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The Florida Senate

2012 Florida Statutes

Title XLVIII K-20 EDUCATION CODE
Chapter 1007 ARTICULATION AND ACCESS Entire Chapter
SECTION 271
Dual enrollment programs.
F.S. 1007.271
1007.271 Dual enrollment programs.—
(1) 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. A student who is enrolled in postsecondary instruction that is not creditable toward a high school diploma may not be classified as a dual enrollment student.
(2) 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 provides a secondary curriculum pursuant to s. 1003.428, s. 1003.429, or s. 1003.43. Students who are eligible for dual enrollment pursuant to this section may enroll in dual enrollment courses conducted during school hours, after school hours, and during the summer term. However, if the student is projected to graduate from high school before the scheduled completion date of a postsecondary course, the student may not register for that course through dual enrollment. The student may apply to the postsecondary institution and pay the required registration, tuition, and fees if the student meets the postsecondary institution’s admissions requirements under s. 1007.263. Instructional time for dual 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 enrolled as a dual enrollment student 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.
(3) Student eligibility requirements for initial enrollment in college credit dual enrollment courses must include a 3.0 unweighted high school grade point average and the minimum score on a common placement test adopted by the State Board of Education which indicates that the student is ready for college-level coursework. Student eligibility requirements for continued enrollment in college credit dual enrollment courses must include the maintenance of a 3.0 unweighted high school grade point average and the minimum postsecondary grade point average established by the postsecondary institution. Regardless of meeting student eligibility requirements for continued enrollment, a student may lose the opportunity to participate in a dual enrollment course if the student is disruptive to the learning process such that the progress of other students or the efficient administration of the course is hindered. Student eligibility requirements for initial and continued enrollment in career certificate dual enrollment courses must include a 2.0 unweighted high school grade point average. Exceptions to the required grade point averages may be granted on an individual student basis if the educational entities agree and the terms of the agreement are contained within the dual enrollment articulation agreement established pursuant to subsection (21). Florida College System institution boards of trustees may establish additional initial student eligibility requirements, which shall be included in the dual enrollment articulation agreement, to ensure student readiness for postsecondary instruction. Additional requirements included in the agreement may not arbitrarily prohibit students who have demonstrated the ability to master advanced courses from participating in dual enrollment courses.
(4) District school boards may not refuse to enter into a dual enrollment articulation agreement with a local Florida College System institution if that Florida College System institution has the capacity to offer dual enrollment courses. A Florida College System institution may limit dual enrollment participation based upon capacity. Such limitation must be clearly specified in the dual enrollment articulation agreement.
(5)(a) Each faculty member providing instruction in college credit dual enrollment courses must:
1. Meet the qualifications required by the entity accrediting the postsecondary institution offering the course. The qualifications apply to all faculty members regardless of the location of instruction. The postsecondary institution offering the course must require compliance with these qualifications.
2. Provide the institution offering the dual enrollment course a copy of his or her postsecondary transcript.
3. Provide a copy of the current syllabus for each course taught to the discipline chair or department chair of the postsecondary institution before the start of each term. The content of each syllabus must meet the same standards required for all college-level courses offered by that postsecondary institution.
4. Adhere to the professional rules, guidelines, and expectations stated in the postsecondary institution’s faculty or adjunct faculty handbook. Any exceptions must be included in the dual enrollment articulation agreement.
5. Adhere to the rules, guidelines, and expectations stated in the postsecondary institution’s student handbook which apply to faculty members. Any exceptions must be noted in the dual enrollment articulation agreement.
(b) Each president, or designee, of a postsecondary institution offering a college credit dual enrollment course must:
1. Provide a copy of the institution’s current faculty or adjunct faculty handbook to all faculty members teaching a dual enrollment course.
2. Provide to all faculty members teaching a dual enrollment course a copy of the institution’s current student handbook, which may include, but is not limited to, information on registration policies, the student code of conduct, grading policies, and critical dates.
3. Designate an individual or individuals to observe all faculty members teaching a dual enrollment course, regardless of the location of instruction.
4. Use the same criteria to evaluate faculty members teaching a dual enrollment course as the criteria used to evaluate all other faculty members.
5. Provide course plans and objectives to all faculty members teaching a dual enrollment course.
(6) The following curriculum standards apply to college credit dual enrollment:
(a) Dual enrollment courses taught on the high school campus must meet the same competencies required for courses taught on the postsecondary institution campus. To ensure equivalent rigor with courses taught on the postsecondary institution campus, the postsecondary institution offering the course is responsible for providing in a timely manner a comprehensive, cumulative end-of-course assessment or a series of assessments of all expected learning outcomes to the faculty member teaching the course. Completed, scored assessments must be returned to the postsecondary institution and held for 1 year.
(b) Instructional materials used in dual enrollment courses must be the same as or comparable to those used in courses offered by the postsecondary institution with the same course prefix and number. The postsecondary institution must advise the school district of instructional materials requirements as soon as that information becomes available but no later than one term before a course is offered.
(c) Course requirements, such as tests, papers, or other assignments, for dual enrollment students must be at the same level of rigor or depth as those for all nondual enrollment postsecondary students. All faculty members teaching dual enrollment courses must observe the procedures and deadlines of the postsecondary institution for the submission of grades. A postsecondary institution must advise each faculty member teaching a dual enrollment course of the institution’s grading guidelines before the faculty member begins teaching the course.
(d) Dual enrollment courses taught on a high school campus may not be combined with any noncollege credit high school course.
(7) 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 may not be used to enroll students in isolated career courses.
(8) Each district school board shall inform all secondary students and their parents of dual enrollment as an educational option and mechanism for acceleration. Students and their parents shall be informed of student eligibility requirements, 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 provide that information to each partnering postsecondary institution. Alternative grade calculation, weighting systems, and information regarding student education options that discriminate against dual enrollment courses are prohibited.
(9) The Commissioner of Education shall appoint faculty committees representing public school, Florida College System institution, and university faculties to identify postsecondary courses that meet the high school graduation requirements of s. 1003.428, s. 1003.429, or 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. 1003.428, s. 1003.429, or s. 1003.43.
(10) Early admission is 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. A student must enroll in a minimum of 12 college credit hours per semester or the equivalent to participate in the early admission program; however, a student may not be required to enroll in more than 15 college credit hours per semester or the equivalent. Students enrolled pursuant to this subsection are exempt from the payment of registration, tuition, and laboratory fees.
(11) Career early admission is a form of career dual enrollment through which eligible secondary students enroll full time in a career center or a Florida College System institution in courses that are creditable toward the high school diploma and the certificate or associate degree. Participation in the career early admission program is 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.
(12) The State Board of Education shall adopt rules for any dual enrollment programs involving requirements for high school graduation.
(13)(a) The dual enrollment program for home education students consists of the enrollment of an eligible home education secondary student in a postsecondary course creditable toward an associate degree, a career certificate, or a baccalaureate degree. To participate in the dual enrollment program, an eligible home education secondary student must:
1. Provide proof of enrollment in a home education program pursuant to s. 1002.41.
2. Be responsible for his or her own instructional materials and transportation unless provided for otherwise.
3. Sign a home education articulation agreement pursuant to paragraph (b).
(b) Each postsecondary institution shall enter into a home education articulation agreement with each home education student seeking enrollment in a dual enrollment course and the student’s parent. The home education articulation agreement shall include, at a minimum:
1. A delineation of courses and programs available to dually enrolled home education students. Courses and programs may be added, revised, or deleted at any time by the postsecondary institution.
2. The initial and continued eligibility requirements for home education student participation, not to exceed those required of other dually enrolled students.
3. The student’s responsibilities for providing his or her own instructional materials and transportation.
4. A copy of the statement on transfer guarantees developed by the Department of Education under subsection (15).
(14) 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 may 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.
(15) The Department of Education shall develop a statement on transfer guarantees to inform students and their parents, 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 and their parents 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.
(16) 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.
(17) 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 does not prohibit a Florida College System institution from providing instructional materials at no cost to a home education student or student from a private school. Instructional materials purchased by a district school board or Florida College System institution board of trustees on behalf of dual enrollment students shall be the property of the board against which the purchase is charged.
(18) School districts and Florida College System institutions 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 systems, alternative grade weighting systems, and information regarding student education options that discriminate against dual enrollment courses are prohibited.
(19) 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.
(20) A postsecondary institution shall assign letter grades to each student enrolled in a dual enrollment course. The letter grade assigned by the postsecondary institution shall be posted to the student’s high school transcript by the school district.
(21) Each district school superintendent and Florida College System institution president shall develop a comprehensive dual enrollment articulation agreement for the respective school district and Florida College System institution. The superintendent and president shall establish an articulation committee for the purpose of developing the agreement. Each state university president may designate a university representative to participate in the development of a dual enrollment articulation agreement. A dual enrollment articulation agreement shall be completed and submitted annually by the Florida College System institution to the Department of Education on or before August 1. The agreement must include, but is not limited to:
(a) A ratification or modification of all existing articulation agreements.
(b) A description of the process by which students and their parents are informed about opportunities for student participation in the dual enrollment program.
(c) A delineation of courses and programs available to students eligible to participate in dual enrollment.
(d) A description of the process by which students and their parents exercise options to participate in the dual enrollment program.
(e) A list of any additional initial student eligibility requirements for participation in the dual enrollment program.
(f) A delineation of the high school credit earned for the passage of each dual enrollment course.
(g) A description of the process for informing students and their parents of college-level course expectations.
(h) The policies and procedures, if any, for determining exceptions to the required grade point averages on an individual student basis.
(i) The registration policies for dual enrollment courses as determined by the postsecondary institution.
(j) Exceptions, if any, to the professional rules, guidelines, and expectations stated in the faculty or adjunct faculty handbook for the postsecondary institution.
(k) Exceptions, if any, to the rules, guidelines, and expectations stated in the student handbook of the postsecondary institution which apply to faculty members.
(l) The responsibilities of the school district regarding the determination of student eligibility before participating in the dual enrollment program and the monitoring of student performance while participating in the dual enrollment program.
(m) The responsibilities of the Florida College System institution regarding the transmission of student grades in dual enrollment courses to the school district.
(n) A funding provision that delineates costs incurred by each entity. School districts should share funding to cover instructional and support costs incurred by the postsecondary institution.
(o) Any institutional responsibilities for student transportation, if provided.
(22) The Department of Education shall develop an electronic submission system for dual enrollment articulation agreements and shall review, for compliance, each dual enrollment articulation agreement submitted pursuant to subsection (21). The Commissioner of Education shall notify the district school superintendent and the Florida College System institution president if the dual enrollment articulation agreement does not comply with statutory requirements and shall submit any dual enrollment articulation agreement with unresolved issues of noncompliance to the State Board of Education.
(23) District school boards and Florida College System institutions may enter into additional dual enrollment articulation agreements with state universities for the purposes of this section. School districts may also enter into dual enrollment articulation agreements with eligible independent colleges and universities pursuant to s. 1011.62(1)(i).
(24) Postsecondary institutions may enter into dual enrollment articulation agreements with private secondary schools pursuant to subsection (2).
History.—s. 357, ch. 2002-387; s. 109, ch. 2004-357; s. 6, ch. 2005-196; s. 39, ch. 2006-74; s. 6, ch. 2008-142; s. 100, ch. 2011-5; s. 20, ch. 2012-191.