The Florida Senate

The dual enrollment program is the enrollment of an eligible secondary student or home education student in a postsecondary course creditable toward high school completion and a career certificate or an associate or baccalaureate degree.

For the purpose of this section, an eligible secondary student is a student who is enrolled in a Florida public secondary school or in a Florida private secondary school which is in compliance with s. 1002.42(2) and conducts a secondary curriculum pursuant to s. 1003.43. Students enrolled in postsecondary instruction that is not creditable toward the high school diploma shall not be classified as dual enrollments. Students who are eligible for dual enrollment pursuant to this section shall be permitted to enroll in dual enrollment courses conducted during school hours, after school hours, and during the summer term. Instructional time for such enrollment may vary from 900 hours; however, the school district may only report the student for a maximum of 1.0 FTE, as provided in s. 1011.61(4). Any student so enrolled is exempt from the payment of registration, tuition, and laboratory fees. Vocational-preparatory instruction, college-preparatory instruction, and other forms of precollegiate instruction, as well as physical education courses that focus on the physical execution of a skill rather than the intellectual attributes of the activity, are ineligible for inclusion in the dual enrollment program. Recreation and leisure studies courses shall be evaluated individually in the same manner as physical education courses for potential inclusion in the program.

The Department of Education shall adopt guidelines designed to achieve comparability across school districts of both student qualifications and teacher qualifications for dual enrollment courses. Student qualifications must demonstrate readiness for college-level coursework if the student is to be enrolled in college courses. Student qualifications must demonstrate readiness for career-level coursework if the student is to be enrolled in career courses. In addition to the common placement examination, student qualifications for enrollment in college credit dual enrollment courses must include a 3.0 unweighted grade point average, and student qualifications for enrollment in career certificate dual enrollment courses must include a 2.0 unweighted grade point average. Exceptions to the required grade point averages may be granted if the educational entities agree and the terms of the agreement are contained within the dual enrollment interinstitutional articulation agreement. ¹Community college boards of trustees may establish additional admissions criteria, which shall be included in the district interinstitutional articulation agreement developed according to s. 1007.235, to ensure student readiness for postsecondary instruction. Additional requirements included in the agreement shall not arbitrarily prohibit students who have demonstrated the ability to master advanced courses from participating in dual enrollment courses. District school boards may not refuse to enter into an agreement with a local ¹community college if that ¹community college has the capacity to offer dual enrollment courses.

Career dual enrollment shall be provided as a curricular option for secondary students to pursue in order to earn a series of elective credits toward the high school diploma. Career dual enrollment shall be available for secondary students seeking a degree or certificate from a complete career-preparatory program, and shall not be used to enroll students in isolated career courses. It is the intent of the Legislature that career dual enrollment provide a comprehensive academic and career dual enrollment program within the career center or ¹community college.

Each district school board shall inform all secondary students of dual enrollment as an educational option and mechanism for acceleration. Students shall be informed of eligibility criteria, the option for taking dual enrollment courses beyond the regular school year, and the minimum academic credits required for graduation. District school boards shall annually assess the demand for dual enrollment and other advanced courses, and the district school board shall consider strategies and programs to meet that demand and include access to dual enrollment on the high school campus whenever possible. Alternative grade calculation, weighting systems, or information regarding student education options which discriminates against dual enrollment courses is prohibited.

The Commissioner of Education shall appoint faculty committees representing public school, ¹community college, and university faculties to identify postsecondary courses that meet the high school graduation requirements of s. 1003.43, and to establish the number of postsecondary semester credit hours of instruction and equivalent high school credits earned through dual enrollment pursuant to this section that are necessary to meet high school graduation requirements. Such equivalencies shall be determined solely on comparable course content and not on seat time traditionally allocated to such courses in high school. The Commissioner of Education shall recommend to the State Board of Education those postsecondary courses identified to meet high school graduation requirements, based on mastery of course outcomes, by their course numbers, and all high schools shall accept these postsecondary education courses toward meeting the requirements of s. 1003.43.

Early admission shall be a form of dual enrollment through which eligible secondary students enroll in a postsecondary institution on a full-time basis in courses that are creditable toward the high school diploma and the associate or baccalaureate degree. Students enrolled pursuant to this subsection shall be exempt from the payment of registration, tuition, and laboratory fees.

Career early admission is a form of career dual enrollment through which eligible secondary students enroll full time in a career center or a ¹community college in courses that are creditable toward the high school diploma and the certificate or associate degree. Participation in the career early admission program shall be limited to students who have completed a minimum of 6 semesters of full-time secondary enrollment, including studies undertaken in the ninth grade. Students enrolled pursuant to this section are exempt from the payment of registration, tuition, and laboratory fees.

The State Board of Education shall adopt rules for any dual enrollment programs involving requirements for high school graduation.

The Department of Education shall approve any course for inclusion in the dual enrollment program that is contained within the statewide course numbering system. However, college-preparatory and other forms of precollegiate instruction, and physical education and other courses that focus on the physical execution of a skill rather than the intellectual attributes of the activity, may not be so approved, but must be evaluated individually for potential inclusion in the dual enrollment program. This subsection shall not be construed to mean that an independent postsecondary institution eligible for inclusion in a dual enrollment or early admission program pursuant to s. 1011.62 must participate in the statewide course numbering system developed pursuant to s. 1007.24 to participate in a dual enrollment program.

The Department of Education shall develop a statement on transfer guarantees which will inform students, prior to enrollment in a dual enrollment course, of the potential for the dual enrollment course to articulate as an elective or a general education course into a postsecondary education certificate or degree program. The statement shall be provided to each district school superintendent, who shall include the statement in the information provided to all secondary students as required pursuant to this subsection. The statement may also include additional information, including, but not limited to, dual enrollment options, guarantees, privileges, and responsibilities.

Students who meet the eligibility requirements of this section and who choose to participate in dual enrollment programs are exempt from the payment of registration, tuition, and laboratory fees.

Instructional materials assigned for use within dual enrollment courses shall be made available to dual enrollment students from Florida public high schools free of charge. This subsection shall not be construed to prohibit a ¹community college from providing instructional materials at no cost to a home education student or student from a private school. Students enrolled in postsecondary instruction not creditable toward a high school diploma shall not be considered dual enrollments and shall be required to assume the cost of instructional materials necessary for such instruction.

Instructional materials purchased by a district school board or ¹community college board of trustees on behalf of dual enrollment students shall be the property of the board against which the purchase is charged.

Beginning with students entering grade 9 in the 2006-2007 school year, school districts and ¹community colleges must weigh dual enrollment courses the same as advanced placement, International Baccalaureate, and Advanced International Certificate of Education courses when grade point averages are calculated. Alternative grade calculation or weighting systems that discriminate against dual enrollment courses are prohibited.

The Commissioner of Education may approve dual enrollment agreements for limited course offerings that have statewide appeal. Such programs shall be limited to a single site with multiple county participation.