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Public Act 096-0194 |
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AN ACT concerning education.
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Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
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represented in the General Assembly:
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Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the Dual | ||||
Credit Quality Act. | ||||
Section 5. Definitions.
In this Act: | ||||
"Dual credit course" means a college course taken by a high | ||||
school student for credit at both the college and high school | ||||
level. | ||||
"Institution" means an "institution of higher learning" as | ||||
defined in the Higher Education Student Assistance Act.
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Section 10. Purpose. The purpose of this Act is to | ||||
accomplish all of the following: | ||||
(1) To reduce college costs. | ||||
(2) To speed time to degree completion. | ||||
(3) To improve the curriculum for high school students | ||||
and the alignment of the curriculum with college and | ||||
workplace expectations. | ||||
(4) To facilitate the transition between high school | ||||
and college. | ||||
(5) To enhance communication between high schools and | ||||
colleges. |
(6) To offer opportunities for improving degree | ||
attainment for underserved student populations.
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Section 15. Student access, eligibility, and attainment.
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(a) The Illinois Community College Board and the Board of | ||
Higher Education shall develop policies to permit multiple | ||
appropriate measures using differentiated assessment for | ||
granting eligibility for dual credit to students. The measures | ||
developed shall ensure that a student is prepared for any | ||
coursework in which the student enrolls. | ||
(b) Institutions may adopt policies to protect the academic | ||
standing of students who are not successful in dual credit | ||
courses, including, but not limited to, options for (i) late | ||
withdrawal from a course, or (ii) taking the course on a | ||
pass-fail basis, or both. All institutional policies relating | ||
to the academic standing of students enrolled in dual credit | ||
courses or the transfer of credit for dual credit courses must | ||
be made publicly available by the institution and provided to | ||
each student enrolled in dual credit courses offered by that | ||
institution.
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Section 20. Standards. All institutions offering dual | ||
credit courses shall meet the following standards: | ||
(1) Instructors teaching credit-bearing college-level | ||
courses for dual credit must meet the same academic | ||
credential requirements as faculty teaching on campus and |
need not meet certification requirements set out in Article | ||
21 of the School Code. | ||
(2) Instructors in career and technical education | ||
courses must possess the credentials and demonstrated | ||
teaching competencies appropriate to the field of | ||
instruction. | ||
(3) Students must meet the same academic criteria as | ||
those enrolled in credit-bearing college courses, | ||
including taking appropriate placement testing. | ||
(4) Course content must be the same as that required | ||
for credit-bearing college courses. | ||
(5) Learning outcomes must be the same as for | ||
credit-bearing college courses and be appropriately | ||
measured. | ||
(6) Institutions shall provide high school instructors | ||
with an orientation in course curriculum, assessment | ||
methods, and administrative requirements before high | ||
school instructors are permitted to teach dual credit | ||
courses. | ||
(7) Dual credit instructors must be given the | ||
opportunity to participate in all activities available to | ||
other adjunct faculty, including professional development, | ||
seminars, site visits, and internal communication, | ||
provided that such opportunities do not interfere with an | ||
instructor's regular teaching duties. | ||
(8) Every dual credit course must be reviewed annually |
by faculty through the appropriate department to ensure | ||
consistency with campus courses.
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(9) Dual credit students must be assessed using methods | ||
consistent with students in traditional credit-bearing | ||
college courses.
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Section 25. Oversight, review, and reporting.
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(a) The Illinois Community College Board shall be | ||
responsible for oversight and review of dual credit programs | ||
offered jointly by public community colleges and high schools. | ||
The Illinois Community College Board shall implement a review | ||
process and criteria for evaluating dual credit program quality | ||
based upon the standards enumerated in Section 20 of this Act. | ||
(b) The Board of Higher Education shall be responsible for | ||
oversight and review of dual credit programs offered jointly by | ||
high schools and institutions, except for public community | ||
colleges as provided in subsection (a) of this Section. The | ||
Board of Higher Education shall develop and implement a review | ||
process based on the standards enumerated in Section 20 of this | ||
Act.
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(c) Each institution shall report annually to the | ||
appropriate agency, the Illinois Community College Board or the | ||
Board of Higher Education. The reports shall include, but not | ||
be limited to, the following data: | ||
(1) Number and description of dual credit courses. | ||
(2) Faculty teaching dual credit courses and their |
academic credentials. | ||
(3) Enrollments in dual credit courses. | ||
(4) Sites of dual credit offerings.
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Section 30. Accountability.
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(a) The State Board of Education, the Illinois Community | ||
College Board, and the Board of Higher Education shall include | ||
information regarding student participation and performance in | ||
dual credit programs and their success in postsecondary | ||
education in a statewide longitudinal data system. | ||
(b) The data system shall track dual credit students and | ||
courses on student records. | ||
(c) Analysis of data relating to student success in dual | ||
credit courses as well as performance in postsecondary | ||
education must be incorporated into the evaluation of dual | ||
credit programs in both high school and college.
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