Information maintained by the Legislative Reference Bureau
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HIGHER EDUCATION
(110 ILCS 27/) Dual Credit Quality Act.

110 ILCS 27/1

    (110 ILCS 27/1)
    Sec. 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the Dual Credit Quality Act.
(Source: P.A. 96-194, eff. 1-1-10.)

110 ILCS 27/5

    (110 ILCS 27/5)
    Sec. 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.
(Source: P.A. 96-194, eff. 1-1-10.)

110 ILCS 27/10

    (110 ILCS 27/10)
    Sec. 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.
(Source: P.A. 96-194, eff. 1-1-10.)

110 ILCS 27/15

    (110 ILCS 27/15)
    Sec. 15. Student academic standing. 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.
(Source: P.A. 100-1049, eff. 1-1-19.)

110 ILCS 27/16

    (110 ILCS 27/16)
    Sec. 16. High school and community college partnership agreements; dual credit. A community college district shall, upon the 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.
    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.
    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 platform established by the Illinois Community College Board.
        (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), and (3) of Section 20 of this Act, but shall not be required to exceed those 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.
            (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 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.
    If, within 180 calendar days of the school district's initial request to enter into a partnership agreement with the community college district, the school district and the community college district do not reach agreement on the partnership agreement, then the school district and community college district shall jointly implement the provisions of the Model Partnership Agreement established under Section 19 of this Act for which local agreement could not be reached. A community college district may combine its negotiations with multiple school districts to establish one multi-district partnership agreement or may negotiate individual partnership agreements at its discretion.
(Source: P.A. 102-516, eff. 8-20-21; 102-1077, eff. 1-1-23.)

110 ILCS 27/16.5

    (110 ILCS 27/16.5)
    Sec. 16.5. High school and community college partnership agreements; student enrollment eligibility.
    (a) A partnership agreement under Section 16 that is entered into, amended, renewed, or extended after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 102nd General Assembly shall allow a high school student who does not otherwise meet the community college district's academic eligibility requirements to enroll in a dual credit course taught at the high school, but only for high school credit. Instructors, in coordination with their higher learning partner, may differentiate instruction by credit section.
    (b) Nothing in this Section shall be construed to allow the award of dual credit to a student who does not meet the requirements of the partnership agreement.
    (c) High schools shall establish procedures, prior to the first day of class, to notify all individual high school students enrolled in a mixed enrollment dual credit course that includes students who have and have not met the criteria for dual credit coursework of whether or not they are eligible to earn college credit for the course.
(Source: P.A. 102-1077, eff. 1-1-23.)

110 ILCS 27/17

    (110 ILCS 27/17)
    Sec. 17. Out-of-state dual credit contracts. On or after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 100th General Assembly, a school district may not enter into a new contract with an out-of-state institution to provide a dual credit course without first offering the community college district in the district in which the school district is located the opportunity to provide the course. Prior to entering into a contract with an out-of-state institution, the school district shall notify the Board of Higher Education of its intent to enter into an agreement with an out-of-state institution. The Board of Higher Education shall have 30 days to provide the school district with a list of in-state institutions that can provide the school district an equivalent dual credit opportunity. In deciding which dual credit courses to offer, a school district reserves the right to evaluate any dual credit course offered by any institution for quality, rigor, and alignment with the school district's students' needs.
    Agreements to provide dual credit courses between a school district and an out-of-state institution in existence on the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 100th General Assembly shall remain in effect and shall not be impacted by this Section.
(Source: P.A. 100-1049, eff. 1-1-19.)

110 ILCS 27/18

    (110 ILCS 27/18)
    Sec. 18. Recognition of dual credit coursework completion. Any General Education Core Curriculum dual credit coursework completed by a high school student under this Act must be recognized as credit-bearing college-level coursework meeting General Education Core Curriculum requirements, consistent with the Illinois Articulation Initiative Act, if the course or courses have an existing Illinois Articulation Initiative code at the community college. Dual credit coursework completed by a high school student under this Act is transferrable to all public institutions in this State on the same basis as coursework completed by a public community college student who has previously earned a high school diploma in the manner set forth under the Illinois Articulation Initiative Act.
(Source: P.A. 100-1049, eff. 1-1-19.)

110 ILCS 27/19

    (110 ILCS 27/19)
    Sec. 19. Model Partnership Agreement and Dual Credit Committee. A Model Partnership Agreement shall be developed through a Dual Credit Committee involving collaboration between the Illinois Community College Board and the State Board of Education by June 30, 2019. The Committee shall consist of 5 members appointed by the State Superintendent of Education and 5 members appointed by the Executive Director of the Illinois Community College Board. The Model Partnership Agreement shall address all of the matters set forth in Section 16 of this Act.
(Source: P.A. 100-1049, eff. 1-1-19.)

110 ILCS 27/20

    (110 ILCS 27/20)
    Sec. 20. Standards. All institutions offering dual credit courses shall meet the following standards:
        (1) High school instructors teaching credit-bearing
    
college-level courses for dual credit must meet any of the academic credential requirements set forth in this paragraph or paragraph (2) or (3) of this Section and need not meet higher certification requirements or those set out in Article 21B of the School Code:
            (A) Approved instructors of dual credit courses
        
shall meet any of the faculty credential standards allowed by the Higher Learning Commission to determine minimally qualified faculty. At the request of an instructor, an instructor who meets these credential standards shall be provided by the State Board of Education with a Dual Credit Endorsement, to be placed on the professional educator license, as established by the State Board of Education and as authorized under Article 21B of the School Code and promulgated through administrative rule in cooperation with the Illinois Community College Board and the Board of Higher Education.
            (B) An instructor who does not meet the faculty
        
credential standards allowed by the Higher Learning Commission to determine minimally qualified faculty may teach dual credit courses if the instructor has a professional development plan, approved by the institution and shared with the State Board of Education no later than January 1, 2025, to raise his or her credentials to be in line with the credentials under subparagraph (A) of this paragraph (1). The institution shall have 30 days to review the plan and approve an instructor professional development plan that is in line with the credentials set forth in paragraph (2) of this Section. The institution shall not unreasonably withhold approval of a professional development plan. These approvals shall be good for as long as satisfactory progress toward the completion of the credential is demonstrated, but in no event shall a professional development plan be in effect for more than 3 years from the date of its approval or after January 1, 2028, whichever is sooner. A high school instructor whose professional development plan is not approved by the institution may appeal to the Illinois Community College Board or the Board of Higher Education, as appropriate.
            (C) The Illinois Community College Board and
        
Board of Higher Education shall report yearly on their Internet websites the following:
                (i) the number of teachers presently enrolled
            
in an approved professional development plan under this Section;
                (ii) the number of instructors who
            
successfully completed an approved professional development plan;
                (iii) the number of instructors who did not
            
successfully complete an approved professional development plan after 3 years;
                (iv) a breakdown of the information in
            
subdivisions (i), (ii), and (iii) of this subparagraph (C) by subject area; and
                (v) a summary, by community college
            
district, of professional development plans that are in progress, that were successfully completed, or that have expired.
        (2) For a high school instructor entering into a
    
professional development plan prior to January 1, 2023, the high school instructor shall qualify for a professional development plan if the instructor:
            (A) has a master's degree in any discipline and
        
has earned 9 graduate hours in a discipline in which he or she is currently teaching or expects to teach; or
            (B) has a bachelor's degree with a minimum of 18
        
graduate hours in a discipline that he or she is currently teaching or expects to teach and is enrolled in a discipline-specific master's degree program; and
            (C) agrees to demonstrate his or her progress
        
toward completion to the supervising institution, as outlined in the professional development plan.
        (2.5) For a high school instructor entering into a
    
professional development plan on or after January 1, 2023, the high school instructor shall qualify for a professional development plan if the instructor:
            (A) has a master's degree in any discipline, has
        
earned 9 graduate hours in a discipline in which he or she currently teaches or expects to teach, and agrees to demonstrate his or her progress toward completion to the supervising institution, as outlined in the professional development plan; or
            (B) is a fully licensed instructor in career and
        
technical education who is halfway toward meeting the institution's requirements for faculty in the discipline to be taught and agrees to demonstrate his or her progress toward completion to the supervising institution, as outlined in the professional development plan.
        (3) An instructor in career and technical education
    
courses must possess the credentials and demonstrated teaching competencies appropriate to the field of instruction.
        (4) Course content must be equivalent to
    
credit-bearing college-level courses offered at the community college.
        (5) Learning outcomes must be the same as
    
credit-bearing college-level courses and be appropriately measured.
        (6) A high school instructor is expected to
    
participate in any orientation developed by the institution for dual credit instructors in course curriculum, assessment methods, and administrative requirements.
        (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.
        (9) Dual credit students must be assessed using
    
methods consistent with students in traditional credit-bearing college courses.
        (10) Within 15 days after entering into or renewing a
    
partnership agreement, the institution shall notify its faculty of the agreement, including access to copies of the agreement if requested.
(Source: P.A. 102-558, eff. 8-20-21; 102-1077, eff. 1-1-23; 103-154, eff. 6-30-23.)

110 ILCS 27/25

    (110 ILCS 27/25)
    Sec. 25. Oversight, review, and reporting.
    (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.
    (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.
(Source: P.A. 96-194, eff. 1-1-10.)

110 ILCS 27/30

    (110 ILCS 27/30)
    Sec. 30. Accountability.
    (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.
(Source: P.A. 96-194, eff. 1-1-10.)

110 ILCS 27/35

    (110 ILCS 27/35)
    Sec. 35. Dual Credit Grant. Subject to appropriation, the Illinois Community College Board shall award funds to community college districts to expand their service and lower costs for high school students desiring to take college-level classes prior to receiving their high school diploma to accelerate their college coursework.
(Source: P.A. 100-1049, eff. 1-1-19.)

110 ILCS 27/40

    (110 ILCS 27/40)
    Sec. 40. Students with disabilities. Within one year after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 102nd General Assembly, each community college district in this State, in partnership with the appropriate high schools, shall modify its dual credit plan to ensure access to dual credit courses by students with disabilities consistent with Section 16 of this Act. The partnership agreement shall address how a high school and community college district will ensure the incorporation of an individualized education program or supplementary aids and accommodations pursuant to a Section 504 plan under the federal Rehabilitation Act of 1973 for students with disabilities who enroll in dual credit courses.
(Source: P.A. 102-516, eff. 8-20-21.)