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OFFICE OF THE STATE SUPERINTENDENT OF EDUCATION
NOTICE OF FINAL RULEMAKING
The State Superintendent of Education, pursuant to section 3(b)(11) of the District of Columbia State Education Office Establishment Act of 2000, effective October 21, 2000 (D.C. Law 13-176; D.C. Official Code § 38-2602(b)(11) (2001 ed. & 2012 Supp.)), hereby gives notice of the adoption of a final rule entitled “District of Columbia Dual Enrollment Regulations” as chapter 24 within subtitle A (Office of the State Superintendent of Education) of title 5 (Education) of the District of Columbia Municipal Regulations (DCMR).
The purpose of the new chapter is to establish uniform guidelines in the District of Columbia for Local Education Agencies (LEAs) to provide high school students with the opportunity concurrently to enroll in, and receive dual academic credit for, postsecondary courses taken on a college campus.
Dual enrollment allows high school students to experience the academic rigor of college courses, and to understand better what is required of them to succeed in college. Students who participate in dual enrollment programs tend to enroll in, persist through, and complete college at higher rates, and with higher college grade point averages, than their peers. Given these benefits, OSSE aims to promote participation in dual enrollment programs among high school students as part of a state-wide effort to promote college enrollment and completion rates. The District of Columbia Dual Enrollment Regulations set a clear framework for dual enrollment programs so that LEAs and postsecondary institutions in the District can create new or expand existing dual enrollment opportunities for high school students.
The rules were published in the D.C. Register in a proposed rulemaking on August 3, 2012, at 59 DCR 9209. No comments were received from the public in connection with this notice during thirty (30) day comment period. No changes were requested and no changes have been made. The State Superintendent took final rulemaking action on September 20, 2012. These final rules will be effective upon publication of this notice in the D.C. Register.
Subtitle A (Office of the State Superintendent of Education) of title 5 (Education) of the District of Columbia Municipal Regulations (DCMR) is amended by adding a new chapter 24 (District of Columbia Dual Enrollment Regulations):
CHAPTER 24 DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA DUAL ENROLLMENT REGULATIONS
2400 DUAL ENROLLMENT PROGRAM
2400.1 A dual enrollment program enables high school students to enroll in approved college courses, taken on a college campus, and earn both high school and college credit.
2400.2 To implement a dual enrollment program for its students, an LEA shall develop, jointly with a partnering postsecondary institution, a Dual Enrollment Partnership Agreement.
2401 DUAL ENROLLMENT PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT
2401.1 A Dual Enrollment Partnership Agreement shall specify the terms of the dual enrollment program, including mutually agreed upon eligibility requirements, student support mechanisms, admission and enrollment processes, and the rights and responsibilities assigned to the LEA, partnering postsecondary institution, dual enrollment students, and their parents or guardians.
2401.2 No language in the Dual Enrollment Partnership Agreements shall require partnering postsecondary institutions to admit dual enrollment students from an LEA.
2401.3 A Dual Enrollment Partnership Agreement shall acknowledge that students will not be charged tuition for dual enrollment courses.
2401.4 Dual enrollment students shall follow the Code of Conduct and behavior and attendance policies articulated within the Dual Enrollment Partnership Agreement guiding the student’s dual enrollment program.
2402 RECEIPT OF COLLEGE CREDIT AND GRADES
2402.1 The partnering postsecondary institution shall provide its dual enrollment students and their LEA with an official transcript containing information on the course(s) in which the student enrolled.
2403 RECEIPT OF HIGH SCHOOL CREDIT AND GRADES
2403.1 A high school student who successfully completes a dual enrollment course, as is articulated in the Dual Enrollment Partnership Agreement, shall receive the designated high school credit and grade for that course at the time of course completion.
2403.2 The LEA shall include in student transcripts information on dual enrollment courses taken, and grades and credits awarded for dual enrollment courses.
2403.3 The LEA may calculate a student’s grade point average for dual enrollment courses using point equivalents no greater than those for Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) courses, as outlined in § 2200.7 of subtitle E of title 5.
2404 COMPLIANCE
2404.1 A Dual Enrollment Partnership Agreement shall conform to applicable legal requirements. An LEA shall submit to OSSE, by February 15 annually, a copy of each Dual Enrollment Partnership Agreement. If OSSE determines that the Dual Enrollment Partnership Agreement does not align with applicable law, it will inform both the LEA and the partnering postsecondary institution of the components of the Agreement that must be addressed and resubmitted to OSSE no later than sixty (60) days after receipt of the initial notification.
2404.2 An LEA that implements a dual enrollment program shall provide to OSSE data related to student participation, course enrollment, and credits earned in the dual enrollment program for use in the longitudinal educational data warehouse established pursuant to D.C. Official Code § 38-2609 (2012 Supp.). The data shall be provided by an LEA upon OSSE request in the format specified by OSSE.
2404.3 An LEA that implements a dual enrollment program shall notify parents that employees of postsecondary institutions are not subject to the criminal background checks that are applicable to the elementary and secondary school environment.
2499 DEFINITIONS
2499.1 For the purposes of this chapter, the term:
Dual credit refers to the academic credit awarded at both the high school and partnering postsecondary institution after a student successfully completes a dual enrollment course.
Dual Enrollment Partnership Agreement refers to the formal agreement jointly established by an LEA and partnering postsecondary institution that specifies the terms of the dual enrollment program, including mutually agreed upon eligibility requirements, student support mechanisms, admission and enrollment processes, and the rights and responsibilities assigned to the LEA, partnering postsecondary institution, dual enrollment students, and their parents or guardians.
School means any public high school, including a public charter high school.
Postsecondary institution refers to any accredited, not-for-profit, two- or four-year college or university licensed (or exempt from licensure) by the District of Columbia.
“OSSE” refers to the Office of the State Superintendent of Education.
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