House of Representatives

HB 2540

community colleges; dual enrollment programs

Sponsors: Representatives Huppenthal, Gray; Senator Bennett

 

DP

Committee on Education

DPA

Committee on Appropriation

DPA

Caucus and COW

HB 2540 was amended in the Senate

DPA

As Passed the House

x

As Transmitted to the Governor

 

HB 2540 requires the auditor general to certify separately any full-time equivalent student enrollment where the student is enrolled in a course for both high school and college credit simultaneously, taking into consideration any relevant law, regulation or rule.

 

History

Laws 2000, Chapter 136 (HB 2365) created the Joint Legislative Study Committee on Dual Enrollment.  The Committee recommended that the State Board of Directors for Community Colleges adopt the following rule changes:

1.       The community college and governing board of the high school shall enter into intergovernmental agreements that provide:

a)      Any high school student enrolled for college credit must be currently enrolled in a full-time instructional program in addition to the college course or courses (an exception is made for high school seniors with enough graduation credits).

b)      The responsibility of the community college and of the high school for payment for facilities, personnel, and other costs and the manner in which the college tuition is to be paid for each student.

2.       All students who enroll for college credit shall be high school juniors or seniors.  The college can waive this requirement for up to 25% of the student enrolled in the course if the college has established written standards for waiving the requirement for each course.

3.       The course must be transferable to an Arizona public university or applicable to an established community college occupational degree or certificate program.  Physical education courses are excluded from the program.

4.       The chief executive officer of each community college is responsible for involving full-time faculty teaching in the discipline in overseeing course selection and implementation in the high schools to ensure that course goals and standards are understood and followed and that the same standards of expectation and assessment are applied in all venues where the college offers courses.

5.       Each community college district shall report on the total enrollment broken down by location, by high school grade level, by course and by type of program.  The report shall also include summary data on performance of students enrolled for college credit in courses offered in conjunction with high schools, including completion rates and grade distribution.

6.       Requires each community college district to conduct tracking studies of subsequent academic or occupational achievement of students enrolled in courses through high school programs.  The first report shall be submitted by September 1, 2003.

 

The state board adopted the above rule change at a public hearing on January 19, 2001.  HB 2540 provides that the auditor general may take into consideration the above rules and any other relevant law or regulation when certifying the full-time equivalent student enrollment for students enrolled in a course for both high school and college credit.

 

Provisions

·                      Requires the auditor general to certify separately any full-time equivalent student enrollment where the student is enrolled in a course for both high school and college credit simultaneously, taking into consideration any relevant law, regulation or rule, beginning with the audit cycle for July 1, 2003.

·                      Requires the school districts or charter schools to include a student level data element in the Student Accountability Information System that indicates if the student is enrolled in a joint technological education district or a community college for classes that count towards the student’s high school graduation requirements.  Students that are enrolled in a college owned and operated by an Indian tribe are exempt from this requirement.

·                      Requires the community colleges to use the same student level data element to identify students enrolled in a course for both high school and college credit.  The Auditor General shall have access to this information when certifying the college enrollment.

·                      Requires community colleges that are owned and operated by a qualifying Indian tribe to submit information regarding their full-time equivalent students in order to receive funds for work force development.

·                      Contains an effective date of July 1, 2002.

 

 

 

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45th Legislature                                                                                                                                   

First Regular Session                                       3                                                             May 15, 2001

 

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