Performance Acknowledgments

  • Performance Acknowledgments note outstanding achievement in specific areas for students pursuing the foundations with endorsement graduation plan. These distinctions will be included on the student’s high school transcript. A student may earn a performance acknowledgment for outstanding performance in the areas of   

    • Dual credit courses;   

    • Bilingualism and Biliteracy;   

    • College Board Advanced Placement (AP) exams;  

    • International Baccalaureate (IB) exams;    

    • PSAT, ACT, SAT, or ACT performance; or   

    • Nationally or Internationally Recognized Business or Industry Certification or License   

    Dual Credit   

    A student may earn a performance acknowledgment by successfully completing at least 12 hours of college credit taken through

    • dual credit enrollment

    • advanced technical credit courses, and locally articulated courses with a grade of A or B

    • earn an Associate Degree while in high school (Katy ISD does not offer the Associate Degree Program). 

     

    Bilingual / Bi-literacy   

    A student may earn a performance acknowledgment by completing all English requirements with a grade of 80+ AND by satisfying 1 of the 4 following additional requirements.   

    • Complete a minimum of 3 credits in the same foreign language with a grade of 80+.   
    • Demonstrate proficiency on the Texas Knowledge and Skills for Level IV or higher in a foreign language with a grade of 80+.   
    • Complete 3 credits in any foreign language with a grade of 80+. 
    • Demonstrate proficiency in one or more languages other than English through one of the following methods:  
      • Score a 3 or higher on a College Board Advanced Placement (AP) exam for a language other than English; or
      • Earn performance on a national assessment of language proficiency in a foreign language of at least Intermediate High, or equivalent.

    An English language learner (ELL student) must also have participated in and met exit criteria of a bilingual or English as a second language (ESL) program AND scored Advanced High on the Texas English Language Proficiency Assessment System (TELPAS).  

     

    College Board Advanced Placement (AP) Exam   

    A student may earn a performance acknowledgment by earning a score of 3 or above on an Advanced Placement (AP) exam.   

    The 2025 AP Exams will be administered in schools over two weeks in the spring. (May 1–5 and May 8–12) 

    International Baccalaureate Exam* Katy ISD does not offer the International Baccalaureate program  

    A student may earn a performance acknowledgment by earning a score of 4 or higher on an International Baccalaureate examination for a higher-level languages other than English course.   

    PSAT, SAT, or ACT Performance   

    A student may earn a performance acknowledgment by earning a qualifying score on one of the following exams.  

    1. Earn a score on the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT) that qualifies the student for recognition as a commended scholar or higher by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation, or as an awardee of the National Recognition Programs of the College Board; 
    2. Earn a combined critical reading and mathematics score of at least 1350 on the SAT.
    3. Earn a composite score on the ACT examination of 29 (excluding the writing subscore).  

    Nationally or Internationally Recognized Business or Industry Certification or License   

    Students may earn a performance acknowledgment for earning a state-recognized or nationally or internationally recognized business or industry certification or license as follows:

    A student may earn a performance acknowledgment with: 

    • performance on an examination or series of examinations sufficient to obtain a nationally or internationally recognized business or industry certification; or 
    • performance on an examination sufficient to obtain a government-required credential to practice a profession.
    •  

    Nationally or internationally recognized business or industry certification shall be defined as an industry-validated credential that complies with the knowledge and skills standards promulgated by a nationally internationally recognized business, industry, professional, or government entity representing a particular profession or occupation that is issued or endorsed by: 

    • a national or international business, industry, or professional organization;   
    • a state agency or government entity, or   
    • a state-based industry association.   

    Certifications or licensures for performance acknowledgments shall:

    • be age appropriate for high school students;   
    • represent a student’s substantial course of study and/or end-of-program knowledge and skills;   
    • include an industry-recognized examination, an industry validated skill test, or demonstrated proficiency through documented, supervised field experience; and  
    • represent substantial knowledge and multiple skills needed for successful entry into a high-skill occupation.