The first five digits of a SCED Identifier are referred to as the SCED Course Code. SCED Course Code is a five-digit code that provides a standardized number for the general subject area and specific subject of the course. The first two digits of the code represent the Course Subject Area and the next three digits indicate the specific Course Number. SCED Course Codes are general but provide enough specificity to identify the course’s topic and distinguish it from other courses in that Course Subject Area.

• Course Subject Area – the intended major subject category of the course. Each Course Subject Area is represented by a two-digit code. The categories are intended to include the full spectrum of courses offered in schools.
• Course Number – the three-digit number that distinguishes a course or subject within a Course Subject Area. These numbers carry no meaning by themselves, with the exception of four Course Numbers reserved for courses included in each Course Subject Area:
  • 995—Course Subject Area—Aide
  • 997—Course Subject Area—Independent Study
  • 998—Course Subject Area—Workplace Experience
  • 999—Course Subject Area—Other

SCED Course Level refers to the course’s level of rigor. There are six options for coding this element:

• B=Basic or remedial. A course focusing primarily on skills development, including literacy in language, mathematics, and the physical and social sciences. These courses are typically less rigorous than standard courses and may be intended to prepare a student for a general course.
• G=General or regular. A course providing instruction in a given subject area that focuses primarily on general concepts appropriate for the grade level. General courses typically meet the state’s or district’s expectations of scope and difficulty for mastery of the content.
• E=Enriched or advanced. A course that augments the content and/or rigor of a general course but does not carry an honors designation.
• H=Honors. An advanced-level course designed for students who have earned honors status according to educational requirements. These courses typically include additional content not found in general courses, and are formally designated as honors courses.
• C=College. A course that is designed to be credit-bearing at a postsecondary institution.
• X=No specified level of rigor. The notion of rigor may not be appropriate for some courses; survey or interest courses that expose students to a variety of subjects and study hall are examples.

Some courses are distinguished by having more or less rigorous requirements than general courses and are designated as enriched or advanced, honors, or basic or remedial. Other secondary courses may confer credit at a postsecondary institution, and the level of rigor should be coded as college.

Identifies either the amount of Carnegie Unit Credit available for completion of a secondary course or the intended grade span of a prior-to-secondary course.

• Available Carnegie Unit Credit – Measured in Carnegie Units, it is the amount of credit available to a student who successfully meets the objectives of the course. A Carnegie Unit is a measure of “seat time” rather than a measure of attainment of the course objectives. Available Carnegie Unit Credit is coded as a one-digit number carried out to two decimal places, with an explicit decimal. That is, one Carnegie Unit would be coded as 1.00. A half-unit of Carnegie credit would be reported as 0.50.
• Grade Span – The grade span for which the course is appropriate. Carnegie Units hold no meaning for many prior-to-secondary courses, particularly in elementary and middle schools. The SCED Framework therefore includes the element Grade Span for prior-to-secondary courses. Grade Span is represented as a four-character code with no decimals. Each grade level from 1 through 12 is represented by a two-digit code, ranging from 01 to 12; kindergarten is represented by the letters KG, and prekindergarten by the letters PK. For example, a course appropriate for kindergarten and first grade would be assigned a grade span of KG01.

Where a specific course lies when it is part of a consecutive sequence of courses. This element should be interpreted as “part ‘n’ of ‘m’ parts” (e.g., if a school offers 4 years of Theater, Theater 3 within this school would be indicated in the sequence elements as 34, denoting the third part of a 4-part sequence of courses).

The method for determining Sequence of Course depends on the school system’s scheduling and grading policies, the number of local courses that map to one SCED code, and whether a course is part of a larger sequence of course requirements. Sequence of Course indicates only the order in which a series of courses are taken and does not indicate the length of the course or the amount of credit available to a course taker. To accurately indicate the amount of credit available for each course within the sequence, Sequence of Course must always be aligned with Available Carnegie Unit Credit.