625 - Instruction at a Post-Secondary Educational Institution

In accordance with this policy, students in grades nine through twelve may receive academic or career and technical education credits that count toward the graduation requirements set out by the Board for courses successfully completed in post-secondary educational institutions.  Students and parents or guardians shall be made aware of the post-secondary instructional opportunities as part of the development of each student’s individual career and academic plan as required by law.  The Superintendent or designee is responsible for developing the appropriate forms and procedures for implementing this policy and the following post-secondary educational opportunities.

Concurrent Enrollment

The Board may, in its discretion, enter into a contractual agreement with a community college to provide courses for eligible students in grades nine through twelve when comparable courses are not offered by the District.  Notice of the availability of the concurrent enrollment program shall be included in the District's registration handbook and the handbook shall identify which courses, if successfully completed, generate post-secondary credit.  Students shall not be charged tuition for concurrent enrollment courses and shall not be required to reimburse the District for tuition if they do not successfully complete a course. Students or their parents or guardians may be required to pay a fee consistent with the District's established textbook policy and other materials for the concurrent enrollment course to the extent permitted by law.  Students or their parents or guardians may also be required to provide their own transportation to and from concurrent enrollment courses to the extent permitted by law.  However, transportation shall be the responsibility of the District for any contracted course that is used to meet District accreditation requirements.

Students who successfully complete a concurrent enrollment course, as determined by the postsecondary institution, shall receive postsecondary credit in accordance with the institution's policies and high school credit that will be reflected on their high school transcript.  The Superintendent or designee shall grant to a student who successfully completes a concurrent enrollment course a unit of high school graduation credit for every unit of high school level instruction successfully completed.         

Post-Secondary Enrollment Option

Students in grades nine and ten who the District has identified as talented and gifted students and any students in grades eleven and twelve are eligible to take post-secondary educational courses.  Students are eligible to take post-secondary educational courses if they meet all of the requirements outlined in this policy and as required by the post-secondary educational institution and if the student has obtained the approval of the Superintendent and/or designee.  Eligible students wishing to participate in the post-secondary educational courses shall apply to the eligible post-secondary educational institution.

Students may not enroll in a post-secondary education course if the District offers a comparable course through its curricular program.  For purposes of this policy, comparable course is determined at the discretion of the administration and generally means that the content of a course provided to a high school student for post-secondary credit consists of substantially the same concepts and skills as the content of a course provided by the District.

Students in grades nine and ten who are in the talented and gifted program and all students in grades eleven and twelve who successfully complete courses at post-secondary educational institutions under an agreement between the District and the post-secondary educational institution or with the Board’s approval shall be reimbursed for tuition and other costs directly related to taking any post-secondary education course during the school year up to $250, except as otherwise outlined in this policy.  The District may, instead of reimbursing the student, directly pay the post-secondary educational institution.

Should a student fail any course at a post-secondary educational institution and fail to receive credit for any course at a post-secondary educational institution, the student over the age of eighteen or the parent of a student under the age of eighteen shall be responsible for the costs of the course. Prior to registering for any course at a post-secondary educational institution, students under age eighteen shall have a parent sign a form indicating that the parent is responsible for the costs of the course should the student fail the course and fail to receive credit for the course.  Students who fail a course and fail to receive credit for a course for reasons beyond their control, including, but not limited to, the student's incapacity, death in the family or a move to another school district, in the Board’s discretion, may not be responsible for the costs of the course.  Students dissatisfied with the Board's decision regarding the re-payment of the costs of the course may appeal to the area education agency for a waiver of reimbursement.

Students in grades nine and ten who are not in the talented and gifted program and students in grades eleven and twelve who take courses, other than courses taken under an agreement between the District and the post-secondary educational institution and/or approved by the Board, are responsible for tuition, transportation to and from the location where the course is being offered, and other costs directly related to taking any post-secondary education course.  The students and/or their parents shall not receive reimbursement for tuition, transportation or other expenses.  Students who take courses during the summer months when school is not in session are responsible for tuition, transportation to and from the location where the course is being offered, and other costs directly related to taking any post-secondary education course.

Eligible students may take up to seven semester hours of credit at a post-secondary educational institution during the summer months when school is not in session if the student pays for the courses.  Upon successful completion of these summer courses, the students will receive academic and/or vocational-technical credit toward the graduation requirements set out by the Board.

Successful completion of any course at a post-secondary educational institution is determined by the post-secondary educational institution.  The Board shall have complete discretion to determine the academic credit to be awarded to the student for the courses taken during the school year and for the courses taken during the summer.

The following factors are considered in the Board's determination of whether a student will receive academic and/or vocational-technical credit toward the graduation requirements set out by the Board for a course at a post-secondary educational institution:

• the course is taken from a public or accredited private post-secondary educational institution;
• a comparable course is not offered in the District;
• the course is in the discipline areas of mathematics, science, social   sciences, humanities, vocational-technical education or a course offered in the community college career options program;
• the course is a credit-bearing course that leads to a degree;
• the course is not religious or sectarian; and
• the course meets any other requirements set out by the Board.

All courses approved and paid for by the District, and those courses approved by the District and paid for by the student/family will:

1. Be recorded on the official student transcript, including the letter grade granted by the post-secondary educational institution or the pass-fail indication granted by the post-secondary educational institution.
2. Be included in figuring class rank, including valedictorian and salutatorian status, and GPA.
3. Be given graduation credit, as determined by the Board.  Typically, a three (3) or four (4) semester hour post-secondary course will be awarded one (1) graduation credit.

The Superintendent is responsible for annually notifying students and parents of the opportunity to take courses at post-secondary educational institutions in accordance with this policy.  The Superintendent will also be responsible for developing the appropriate forms and procedures for implementing this policy.

 

REVIEWED: 11/18/2019 - APPROVED 12/03/2019

REVIEWED: 05/20/2024