§ 16

High school and community college partnership agreements; dual credit. (a) A community college district shall, upon the written request of a school district within the jurisdiction of the community college district, enter into a partnership agreement with the school district to offer dual credit coursework. The school district and community college district must designate a liaison and begin negotiations to reach a partnership agreement no later than 60 calendar days after the initial request. A school district may offer any course identified in the Illinois Articulation Initiative General Education Core Curriculum package under the Illinois Articulation Initiative Act as a dual credit course on the campus of a high school of the school district and may use a high school instructor who has met the academic credential requirements under this Act to teach the dual credit course. (b) The partnership agreement shall include all of the following: (1) The establishment of the school district's and the community college district's respective roles and responsibilities in providing the program and ensuring the quality and instructional rigor of the program. This must include an assurance that the community college district has appropriate academic control of the curriculum, consistent with any State or federal law and as required or negotiated with the Higher Learning Commission or other applicable accrediting agency. (2) The dual credit courses that the school district will offer its students and whether those courses will be offered on the high school or community college campus or through an online (hybrid or virtual) platform. (3) The establishment of academic criteria for granting eligibility for high school students to enroll in dual credit coursework. The academic criteria shall be evidence-based and shall include multiple appropriate measures to determine whether a student is prepared for any dual credit coursework in which the student enrolls. (4) The establishment of any limitations that the school district or community college district may put on course offerings due to availability of instructors, the availability of students for specific course offerings, or local board policy. (5) The requirement that the dual credit instructor meet the academic credential requirements to teach a dual credit course, consistent with paragraphs (1), (2), (2.5), and (3) of Section 20 of this Act, but shall not be required to exceed those minimum credentials. (6) The collaborative process and criteria by which the school district shall identify and recommend and the community college district shall review and approve high school instructors of dual credit courses taught on the campus of a high school. This provision shall require that the school district be responsible for hiring and compensating the instructor. (7) The requirement that a community college district take the appropriate steps to ensure that dual credit courses are equivalent to those courses offered at the community college in quality and rigor to qualify for college credit. The dual credit programs shall encompass the following characteristics: (A) Student learning outcomes expected for dual credit courses in General Education Core Curriculum courses and the professional and career and technical disciplines shall be the same as the student learning outcomes expected for the same courses taught on the postsecondary campus. (B) Course content, course delivery, and course rigor shall be evaluated by the community college chief academic officer or his or her designee, in consultation with the school district's superintendent or his or her designee. The evaluation shall be conducted in a manner that is consistent with the community college district's review and evaluation policy and procedures for on-campus adjunct faculty, including visits to the secondary class. This evaluation shall be limited to the course and the ability of the instructor to deliver quality, rigorous college credit coursework. This evaluation shall not impact the instructor's performance evaluation under Article 24A of the School Code. This evaluation shall be completed within the same school year that the course is taught. (C) The academic supports and, if applicable, guidance that will be provided to students participating in the program by the high school and the community college district. (8) Identify all fees and costs to be assessed by the community college district for dual credit courses. This provision shall require that any fees and costs assessed for dual credit courses shall be reasonable and promote student access to those courses, and may take into account regional considerations and differences. (8.5) The collaborative process and criteria by which a school district and a community college district shall work to ensure that individual students with disabilities have access to dual credit courses, provided that those students are able to meet the criteria for entry into a dual credit course. Through this process and criteria, the student shall have access to the supplementary aids and accommodations included in the student's individualized education program under Article 14 of the School Code or Section 504 plan under the federal Rehabilitation Act of 1973 while the student is accessing a dual credit course on a high school campus, in accordance with established practices at the high school for providing these services. A student who accesses a dual credit course on a community college campus shall have access to supplementary aids and accommodations provided in the partnership agreement, including access to the community college's disability services. A school district and community college district shall work together to provide seamless communication about the student's eligibility for disability services and dual credit course progress. (9) The community college district shall establish a mechanism for evaluating and documenting on a regular basis the performance of students who complete dual credit courses, consistent with paragraph (9) of Section 20 and Section 30 of this Act, and for sharing that data in a meaningful and timely manner with the school district. This evaluation shall be limited to the course and the coursework. This evaluation shall not impact the instructor's performance evaluation under Article 24A of the School Code. (10) The expectations for maintaining the rigor of dual credit courses that are taught at the high school and including students not deemed ready for college-level coursework according to the standards of the community college. (11) A requirement that the school district and community college annually assess disaggregated data pertaining to dual credit course enrollments, completions, and subsequent postsecondary enrollment and performance to the extent feasible. If applicable, this assessment shall include an analysis of dual credit courses with credit sections for dual credit and for high school credit only pursuant to subsection (a) of Section 16.5 that reviews student characteristics by credit section in relation to gender, race and ethnicity, and low-income status.

Legislative History

(Source: P.A. 104-12, eff. 6-30-25.)