Dual Enrollment for Dual Credit for High School Students

The Dual Enrollment for Dual Credit Program allows eligible high school students to earn high school and college credits for courses taken through an Alabama Community College System (ACCS) institution while still enrolled in high school. Dual Enrollment for Dual Credit is available to students attending public, private, parochial or church/religious schools pursuant to §16-28-1 of the Code of Alabama 1975, or who are receiving instruction from a home school/private tutor pursuant to §16-28-5 of the Code of Alabama 1975. Students enroll in college classes concurrently with high school classes. Students successfully completing college courses while in the Dual Enrollment for Dual Credit Program will receive both high school and college credit.

Colleges in the Alabama Community College System are authorized to establish Dual Enrollment for Dual Credit agreements with local educational agencies (LEAs) in the colleges’ service area. The College may also establish agreements with private, homeschool/private tutor, parochial, or church/religious secondary entities. Establishment of Dual Enrollment for Dual Credit agreements with LEAs and other secondary educational entities outside of the College’s service area must be through written, mutual consent of the respective ACCS institutions’ presidents. All out-of-service-area agreements must be filed with the Chancellor’s Office and the LEAs or other secondary educational entities. To be eligible for admission, Dual Enrollment for Dual Credit Students must meet the following criteria:

Students must satisfy the requirements prescribed in Procedure 801.01: Admission: General, with the exception of proof of high school graduation or GED completion.
Students must be in grade 10, 11, or 12. An exception may be granted by the Chancellor for students documented as gifted and talented in accordance with Alabama Administrative Code §290-8-9.12.
Students seeking enrollment in Dual Enrollment for Dual Credit coursework must have a minimum cumulative (unweighted) high school grade point average of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale.
Students must have written approval of the appropriate principal or career and technical education program representative (if applicable) and counselor. Dual Enrollment for Dual Credit eligibility for students enrolled in private, homeschool school private tutor, parochial, or church/religious secondary educational entities must be documented in writing by an appropriate school official. Approval from secondary school officials indicates that the student has demonstrated both academic readiness and social maturity.
The ACCS institution has the right to restrict a student's enrollment on the basis of academic readiness, social maturity, health and safety concerns, course availability, and/or local institutional policy.

Placement and Pre-Requisites

Dually enrolled students registering for college-level English or math courses must be placed into courses using the current ACCA approved placement guidelines. Students who do not register for college-level English or math courses are not required to take any English or math placement test, regardless of their grade levels.

Students must meet all applicable prerequisites prior to enrolling in courses.

Developmental courses (those numbered below 100) are not offered through dual enrollment. This includes developmental co-requisite courses which are required to be taken along with college-level English and math courses.

Continuous Eligibility for Dual Enrollment for Dual Credit

Students who meet the criteria for initial admission to a Dual Enrollment for Dual Credit program as specified above will maintain continuous eligibility so long as they earn a grade of C or better in all attempted college courses.

Students who fail to meet this minimum grade requirement or who withdraw from a course will be suspended from the program for a minimum of one term. The one-term suspension may not be served during the summer. The student may not re-enroll until the suspension has been served. For re-entry, the student must reapply to the program and must meet the minimum grade point average requirements as identified above.

Course Offerings

Dual Enrollment for Dual Credit courses offered by the College shall be of postsecondary/college level. Students may be exposed to and be involved in discussions of mature subject-matter. Course curricula will not be modified. Courses may be offered at approved locations on or off the College’s campus(es). Courses may be cancelled at the discretion of the institution for reasons such as, but not limited to, low enrollment or lack of credentialed faculty. Courses offered by the College shall be drawn from the respective college's existing academic inventory of credit courses. Only courses required in the student's program of study will be eligible for Dual Enrollment for Dual Credit. Developmental courses (those numbered below 100) are not offered through dual enrollment. This includes developmental co-requisite courses which are required to be taken along with college-level English and math courses.

Course Auditing

Dually enrolled students may not audit courses.

Combined Courses

Dually enrolled and non-dually enrolled high school students may be concurrently taught in the same course. It is the responsibility of the college to ensure that the instruction is taught at the collegiate level and is in compliance with the syllabus of the college course and that such compliance is documented and monitored on a regular basis. Prior coordination between the college and the LEAs must be properly conducted to eliminate any issues with this type of course delivery.

Adherence to College Policies and Requirements

Dual Enrollment for Dual Credit programs must operate on the ACCS institution schedule, which may vary greatly from the high school schedule. Students must follow the institution schedule for Dual Enrollment for Dual Credit courses. The institution is not responsible for the supervision of Dual Enrollment for Dual Credit students during non-class times or periods of absence.

Students must adhere to all institutional policies and requirements including, but not limited to, those outlined in course syllabi, the academic calendar, the college catalog, and the Student Code of Conduct. The institution reserves the right to refuse readmission to any student who violates institutional policies.

Provisions for Disability Services and Accommodations

ACCS institutions must comply with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) which prohibit discrimination against individuals with disabilities who are otherwise qualified for ACCS programs and services.

It is the student's responsibility to disclose and provide current documentation in support of his or her request for accommodation from the disability services office of the college. Decisions regarding accommodations provided in postsecondary courses will be made by the College upon submission of appropriate documentation. The College will not provide modifications to change the course content or performance expectations that would substantially alter the essential functions or physical demands of the course, unless required to do so by applicable law. Students with disabilities who meet the prerequisites of ACCS courses will be provided reasonable accommodations that allow equal access. Some accommodations available at the high school may not be provided by the postsecondary institution.

Payment of Tuition, Fees and Additional Associated Costs

Students in Dual Enrollment for Dual Credit courses are responsible for the cost of tuition, fees, textbooks, and materials and supplies as required in the syllabus of each course at the institution, unless covered by alternative funding sources. Dual Enrollment scholarship funds may be provided for required items that are listed in the college course syllabus. Students who fail to pay tuition and fees by the end of the drop/add period are not considered enrolled and may automatically be dropped from course rolls. The appropriate LEAs and/or other secondary educational entities will be notified.

Dual Enrollment for Dual Credit Limitations

Student enrollment in a combined number of high school and college courses per term will not exceed that which is educationally sound as determined by the College and the LEA and/or other secondary educational entity.

Dual Enrollment for Dual Credit Agreement

Participating LEAs and/or other secondary educational entities and the College shall develop a Dual Enrollment for Dual Credit Agreement (Memorandum of Agreement - MOA) that includes, but is not limited to, the following:

Mutually approved Dual Enrollment for Dual Credit courses. Courses offered must be of postsecondary/college level and shall be drawn from the respective institution's existing academic inventory of credit courses.

Faculty qualifications and requirements. Dual Enrollment for Dual Credit instructors shall be faculty of the college. Faculty must be under the ultimate control and supervision of the college for the dual enrollment class or classes. The institution must provide faculty orientation, supervision, and evaluation. A high school teacher employed to teach Dual Enrollment for Dual Credit courses will be designated as an adjunct faculty member of the institution and must meet the credentialing requirements of the ACCS and applicable accrediting agencies. Documentation of appropriate faculty credentials which meet or exceed these requirements must be on file at the institution. Faculty credentials shall be provided to the appropriate secondary officials as needed to meet credentialing standards of appropriate secondary system accrediting agencies.
Faculty compensation. The college shall be responsible for the compensation (examples include but are not limited to salaries, stipends or supplements) of faculty in accordance with ACCS and institutional policy. New consortia arrangements and/or contractual agreements whereby the institution pays the secondary system or high school to provide the instruction for Dual Enrollment for Dual Credit classes are prohibited as they may (1) lessen the institution's ability to exercise control and supervision of the instructor and (2) increase the complexity of compliance with accreditation standards related to educational programs. (Current agreements of this type may be phased out and brought into compliance with the new requirement at the end of the current agreements.) Faculty may not receive dual compensation for instructional time.
Credit awarded. Semester credit hours at the postsecondary level for high school courses specifically named as a requirement for graduation as outlined in AAC Rule 290-3-1-.02(8)(a) are determined according to guidelines established by the SDE. Partial/full credit agreements shall be developed by the local board of education and participating postsecondary institutions for courses that are excluded from the SDE guidelines for assigning credit. The Dual Enrollment- High School Graduation Requirement Equivalency List developed by the SDE identifies dual enrollment courses taken through the ACCS that may satisfy one or more Alabama High School Diploma graduation requirements.
Transcripts. Courses approved for dual credit shall be posted on both secondary and postsecondary transcripts. Courses completed for dual credit shall be transcripted with the appropriate statement at the postsecondary level indicating dual enrollment credit. It shall be the responsibility of the postsecondary institution to report grades (in numerical format) to secondary officials. Dual Enrollment credit is transcripted conditionally until the student completes high school graduation requirements. Students must submit an official high school transcript upon graduation to finalize the awarding of college credit for dual enrollment courses.
Annual evaluation plan. A plan for an annual evaluation of the institution's Dual Enrollment for Dual Credit program shall be prepared and shall adhere to procedures established by the Chancellor. The institution and the LEA and/or other secondary educational entity shall assume the responsibility for reporting required information in a timely manner.
Student issues. Methods for addressing student related issues such as admissions, procedures, advisement, monitoring and evaluation, privacy rights, ADA issues, and verification of student attendance must be addressed in the agreement. The local education agency and the community college must jointly develop written policies and procedures detailing information that includes, but is not limited to, attendance and critical dates, drop/add and withdrawal policies, student code of conduct (discipline/in school suspensions), and grading policies. The procedures shall be outlined in the Dual Enrollment Student Policies and Procedures Handbook.
Provisions for Disability Services and Accommodations. Roles and responsibilities regarding accommodations and disability services must be clearly defined in the agreement developed between ACCS institutions and LEAs and/or other secondary educational entities. Participation in a Dual Enrollment for Dual Credit program is considered to be a choice on the part of the student. Therefore, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requirements concerning a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) do not apply in a postsecondary educational setting. Furthermore, since requirements under the IDEA do not apply to the postsecondary level, services described in the Individual Education Plan (IEP) will not be required for Dual Enrollment for Dual Credit courses. Alternatively, postsecondary institutions must comply with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) which guarantees that "no qualified individual with a disability may be excluded from participation in, denied benefits of, or otherwise be subjected to discrimination if otherwise qualified." Students with disabilities who meet the prerequisites of ACCS courses will be provided reasonable accommodations that allow equal access. It is the student's responsibility to disclose and provide current documentation in support of his or her request for accommodation from the disability services office of the college. Decisions regarding accommodations provided in postsecondary courses will be made by the institution upon submission of appropriate documentation. Institutions will not provide modifications to change the course content or performance expectations that would substantially alter the essential functions or physical demands of the course, unless required to do so by applicable law. Some accommodations available at the high school may not be provided by the postsecondary institution.
Transportation responsibility. Transportation is the responsibility of the parent/guardian of such students unless otherwise negotiated between the institution and the secondary educational entity.
Communication to parents and students. The ACCS institutions must have a provision for communicating to parents and students the educational and economic benefits of the Dual Enrollment for Dual Credit program as well as requirements for participation and enrollment procedures. The institution will communicate the confidentiality requirements of the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) regarding college students. At a minimum, the information above will be included in the postsecondary institution's appropriate publications and on its website.
Career and Technical Education Dual Enrollment (CTEDE) Scholarship Funds. CTEDE scholarship funds are contingent upon allocations by the Alabama Legislature. Colleges must begin to phase in a system to prioritize the scholarships to be awarded based on the allocation received for the Spring, Summer, and Fall semesters of the school year that funds are received. Enrollment planning and budgeting of these funds require that colleges provide annual course schedules for dual enrollment classes to the partner high schools by February 1 of each year, and that the partner high schools provide complete enrollment forms to the colleges by May 1 for enrollment in the Fall semester; November 15 for enrollment in the Spring semester; and, March 1 for enrollment in the Summer semester.
Colleges may maximize the CTEDE scholarship funds by providing textbooks, tool kits, personal protective equipment, and other associated materials and supplies for student checkout, but details must be listed in the Dual Enrollment for Dual Credit Agreement.
CTEDE scholarship funds may be used to cover costs of select academic course(s) in the eligible CTE program of study but must be taken concurrently with CTE course(s). The CTEDE scholarship will cover the required English, math and science course in the eligible CTE program of student. The Anatomy and Physiology course is an exception if the dual enrolled student is on a healthcare career pathway. Students requiring developmental co-requisite courses along with college English and math courses to meet program requirements are not eligible to receive the CTEDE funds for these courses.

Compliance

Failure to comply with the foregoing procedures may result in reduced funding.