IHCDA

DUAL ENROLLMENT PROGRAM

I. Policy Statement

District employees, parents and other stakeholders in public education all have the obligation and duty to ensure that our students will be adequately prepared to compete and excel in secondary and higher education settings requiring college and career ready knowledge emphasizing content mastery as well as its application. The Rhode Island General Assembly has mandated the establishment of a statewide dual enrollment policy that allows students to enroll in public post-secondary education courses both in the student’s high school and at the post-secondary institution to satisfy academic coursework requirements in high school and earn credits at a public post-secondary institution. This policy is intended to expand student access to post-secondary coursework and is not intended to preempt existing agreements or to prevent future agreements between school districts and Rhode Island’s public post-secondary institutions.

II. Legal Authority

The Rhode Island General Assembly empowers and requires the Board of Education to prescribe by regulation a statewide dual enrollment policy that shall allow students to enroll in courses at post-secondary institutions to satisfy academic credit requirements in both high school and the aforementioned post-secondary institutions.

The Board of Education regulations address the post-secondary institution’s graduation requirements, if any; the institution’s ability to award degrees/certificates in Rhode Island; the minimum course grade to receive credit at the student’s secondary school; and any other criteria that the Board deems appropriate.

The Rhode Island General Assembly mandates that school committees, including this School Committee, develop educational policies corresponding to these regulations[1].

The Rhode Island General Assembly requires superintendents of schools to implement policies established by school committees and to comply with provisions of federal and state law.

III. District’s Adoption of a Dual Enrollment Policy

The School Committee hereby adopts this Dual Enrollment Policy in accordance with Rhode Island State Law and Board of Education regulation.

IV. District Policy

To the extent required by State law and Board of Education regulation, the Superintendent is directed to:

  • Support existing programs of his/her choice that provide the best opportunity for the maximum number of students to fulfill the aims of the policy (e.g. CCRI Operation Running Start, Rhode Island College Early Enrollment Program, Advanced Placement courses).

  • Ensure that students earn both high school and post-secondary credit and these credits are recorded on the student transcript, provided students meet all requirements, including but not limited to those concerning grading, attendance, and conduct.

  • Ensure that appropriate dual enrollment courses count toward a student’s high school coursework graduation requirements (if the student complies with the post-secondary institution’s course polices and successfully completes the course).

  • Ensure that students meet their high school’s requirements, including, but not limited to those concerning attendance and conduct.

  • Ensure that concurrent enrollment courses will count toward the student’s high school coursework graduation requirements if the student, according to their secondary school’s grading, behavioral, and attendance policies, successfully completes the course.

  • Ensure that the District’s assigned staff will work with the assigned staff at the post-secondary institution to oversee the enrollment of students in dual and concurrent enrollment courses.

  • Appropriately provide for students with disabilities to the extent required by applicable Federal and State law and regulation.

  • Appropriately provide for transportation and technology and other costs for students at post-secondary school sites to the extent required by applicable Federal and State law and regulation[2].

  • Make available to students and parents applicable articulation agreements between the District and higher education institutions.

  • Encourage participation of underserved populations in this program.

  • Develop and implement specific programs to prepare and train teaching staff to teach concurrent and advanced placement courses to the extent appropriate.

  • Ensure that students, staff, volunteers, and parents/legal guardians are provided appropriate information regarding the Dual Enrollment Program Policy.

  • Report to the department of elementary and secondary education on an annual basis regarding the number of students, the number of credits enrolled in at post-secondary institutions, the name of the institution, and the dollar amount the school district is allocated for this program in accordance with state law[3].

V. District Protocol

The Superintendent of Schools is directed to forthwith develop a protocol for implementation of this policy consistent with Federal and State Law and Regulation and submit the same to the Committee for approval.

VI. Evaluation and Review

This policy shall be reviewed and updated on a regular basis, and shall be automatically amended to conform to amendments and changes in applicable state and federal laws, rules and regulations.

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[1] The LEA must adopt a local Dual Enrollment Policy as authorized under Rhode Island General Laws 16-100-3(a) and 16-100-4.

[2] Board of Education regulation provides: Districts shall support, if financially possible, the cost of providing dual and concurrent enrollment programming. Given the post-secondary benefit, students and families may be asked to contribute all or a portion of the cost of providing dual and concurrent enrollment programming. No low-income student shall be denied access to concurrent or dual enrollment coursework on their inability to pay course related fees.

As of May 28, 2015, RIDE advises as follows relative to District payment of costs:

It is anticipated that the 2015 Prepare RI Dual Enrollment Fund will provide funding to enable qualified students to participate in dual and concurrent enrollment programming offered by Rhode Island public post-secondary institutions, at no cost to their families. The Office of the Post-Secondary Commissioner will reimburse URI, RIC and CCRI for the per credit tuition, application, and testing fees for students participating in dual and concurrent enrollment programming. This means schools and districts do not pay the cost of tuition, application or entrance testing fees.

Books: Since students take dual and concurrent enrollment as part of their high school requirements, the cost of books and associated course materials is the responsibility of the school or district.

Transportation: Students and their families are responsible for transporting the student to the course on the post-secondary institution’s campus. The school or district may choose to support transportation of their students [3] R.I. Gen. Laws § 16-100-5.


ADOPTED: August 17, 2015