student's demonstration of course content knowledge and performance levels;
      4. (d) Inspection of report cards and other documentation.

Authority: Education Article, §§2-205, 7-203, 7-205, 7-205.1, and 8-404, Annotated Code of Maryland

Effective date: April 14, 1976 (3:8 Md. R. 427)

Regulation .02B amended effective August 11, 1978 (5:16 Md. R. 1259); September 22, 1978 (5:19 Md. R. 1446); May 21, 1984 (11:10 Md. R. 864)

Regulation .02C amended effective March 21, 1980 (7:6 Md. R. 609)

Regulation .02D amended as an emergency provision effective February 10, 1982 (9:5 Md. R. 520); emergency status expired March 12, 1982

Regulation .02D amended effective August 2, 1982 (9:15 Md. R. 1516)

Regulations .01—.03 repealed and new Regulations .01—.07 adopted effective July 29, 1985 (12:15 Md. R. 1524)

Regulation .03B amended as an emergency provision effective April 14, 1986 (13:9 Md. R. 1021)

Regulation .03F amended effective January 15, 1989 (15:27 Md. R. 3131)

Regulation .03G amended effective April 4, 1988 (15:7 Md. R. 851)

Regulation .03I amended effective October 3, 1988 (15:20 Md. R. 2334)

Regulation .06 repealed effective January 15, 1989 (15:27 Md. R. 3131)

Regulations .07 amended and .08 adopted as an emergency provision effective August 14, 1985 (12:18 Md. R. 1760)

Regulations .07 amended and .08 adopted effective December 2, 1985 (12:24 Md. R. 2350)

Regulation .07 recodified to Regulation .06 effective January 15, 1989 (15:27 Md. R. 3131)

Regulation .08 amended and recodified to Regulation .07 effective January 15, 1989 (15:27 Md. R. 3131)

Regulations .01—.07 repealed and new Regulations .01—.08 adopted effective September 28, 1992 (19:19 Md. R. 1710)

Regulation .03 amended effective August 15, 1994 (21:16 Md. R. 1386); July 29, 1996 (23:15 Md. R. 1089); March 18, 2002 (29:5 Md. R. 504)

Regulations .05—.06 repealed effective March 18, 2002 (29:5 Md. R. 504)

Regulations .01—.08 repealed and new Regulations .01—.12 adopted effective July 19, 2004 (31:14 Md. R. 1079)

Regulation .02B amended effective April 11, 2005 (32:7 Md. R. 682); July 28, 2008 (35:15 Md. R. 1349)

Regulation .02B amended as an emergency provision effective July 7, 2012 (39:17 Md. R. 1145); emergency provision expired December 31, 2012

Regulation .04A amended effective April 11, 2005 (32:7 Md. R. 682); May 22, 2006 (33:10 Md. R. 882); July 3, 2006 (33:13 Md. R. 1064); March 12, 2007 (34:5 Md. R. 561); March 22, 2010 (37:6 Md. R. 479)

Regulation .04C adopted effective July 11, 2011 (38:14 Md. R. 790)

Regulation .05D amended as an emergency provision effective July 7, 2012 (39:17 Md. R. 1145); emergency provision expired December 31, 2012

Regulation .05I amended effective July 26, 2010 (37:15 Md. R. 999)

Regulation .05J amended effective July 28, 2008 (35:15 Md. R. 1349)

Regulation .07A amended effective April 11, 2005 (32:7 Md. R. 682); May 22, 2006 (33:10 Md. R. 882)

Regulation .07C amended effective May 22, 2006 (33:10 Md. R. 882)

Regulation .08B amended effective April 11, 2005 (32:7 Md. R. 682); May 22, 2006 (33:10 Md. R. 882); August 28, 2006 (33:17 Md. R. 1437)

Regulation .09 amended effective April 21, 2008 (35:8 Md. R. 807); February 18, 2013 (40:3 Md. R. 218)

Regulation .09B amended effective April 11, 2005 (32:7 Md. R. 682); May 22, 2006 (33:10 Md. R. 882)

Regulation .09-1 adopted as an emergency provision effective January 23, 2009 (36:4 Md. R. 346); emergency status expired effective July 22, 2009

Regulation .09-1 adopted effective April 19, 2010 (37:8 Md. R. 618)

Regulation .12B amended effective July 3, 2006 (33:13 Md. R. 1064); July 28, 2008 (35:15 Md. R. 1349)

Chapter revised effective September 29, 2014 (41:19 Md. R. 1081)

Regulation .01B amended effective February 26, 2018 (45:4 Md. R. 206)

Regulation .02B amended effective June 22, 2015 (42:12 Md. R. 763); November 24, 2016 (43:23 Md. R. 1280); February 26, 2018 (45:4 Md. R. 206); June 14, 2021 (48:12 Md. R. 474); August 21, 2023 (50:16 Md. R. 727)

Regulation .03 amended effective June 14, 2021 (48:12 Md. R. 474)

Regulation .03B amended effective February 26, 2018 (45:4 Md. R. 206)

Regulation .04 amended effective June 14, 2021 (48:12 Md. R. 474)

Regulation .04F amended effective August 21, 2023 (50:16 Md. R. 727)

Regulation .04I amended effective February 26, 2018 (45:4 Md. R. 206)

Regulation .06 amended effective February 26, 2018 (45:4 Md. R. 206); June 14, 2021 (48:12 Md. R. 474); August 21, 2023 (50:16 Md. R. 727)

Regulation .06D, F, G amended effective November 24, 2016 (43:23 Md. R. 1280)

Regulation .06E, F amended effective June 22, 2015 (42:12 Md. R. 763)

Regulation .06G adopted effective June 22, 2015 (42:12 Md. R. 763)

Regulation .07 amended effective June 14, 2021 (48:12 Md. R. 474); August 21, 2023 (50:16 Md. R. 727)

Regulation .07C, E amended effective February 26, 2018 (45:4 Md. R. 206)

Regulation .08 amended effective December 31, 2018 (45:26 Md. R. 1248)

Regulation .08B amended effective June 14, 2021 (48:12 Md. R. 474)

Regulation .09 amended effective June 22, 2015 (42:12 Md. R. 763); June 14, 2021 (48:12 Md. R. 474)

Regulation .09B, C amended effective November 24, 2016 (43:23 Md. R. 1280); February 26, 2018 (45:4 Md. R. 206); August 21, 2023 (50:16 Md. R. 727)

Regulation .09C amended effective August 12, 2019 (46:16 Md. R. 689)

Regulation .09E amended effective February 26, 2018 (45:4 Md. R. 206)

Regulation .09G adopted effective November 24, 2016 (43:23 Md. R. 1280)

Regulation .09H amended effective August 21, 2023 (50:16 Md. R. 727)

Regulation .09-1 amended effective June 14, 2021 (48:12 Md. R. 474)

Regulation .09-1C, E amended effective August 21, 2023 (50:16 Md. R. 727)

Regulation .09-1O repealed effective February 26, 2018 (45:4 Md. R. 206)

Regulation .10B amended effective February 26, 2018 (45:4 Md. R. 206)

Regulation .10B, C amended effective June 14, 2021 (48:12 Md. R. 474)

Regulation .12B amended effective February 26, 2018 (45:4 Md. R. 206); June 14, 2021 (48:12 Md. R. 474); October 28, 2024 (51:21 Md. R. 927)