6030 Dual Enrollment

Middletown Public Schools                                                                                    No. 6030

Dual Enrollment

DUAL ENROLLMENT

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 postsecondary education courses both in the student’s high school and at the postsecondary institution to satisfy academic coursework requirements in high school and earn credits at a public postsecondary institution. This policy is intended to expand student access to postsecondary coursework and is not intended to preempt existing agreements or to prevent future agreements between school districts and Rhode Island’s public postsecondary institutions.

II.        Legal Authority

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

The BOE regulations address the postsecondary 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 to 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 the a Dual Enrollment Policy

The Middletown School Committee hereby adopts this Dual Enrollment Policy in accordance with Rhode Island State Law and BOE regulation.

IV.       District Policy

To the extent required by State law and BOE regulation, the Superintendent is directed to:

·         Support existing programs of its 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 postsecondary 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 postsecondary institution to oversee the enrollment of students in dual and concurrent enrollment courses.

·         To the extent required by applicable Federal and State law and regulation, 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[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.

·         To the extent appropriate, develop and implement specific programs to prepare and train their teaching staff to teach concurrent and advanced placement courses.

·         Ensure that students, staff, volunteers, and parents/legal guardians are provided appropriate information regarding this.

·         In accordance with state law, 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 postsecondary institutions, the name of the institution, and the dollar amount the school district is allocated for this program[3].

·         Establish a District wide protocol facilitating the terms of this policy.

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.

1st Reading – June 22, 2015

2nd Reading and Approval – July 23, 2015

[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] BOE regulation provides:  Districts shall support, if financially possible, the cost of providing dual and concurrent enrollment programming. Given the postsecondary 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 postsecondary institutions, at no cost to their families.  The Office of the Postsecondary 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 postsecondary institution’s campus. The school or district may choose to support transportation of their students