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Early Postsecondary Opportunities : 2.01.00.05

Policy/Guideline Area

Academic Policies

Applicable Divisions

TCATs, Community Colleges

Purpose

The Tennessee Board of Regents will provide high school students with opportunities to earn postsecondary credit to accelerate their progress toward a technical certificate/diploma or associate degree.

Definitions

“Early Postsecondary Opportunities” or “EPSOs” is the collective term for the various types of courses high school students can take to earn college credit while they are enrolled in high school.  College credit is either awarded based on successful completion of a Dual Enrollment course, achievement of a certain score on an exam, or attainment of an Industry Certification.  

  • “Dual Enrollment” is the enrollment of a high school student in a course(s) for which the student is eligible to earn high school credit and college credit. 
    • Dual Enrollment courses can be taught at the high school, college, or online. 
    • Instructors of Dual Enrollment courses can be college faculty members or LEA employees who have been determined by the college president or designee to be qualified to teach such courses at the college level per SACSCOC or COE criteria.
    • “LEA,” for purposes of this policy, includes both the local education authority and a high school partnering with a college for an EPSO.
    • “Early College” and “Early College High School” are terms for the enrollment of a high school student in a combined curriculum/course of high school and postsecondary credit where the student is expected to earn a high school diploma as well as a postsecondary credential or enter a four-year postsecondary institution as a junior after high school graduation. The courses/programs are taught by instructors with appropriate postsecondary credentials approved by the institution awarding the credit.
    • “Middle College” is the term used to describe a program, operated by a community college in partnership with an LEA that permits a student in the fall semester of their junior year in high school to enter the community college and to earn both a high school diploma and an associate degree in two (2) years, for which the “middle college scholarship” is available.  The courses in the program are taught by a qualified community college faculty member or by a qualified high school teacher serving as an adjunct faculty member of the community college.
  • “Local Dual Credit” or “LDC” is a high school course taught by a high school instructor aligned to a local postsecondary institution’s course and learning outcomes with a required end of course assessment (challenge exam, skills test, or other faculty-developed evaluation instrument), the successful completion of which earns college credit upon matriculation to the local college.   Colleges may charge an exam fee for such assessments so long as the amount of the fee does not exceed the fee charged for a prior learning assessment exam.
  • “Statewide Dual Credit” or “SDC” is a high school course taught by a high school instructor aligned to standards set by a statewide consortium of college faculty with a required end of course exam.  Successful completion of the exam earns college credit upon matriculation to any Tennessee public postsecondary institution or school in the Tennessee Independent Colleges and Universities Association.
  • Advanced Placement (“AP”) are college-level courses taught by high school instructors designed by the College Board with nationally recognized exams. Colleges may award credit based on the score earned on such exams.
  • Cambridge International Examinations (“CIE”) is a high school academic program taught by high school instructors with internationally recognized exams. Colleges may award credit based on the scores earned on such exams and recognize the qualification for matriculation purposes.
  • International Baccalaureate (“IB”) is an academically challenging course of study taught by high school instructors aligned to internationally benchmarked exams for which students may earn an IB diploma.  Colleges may award credit, an associate degree, advanced standing, or waive course requirements based on the scores earned on such exams. 
  • College Level Examination Program (“CLEP”) is a program of nationally recognized exams used to assess college-level knowledge. The exams are offered in multiple subjects. Colleges may award credit based on the score earned on such exams.
  • “Industry Certification” is a credential awarded based upon performance on a third party (business/industry recognized) exam.  Colleges may award credit based on such Industry Certifications. 

Policy/Guideline

  1. Policy Provisions
    1. Pursuant to TBR Policy 4.02.01.00 “Approvals of Agreements and Contracts,” Local Dual Credit and Dual Enrollment agreements between colleges and LEAs must be in writing and approved and executed by the President or the President’s designee and submitted to the System Office for approval by the Chancellor or the Chancellor’s designee.  TBR-approved templates for Local Dual Credit and Dual Enrollment agreements can be found at www.tbr.edu/purchasing/forms
    2. Dual credit and dual enrollment agreements between colleges and home school associations/homeschooling parents are permitted but not required for home schooled students.
    3. Although TBR encourages institutions to work collaboratively with LEAs to create different models for Dual Enrollment programs, particularly at TCATs, Dual Enrollment course offerings must comply with TBR policies and procedures.  The colleges granting the academic credit have full responsibility for ensuring the delivery of college level courses with appropriate academic rigor. 
      1. For community colleges, Dual Enrollment courses and instructors must meet all requirements of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC). 
      2. For technical colleges, Dual Enrollment courses and instructors must meet all requirements of the Council on Occupational Education (COE). 
      3. Instructors of Dual Enrollment courses who are high school faculty (not including college adjunct faculty) must participate in relevant professional development and evaluation activities.
      4. The Chief Academic Officer or designee at a community college and the President or designee at a TCAT shall assure consistency and comparability of both orientation and evaluation across institutions for instructors of Dual Enrollment, and LDC courses.
    4. Administrators, faculty, and staff in both high school and college settings providing EPSOs will comply with all applicable legal requirements, including but not limited to, FERPA and the ADA.

Procedures

  1. Dual Enrollment
    1. Eligibility and Student Services
      1. Students desiring to participate in Dual Enrollment courses must be enrolled in a Tennessee public school as defined in T.C.A. § 49-6-3001, a nonpublic school as defined in T.C.A. § 49-50-801, a home school as defined in T.C.A. § 49-6-3050, or a private school as defined in T.C.A. § 49-6-3001. In order to enroll students in Dual Enrollment courses, colleges must obtain secondary institution permission/approval (except for home school students), and permission/approval from a parent or guardian for students under age 18.  
      2. Counseling and advising of prospective students and parents by appropriate college officials, high school counselors, and teachers, will be an integral part of all Dual Enrollment courses. Advising materials must state that as a college course, the Dual Enrollment course becomes part of the permanent college transcript that must be provided by the student to any college the student eventually attends.
      3. Student services in both the high school and the college settings will ensure that Dual Enrollment students have access to academic resources (e.g., library materials), student services (e.g., orientation, advising, procedural information), privileges and opportunities available to regularly enrolled students taking the same course.
      4. To avoid displacing postsecondary students, colleges may create specific course sections for Dual Enrollment students.
      5. Colleges may add additional eligibility requirements for specific courses or programs in Dual Enrollment agreements with a LEA.
    2. Course Development, Enrollment and Credit Award
      1. For Community Colleges:
        1. The high school course must have a corresponding course listed in the college’s catalog and use the college’s course syllabus, including outcomes and requirements, and text and materials.
        2. The college shall ensure that Dual Enrollment students are held to the same grading, academic rigor, and attendance standards as regularly enrolled students, and are assessed using the same methods (e.g., papers, portfolios, quizzes, labs, etc.) as regularly enrolled students.
        3. The college shall admit and register Dual Enrollment students as non-degree seeking students of the college and record Dual Enrollment courses on official college transcripts referencing the college course and course number for which credit was awarded.
        4. If a Dual Enrollment student meets the requirements for an associate degree and/or technical certificate while still in high school, the college may confer the earned credential even if the student is listed as non-degree seeking, and even if the college’s graduation date precedes the student’s high school graduation date.
        5. Although the associate degree or technical certificate may be conferred prior to high school graduation due to differences between scheduled college and high school ceremonies, the college must receive a final high school transcript documenting the student’s high school graduation before posting the degree to the student’s college transcript.
      2. For Technical Colleges:
        1. The high school course must either (i) have a corresponding course listed in the college’s catalog and use the college’s course syllabus, including outcomes and requirements, and text and materials (“College Curriculum Courses”), or (ii) be determined by the college president, in accordance with the process outlined below, to provide college level instruction for at least 90 clock hours from courses included as part of a program of study offered by the TCAT (“SBE Curriculum Courses”).
        2. The college shall ensure that students in College Curriculum Courses are held to the same grading, academic rigor, and attendance standards as regularly enrolled students, and are assessed using the same methods (e.g., papers, portfolios, quizzes, labs, etc.) as regularly enrolled students.
        3. In order to award clock hours for students successfully completing a SBE Curriculum Course, the president must (i) review and approve a “crosswalk” of competencies expected to be attained by such students in the high school course and those expected to be obtained by students in the college program of study, and (ii) determine that the academic rigor of the SBE Curriculum Course meets or exceeds that of a college level course.  The “crosswalk” will assign clock hours to be awarded per college course in a program of study which are equal to the clock hours allocated to those competencies in each such college course. Documentation reflecting the results of the crosswalk and the number of clock hours to be awarded per college course must be included as back up when the Dual Enrollment is submitted for approval by the Chancellor or Chancellor’s designee.
        4. The college shall admit and register Dual Enrollment students as dual enrollment status students in a specific program and record clock hours earned in Dual Enrollment courses on official college transcripts referencing the college course and course number for which clock hours are awarded.
        5. If a Dual Enrollment student meets the requirements for a technical college certificate/diploma while still in high school, the college may confer the earned award. 
        6. Although the technical college certificate/diploma may be conferred prior to high school graduation due to differences between scheduled college and high school ceremonies, the college must receive a final high school transcript documenting the student’s high school graduation before posting the degree to the student’s transcript.
      3. Stipends to LEAs
        1. State-provided funds for Dual Enrollment courses are intended to cover the college’s costs of offering such courses and of meeting the needs of participating high school students.
        2. In the event that the LEA provides the instructor for a Dual Enrollment course and such instructor is not a college adjunct, it is not required but is acceptable for the college to pay a stipend to the LEA as compensation for the additional work (reporting of grades and attendance and professional development) that such instructor must perform.  Any such stipend shall be reflected in the Dual Enrollment agreement between the parties.
        3. In the event that the LEA provides classroom supplies for a Dual Enrollment course that would not be necessary for a high school course, it is not required but is acceptable for the college to pay a stipend to the LEA or to reimburse the LEA for the cost of such supplies.  Any such stipend or reimbursement process shall be reflected in the Dual Enrollment agreement between the parties.
  2. Credit by Exam- Award of Credit
    1. Unlike Dual Enrollment courses, LDC, SDC, AP, CIE, IB, CLEP and Industry Certifications do not result in the automatic award of college credit upon successful completion of a program or course. Instead, credit is or may be awarded based on successful completion of an exam. 
      1. For LDC, the credit to be awarded for successful completion of an exam is set forth in the Dual Credit agreement between the college and the LEA.
      2. For SDC, the credit to be awarded for successful completion of an exam is set forth by the statewide consortium of college faculty who developed the course and exam.
      3. In accordance with TBR Policy 2.01.00.04 “Awarding of Credits Earned through Extra-Institutional Learning to Community Colleges,” the decision to grant college credit, advanced standing, or requirement waiver based on an AP, CIE, IB, CLEP score is the prerogative of the college, but must be set forth in a published college policy.  If an institution agrees to accept AP and/or CLEP scores, it should adhere to the AP and CLEP credit matrices developed by a multi-campus faculty committee and approved by the Academic Affairs Sub-Council in June 2012. (See Exhibits 1-4).
      4. If a college affiliated with the Tennessee Board of Regents accepts an LDC, SDC, AP, or IB score for college credit, the college transcript will list the college course, with the grade P and the indication (NTAxxx) for AP, (NTBxxx) for IB, (NTDxxx) for LDC, and (N09xxx) for SDC. 
      5. For Industry Certifications, colleges shall collaborate with the Tennessee Department of Education (TDOE) and business and industry to identify appropriate Industry Certifications and the postsecondary credit to be awarded based upon such Industry Certifications.
    2. College credit awarded through credit by exam is not included in the campus’s FTE calculations.

Exhibits

Sources

Statutes

T.C.A. § 49-15-101 et seq.; T.C.A. § 49-6-3111; Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, as amended (FERPA), 20 USC 1232G; Americans with Disabilities Act, as amended, 42 U.S.C. ch. 126 § 12101 et seq.

Approvals & Revisions

New policy and procedure approved at Board Meeting, March 29, 2018; Revision approved at December 9, 2021 Board Meeting; October 18, 2022 Updated Exhibit 4, Exhibit 5, Exhibit 6 and Exhibit 7; September 22, 2023 Board Meeting; October 23, 2923 Updated Exhibit 4 and 5.