Federal Programs » College, Career & Military Readiness

College, Career & Military Readiness

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The ESC 7 College and Career Readiness team works closely with Region 7 schools and agency, business, and higher education partners to provide support for college and career readiness, including P-16 Initiatives; Early College High School; T-STEM; Texas GEAR UP; Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate programs; career and technical education (CTE); guidance and counseling; postsecondary transition for students with disabilities; ACT, SAT, and TSI; dual credit; graduation plans and endorsements; and military enlistment and ASVAB. Support for the college, career, and military readiness (CCMR) component of the state accountability system is provided by the team.
 
For additional information, visit our CTE, Guidance & Counseling, or Special Education Transition pages. Visit TEA's website for additional information on the Graduation Toolkit and HB5.
 
 4) Dual Credit - When a high school student enrolls in a college course and receives simultaneous academic credit for the course from both the college and the high school. Dual credit courses are often taught on the secondary school campus to high school students only, but in some cases students may take the course on the college campus and still receive both high school and college credit. Dual credit is also referred to as concurrent course credit an RULE §4.83d the terms are synonymous.
 
5) College Board Advanced Placement - these are courses offered by high schools which include college level course work and exams. AP (Advanced Placement)courses must follow the AP course descriptions, include administration of official AP exams, and foster teacher professional development. Access to AP courses must be allowed for all students who are willing to enroll in these rigorous courses as prescribed by the College Board.
1) All dual credit partnerships between a public college and a secondary school must have an agreement approved by the governing boards or designated authorities of each entity offering the courses.
 
2) Elements of Institutional Agreements. The dual credit partnership must address the following elements:
a. Eligible courses
b. Student Eligibility
c. Location of the class
d. Faculty selection, supervision, and evaluation
e. Course curriculum, instruction and grading
f. Transcripting of credit
g. Funding
a) Eligible Courses
 
1. Courses offered for dual credit by public two-year associate degree granting institutions must be identified as college-level academic courses in the current edition of the Lower Division Academic Course Guide Manual or as a college-level workforce education courses in the current edition of the Workforce Education Course Manual. Both course guide manuals must be the current adopted by the Board.
 
2. Courses offered for dual credit by public universities must be in the approved undergraduate course inventory of the university. 3) Public colleges may not offer remedial and developmental courses for dual credit.
b) Student Eligibility
 
1. Students in the 11th and 12th grade are eligible to enroll in dual credit courses if the student:
(A) Demonstrates college readiness by achieving the minimum passing standards under the provisions of the Texas Success Initiative using the TSI Assessment in reading, writing, and mathematics.
 
(B) Demonstrates that he/she is exempt from the TIS Assessment.
 
2. An 11th grade student is also able to enroll in dual credit courses if:
STAAR Minimum Level 2 final phase-in score on Algebra II EOC for dual credit math course and/or English II reading OR English II writing EOC for dual credit ELA course Not required to demonstrate eligibility in 12th grade
PSAT/NMSQT Combined score of 107 with a minimum of 50 on the critical reading and/or math test Must demonstrate eligibility in 12th grade
PLAN Composite score of 23 with 19 or higher in mathematics and English Must demonstrate eligibility in 12th grade
Algebra I EOC Minimum final phase in Level II Must demonstrate eligibility for academic college courses
ELA II EOC Reading Minimum final phase in Level II OR Writing Minimum final phase in Level II Must demonstrate eligibility for academic college courses
 
 
3. A student in 11th and/or 12th grade is eligible to enroll in workforce education dual credit courses if he/she achieves:
(A) A student may enroll only in those workforce education dual credit courses for which the student has demonstrated eligibility.
(B) A student exempt from TAKS or STAAR EOC may otherwise be evaluated by an institution to determine eligibility for enrolling in workforce education dual credit courses.
 
4. Students enrolled in private or non-accredited secondary schools or home schooled must satisfy the above paragraphs (1)-(3).
 
5. To be eligible for enrollment in dual credit course offered by public college, students must meet all the college's regular prerequisite requirements (e.g., minimum score on specified placement test, minimum grade in specified previous course, etc.).
 
6. Students must have junior year standing to enroll in dual credit courses. Exceptions are made for students who have achieved or exceeded the minimum TSI college readiness standards on PSAT/NMSQT, PLAN, SAT, ACT or TSI Assessment.
 
7. High school students cannot enroll in more than 2 dual credit courses per semester. Exceptions are those who have demonstrated outstanding academic performance (as evidenced by GPA, ACT or SAT scores, or other assessment indicators). These students may be approved by principal or college administrator to take a maximum of 15 semester hours.
 
(A) IHE must have written policies in place prior to approving a student to enroll in more than 2 dual credit courses per semester
 
(B) Student enrolled in more than 2 dual credit courses in a semester must pass all courses during that semester with a grade of C or better to continue to enroll in more than 2 dual credit courses in following semesters
 
(C) This provision does not apply to students enrolled in approved early college high school programs.
 
8. An institution may impose additional requirements for enrollment in courses for dual credit that do not conflict with this section.
 
9. An institution is not required, under the provisions of this section, to offer dual credit courses for high school students.
c) Location of Classes
 
Dual credit courses may be taught on the college campus or on the high school campus. For dual credit courses taught exclusively to high school students on the high school campus or electronically, public colleges must comply with applicable rules and procedures in Chapter 4 Subchapter P and Chapter 4 Subchapter Q. In addition, dual credit courses taught electronically shall comply with the Board's adopted Principles of Good Practice for Courses Offered Electronically.
 
1. A student may not enroll in more than 3 courses per academic year at a community college if the community college does not have a service area that includes the student's high school, except to the extent approved by the Commissioner of Texas Education Agency.
 
2. This provision does not apply to students enrolled in approved early college high school programs.
d) Composition of Class
 
Dual credit courses may be composed of dual credit students only or of dual and college 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 College Board Advanced Placement students.
 
3. If the course is a career and technology/college workforce education course and the high school credit-only students are earning articulated college credit
e) Faculty Selection, Supervision and Evaluation
 
1. The college shall select instructors of dual credit courses. These instructors must be regularly employed faculty members of the college or must meet the same standards (including minimal requirements of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools) and approval procedures used by the college to select faculty responsible for teaching the same courses at the main campus of the college.
 
2. The college shall supervise and evaluate instructors of dual credit courses using the same or comparable procedures used for faculty at the main campus of the college.
f) Course Curriculum, Instruction and Grading
 
The college shall ensure that a dual credit course and the corresponding course offered at the main campus of the college 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.
g) Academic Policies and Student Support Services
 
1. Regular academic policies applicable to courses taught at the college'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 afforded college students on the main campus. The college 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 colleges based on the current funding rules of the State Board of Education and the Board.
 
2. The college may claim funding for all students getting college credit in dual credit courses.
 
3. All public colleges, universities, and health-related institutions may waive all or part of tuition and fees for a Texas high school student enrolled in a course for which the student may receive dual course credit.
Regional Junior College Information
 
The changes included in HB5 affect public schools, as well as impact community colleges. A greater emphasis is placed on local schools partnering with higher education in order to offer student diversity in their educational paths. An advisory board of area college representatives and Region 7 staff has been established to ensure the necessary resources, courses and assistance are available for Region 7 school districts as details of the new graduation requirements continue to unfold and as districts begin to implement the new requirements. This page will continue to be updated with important course and college entrance information from the six East Texas colleges.
 
 
HB5 College Information Materials
Region 7 Area Colleges
 
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 Texas Success Initiative Criteria