Prerequisites and Readiness Assessment

TPS desires that every student enjoy challenge and success in his or her courses. Courses that are too easy, too hard, or otherwise mismatched with the student’s readiness and trajectory often end in failure or drop, resulting in academic and financial disappointment for all parties. Even if the mismatched course is completed, satisfaction is low (for all parties) and future potential is diminished.

We make reasonable effort to match the student’s background, readiness, and trajectory to the course which we have designed carefully for specific levels, objectives, and successful outcomes. Readiness Assessment is built into our enrollment approval process, which may be unfamiliar or unexpected for families new to TPS.

• All TPS courses have prerequisite “readiness” requirements that may include:
  • Prior or concurrent courses
  • Readiness Assessment testing
  • Student age and grade level considerations (Target Levels in the course catalog)
• These requirements are posted in the course catalog for every course.
• For students who are second-language learners (i.e., English is not their primary language), there may be additional English As a Foreign Language (EFL) prerequisites and requirements which are not listed in the Course Catalog for each course.

Your Responsibility for Prerequisites

For every enrollment, it is the family’s responsibility to review and comply with the course Prerequisites listed in the Course Catalog for each course you are enrolling.

• If the student has successfully completed (or currently taking in good standing) the prerequisite prior course(s) in TPS, then a Readiness Assessment test is usually not required. In this case, TPS will review prior TPS course(s) to verify readiness and approve the enrollment. (Note that only courses taken for TPS credit may be used to waive readiness assessment testing.)
• If the student has not successfully completed (or currently taking in good standing) the prerequisite prior course(s) in TPS, a Readiness Assessment test may be required. Even with a prior or current TPS course, an additional questionnaire may be required to provide essential enrollment information.
• Whenever Readiness Assessment materials are required, they should be submitted immediately (same day) with enrollment. (Please do not enroll in a course until you are ready to submit Readiness Assessment materials — if required — when you enroll. We do not provide or manage “extensions” for Readiness Assessment materials.
• If you are enrolling in a course where the student’s age or grade level (based on your intended high school Grad Year) is outside the course’s designed age and grade level considerations (Target Levels in the course catalog), please notify TPS before enrolling. Otherwise, the student may be disapproved for the course based on age or grade level considerations.

Our Commitment for Readiness Assessment

• Every enrollment is reviewed and approved by TPS to verify the student’s readiness for the course and the course’s suitability for the student’s academic background and trajectory.
• We will review your enrollment with any Readiness Assessment materials within six weekdays and notify you of placement approval or any questions that arise during the review process.
• If enrollment is approved, we will notify you by automated email and update status in your family account. Initial payment is due promptly from that point.
• If enrollment is not initially approved, we will notify you to request more individual information and invite your discussion of options and alternatives. We will work with you to provide each of your students with courses that match his or her individual background, readiness, and goals.
• If you have submitted Readiness Assessment materials promptly, accurately, and completely for a course, and TPS must disapprove your enrollment based on readiness assessment, all tuition and fees for that course will be reversed and removed (non-refundable portions waived) unless you choose to enroll in an alternate course.
• We request that you not make any payment for a particular enrollment until that enrollment is a held (i.e., not Wait List) and approved (i.e., Readiness Assessment completed with approval notification) seat in the course.

How to Submit Readiness Assessment Materials

Please follow these directions for submitting Readiness Assessment materials from your family account. Readiness Assessment materials sent by email will not be processed. Requests for “extension” will also not be processed.

Additional Information for Understanding TPS Readiness Assessment Considerations and Criteria

This additional background information on Readiness Assessment Considerations is not specifically required or recommended for you to read or review. It has no action points or imperatives. (It is also not short or light reading.) It is provided if you are interested and have extra time (and because sometimes people ask for it).