Part 1.
TEXAS HIGHER EDUCATION COORDINATING BOARD
Chapter 5.
PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT
Subchapter M DUAL CREDIT PARTNERSHIPS BETWEEN SECONDARY SCHOOLS AND TEXAS PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES
19 TAC §§5.260 - 5.263
The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board adopts new §§5.260
- 5.263 concerning Dual Credit Partnerships Between Secondary Schools and
Texas Public Universities. Sections 5.260 - 5.262 are adopted with changes
to the proposed text as published in the February 18, 2000, issue of the
The rules identify university responsibilities for dual credit arrangements
in which a high school student enrolls in a university course and receives
simultaneous academic credit for the course from both the university and the
high school.
Comments were received regarding the proposed new rules.
Comment: Midwestern State University, Tarleton State University, Texas
A&M University- College Station, Texas A&M University-Kingsville,
Texas Southmost College, and Texas Woman's University supported the rules
as written.
Response: The staff appreciates the institutions' interest in dual credit
partnerships.
Comment: Stephen F. Austin University (SFASU) asked for clarification on
whether student eligibility requirements identified in §5.262(b)(1) and §5.262(b)(3)
were minimum requirements. SFASU questioned if institutions could impose more
restrictive requirements if they desired.
Response: Language has been changed in both sections to clarify that institutions
can be more restrictive for these eligibility requirements.
Comment: SFASU also raised the issue of whether it is the university's
responsibility to distinguish between a high school student taking a course
on the SFASU campus who gets college credit only and a student taking a course
on campus who also gets high school credit for the same course. SFASU further
asked if the institution needs to establish articulation (partnership) agreements
with school districts for students who are getting simultaneous high school
credit.
Response: The rules specify that dual credit refers not only to courses
taught on the high school campus but to courses taken by high school students
on the university campus who receive both high school and college credit.
Therefore, it is the responsibility of the university to identify such students,
report the semester credit hours of dual credit for these students, and to
have an articulation agreement for such students. The staff does not wish
to place undue burden on the universities; however, such documentation is
necessary because of funding issues relating to possible duplication of state
funding and compliance issues relating to student eligibility, academic policies
and student support services. Language has been added to §5.260 to clarify
which sections of the rules apply when high school students take dual credit
courses on the university campus. Language has been added to §5.261(1)
to clarify that institutional dual credit agreements can be approved by "designated
authorities" of both the public school districts and universities.
Comment: Prairie View A&M University (PVAMU) commented that academic
departments of the universities should agree to the dual credit arrangements.
Response: Governing boards of their designees approve dual credit agreements.
However, institutions have the flexibility to determine how dual credit issues
are considered prior to this final approval. Therefore, no change was made
to the rules as a result of this comment.
Comment: PVAMU also commented that dual credit courses should be limited
to general education courses and electives and not major or minor courses.
Response: The staff recognizes that most dual credit courses will (and
should) draw from the general education curriculum of the university. However,
the staff does not wish to preclude instances, however infrequent, in which
other courses might be appropriate for some students/institutions; discretion
should rest with the institutions. Therefore, no changes were made to the
rules for this issue.
Comment: PVAMU further noted that some professional schools do not recognize
courses taken by students still in high school.
Response: This is a very legitimate concern, and the staff is also aware
of reported instances in which some universities outside the state will not
accept credit for dual credit courses taught at the high school. However,
this issue cannot be addressed in these rules.
Comment: Odessa College commented on the rules as they relate to the Board's
distance education regulations. The institution pointed out that universities
can offer televised instruction to other parts of the state without prior
approval from the Regional Council; thus, a university could offer an electronically
delivered dual credit course in a community college service area without a
means of redress by the community college.
Response: The staff feels this comment speaks more to distance education
regulations than rules for dual credit. Further, the staff does not believe
a strong rationale exists for making dual credit courses an "exception" to
the general distance education policies. Therefore, no changes were made as
a result of this comment.
Comment: The University of Texas at Brownsville asked for clarification
on the meaning of students with "demonstrated outstanding academic performance
and capability" who can take more than two dual credit courses with permission
from the high school principal and the chief academic officer of the university.
Response: Traditional measures such as SAT/ACT scores and grade-point averages
are often considered in evaluating students for these circumstances. However,
the staff feels the institutions are best positioned to make these judgments.
Therefore, no changes were made as a result of this comment.
Comment: The University of Texas at Brownsville also expressed concerns
about dual credit courses as they relate to the Board's distance education
regulations.
Response: Again, this comment speaks more to distance education regulations
than rules for dual credit. Therefore, no changes were made as a result of
this comment.
Comment: Kilgore College pointed out that these partnerships are referred
to as "dual credit" by universities and "concurrent credit" by community colleges.
The institution indicated that both universities and community colleges should
use the same term dual credit.
Response: The staff would prefer to use one term for these partnerships.
However, surveys indicated that most Texas community colleges use the term
"concurrent credit" while most universities prefer the term "dual credit."
Hence, the staff elected to honor the respective preferences of most community
colleges and universities.
Comment: Dallas County Community College District (DCCCD) commented that
the rules would, in general, place community colleges and universities in
competitive and duplicative roles. In particular, the institution predicts
that the universities in the Metro area would unnecessarily compete among
each other and with DCCCD for students who have been traditionally well-served
by DCCCD. The institution suggests that the proposed rules apply only in communities
that are not being served by community colleges with concurrent (dual) credit
classes. As another alternative, DCCCD suggests that community colleges could
perhaps have the "right of first refusal" to offer dual credit classes.
Response: The staff recognizes that primarily community colleges have previously
established dual credit agreements with high schools and that students have
been well-served by the community colleges. However, in recent years, several
Texas universities have also offered dual credit courses for high school students,
and there is no Texas statute that precludes universities from participating
in dual credit agreements. Hence, the staff felt it was necessary to develop
rules for universities, so that consistent dual credit regulations would apply
to both junior and senior institutions. The staff also notes that a university
must report to the appropriate Regional council on any plans to offer a dual
credit course taught on a high school campus. Thus, potentially affected community
colleges have a venue for raising objections. The staff presumes that since
high school students have been well-served by concurrent credit arrangements
with community colleges, then the high school districts will continue with
such arrangements. However, universities also can serve this population and
provide additional opportunities for capable students. Therefore, no changes
were made as a result of this comment.
The new rules are adopted under Texas Education Code, §61.027
and §61.076, which provides the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board
with the authority to adopt rules concerning Dual Credit Partnerships Between
Secondary Schools and Texas Public Universities.
§5.260. Purpose.
(a)
In accordance with, and under the authority of Texas Education
Code, §61.027 and §61.076, this subchapter provides rules and regulations
for public universities which engage in dual credit arrangements with secondary
schools.
(b)
Dual credit is a process by which a high school student
enrolls in a college or university course and receives simultaneous academic
credit for the course from both the college and the high school. While dual
credit courses are often taught on the secondary school campus to high school
students only, applicable sections of these rules (§§5.261(a), 5.262(a),
(b), (g), (h), (i), and 5.263) also apply when a high school student takes
a course on the university campus and receives both high school and college
credit. (Note that dual credit rules for community/technical colleges are
in Chapter 9, Subchapter H and are referred to as concurrent credit courses.)
§5.261. Institutional Agreements.
(a)
Need for Institutional Agreements. For any dual credit
arrangement between a secondary school and a public university, an agreement
must be approved by the governing boards or designated authorities (e.g.,
principal and chief academic officer) of both the public school district or
private secondary school and the public university prior to the offering of
such courses.
(b)
Elements of Institutional Agreements. The dual credit
agreement must address the following elements:
(1)
Eligible Courses;
(2)
Student Eligibility;
(3)
Location of Class;
(4)
Student Composition of Class;
(5)
Faculty Selection, Supervision, and Evaluation;
(6)
Course Curriculum, Instruction, and Grading;
(7)
Academic Policies and Student Support Services;
(8)
Transcripting of Credit; and
(9)
Funding.
§5.262. Dual Credit Requirements.
(a)
Eligible Courses.
(1)
Courses offered for dual credit must be in the approved
course inventory of the public university.
(2)
Public universities may not offer remedial and developmental
courses for dual credit and may not enroll high school students in state-funded
developmental education courses.
(b)
Student Eligibility.
(1)
To be eligible for enrollment in a dual credit course
offered by a public university, the high school student must present a passing
score on the Texas Academic Skills Program (TASP) test or a Board-approved
alternative assessment instrument in at least one area (mathematics, reading,
writing) as deemed relevant by the university for the intended dual credit
course in which the student shall enroll. Students who are exempt from taking
the TASP test or the alternative assessment are also exempt for the purpose
of enrolling in dual credit courses.
(2)
To be eligible for enrollment in a dual credit course
offered by a public university, students must meet all the university's regular
prerequisite requirements designated for that course (e.g., minimum score
on a specified placement test, minimum grade in a specified previous course,
etc.)
(3)
To be eligible for enrollment in a dual credit course
offered by a public university, students must have at least junior year high
school standing. Exceptions to this requirement for students with demonstrated
outstanding academic performance and capability may be approved by the principal
of the high school and the chief academic officer of the public university.
(4)
The university class load of a high school student
shall not exceed two university courses per semester. Exceptions to this requirement
for students with demonstrated outstanding academic performance and capability
may be approved by the principal of the high school and the chief academic
officer of the public university.
(c)
Location of Class. Dual credit courses may be taught on
the public university campus or on the high school campus. For dual credit
courses taught exclusively to high school students on the high school campus,
the university shall provide prior notice to the respective Higher Education
Regional Council. In addition, dual credit courses taught on the high school
campus and dual credit courses taught electronically shall comply with the
Coordinating Board rules and regulations, Chapter 5, Subchapter H of this
title (relating to Distance Education and Off-Campus Instruction) and with
the Board's adopted Principles of Good Practice for Courses Offered Electronically.
(d)
Composition of Class. Dual credit courses may be composed
of dual credit students only or of dual and university credit students. Exceptions
for a mixed class, which would also include high school credit-only students,
may be allowed only under one of the following conditions:
(1)
If the course involved is required for completion under
the State Board of Education Recommended or Distinguished Achievement High
School Program graduation requirements, and the high school involved is otherwise
unable to offer such a course;
(2)
If the high school credit-only students are advanced
placement students;
(3)
If the high school involved is classified by the
Texas University Interscholastic League as a Class AA school or below, the
mixed class may be offered until September 2002, by which time small school
districts should have developed the capacity to receive dual credit courses
from colleges and universities through instructional telecommunications.
(e)
Faculty Selection, Supervision, and Evaluation.
(1)
The public university shall select instructors of dual
credit courses. These instructors must be regularly employed faculty members
of the university or must meet the same standards (including minimal requirements
of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools) and approval procedures
used by the university to select faculty responsible for teaching the same
courses at the main campus of the university.
(2)
The public university shall supervise and evaluate
instructors of dual credit courses using the same or comparable procedures
used for faculty at the main campus of the university.
(f)
Course Curriculum, Instruction, and Grading. The public
university shall ensure that a dual credit course and the corresponding course
offered at the main campus of the university are equivalent with respect to
the curriculum, materials, instruction, and method/rigor of student evaluation.
These standards must be upheld regardless of the student composition of the
class (dual, dual and university, or mixed with high school credit-only students).
(g)
Academic Policies and Student Support Services.
(1)
Regular academic policies applicable to courses taught
at the public university's main campus must also apply to dual credit courses.
These policies could include the appeal process for disputed grades, drop
policy, the communication of grading policy to students, when the syllabus
must be distributed, etc.
(2)
Students in dual credit courses must be eligible
to utilize the same or comparable support services that are accorded university
students on the main campus. The university is responsible for ensuring timely
and efficient access to such services (e.g., academic advising and counseling),
to learning materials (e.g., library resources), and to other benefits for
which the student may be eligible.
(h)
Transcripting of Credit. For dual credit courses, high
school as well as college credit should be transcripted immediately upon a
student's completion of the performance required in the course.
(i)
Funding.
(1)
The state funding for dual credit courses will be available
to both public school districts and public universities based on the current
agreement between the Commissioner of Education and the Commissioner of Higher
Education.
(2)
The university may claim funding for all students
getting college credit in dual credit courses.
(3)
Only a public community/junior college may waive
tuition and fees for a Texas public high school student enrolled in a course
for which the student may receive dual course enrollment credit.
This agency hereby certifies that the adoption has been
reviewed by legal counsel and found to be a valid exercise of the agency's
legal authority.
Filed with the Office of
the Secretary of State on April 28, 2000.
TRD-200003013
James McWhorter
Assistant Commissioner for Administration
Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board
Effective date: May 18, 2000
Proposal publication date: February 18, 2000
For further information, please call: (512) 483-6162
Subchapter B. PROVISIONS FOR THE TUITION EQUALIZATION GRANT PROGRAM
Chapter 22.
GRANT AND SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAMS