6285: Post-Secondary Planning and Enrollment Options

District Policy 6285

POSTSECONDARY PLANNING AND ENROLLMENT OPTIONS

1.0       Preparation for Postsecondary Opportunities.

1.1       Students are encouraged to plan for postsecondary opportunities so they will be adequately prepared upon graduation from high school. Each student who enrolls in the sixth (6th) grade will begin to develop an Individual Career and Academic Plan (ICAP).

1.2       The Superintendent or designee shall provide on or before December 31 of each school year names and mailing addresses of students in eighth (8th) grade to the Colorado Commission on Higher Education (CCHE) for the purpose of notifying parents of higher education admission requirements. The CCHE will provide information to the parents/guardians of eighth (8th) grade students about the admission requirements for institutions of higher education in Colorado. In addition, the District will make information available to these same parents/guardians about the courses the District offers that meet the CCHE admission requirements. This information will be made available to parents/guardians prior to the student’s enrollment in his or her ninth (9th) grade courses.

1.3       Continuing in ninth (9th) grade, District personnel shall assist students to develop and maintain individual career and academic plans (ICAP).  The student’s career and academic plan will be designed to assist the student and the student’s parent/guardian in exploring the postsecondary career and educational opportunities available to the student, aligning course work and curriculum, applying to postsecondary education institutions, securing financial aid and ultimately entering the workforce.

2.0       Concurrent Enrollment Options.

2.1       Definitions:

2.1.1    Concurrent Enrollment. The simultaneous enrollment of a qualified student in a District high school and in one or more postsecondary courses at an institution of higher education for which the qualified student receives high school credit upon successful completion of the course. Concurrent Enrollment does not include a qualified student’s simultaneous enrollment in:

2.1.1.1    one or more secondary career and technical education (CTE) courses, advanced placement courses (AP), or international baccalaureate (IB) courses;

2.1.1.2    an early college and a postsecondary course;

2.1.1.3    a P-Tech school and a postsecondary course;

2.1.1.4    a District high school and a postsecondary course that does not qualify as Concurrent Enrollment, such as a “dual enrollment” program that requires the student or his/her parent/guardian to pay part or all of the tuition cost for the course, in accordance with applicable state law.

2.1.2    Postsecondary Course. A course offered by an institution of higher education and includes coursework resulting in the acquisition of a certificate; an associate degree of applied sciences, general studies, arts, or science; and all baccalaureate degree programs.

2.1.3    Institution of Higher Education. Aa state university or college, community college, junior college, or area vocational school as described in title 23, C.R.S.; a postsecondary career and technical education program that offers postsecondary courses and is approved by the state board for community colleges and occupational education pursuant to applicable state law; and an educational institution operating in Colorado that meets the specified criteria of the Concurrent Enrollment Programs Act.

2.2       Eligibility. Only qualified students may participate in the Concurrent Enrollment options described in this section. A student is a qualified student if he or she is in 9th through 12th grade, less than 21 years of age, and seeking to enroll in postsecondary courses offered by approved institutions of higher education that meet or exceed in rigor and scope the courses offered by the District.

2.3       Procedure. Qualified students seeking to concurrently enroll in postsecondary courses at the District’s expense and receive high school credit for such courses shall follow the following procedure:

2.3.1    Academic plan of study. The qualified student shall establish, in consultation with the school principal or designee, an academic plan of study that aligns with the student’s ICAP and describes all of the courses (including postsecondary courses) the student intends to complete to satisfy the District’s high school graduation requirements. Prior to the qualified student's enrollment in a postsecondary course, the principal shall review and approve the student's academic plan of study in accordance with applicable State Board of Education rules.

2.3.2    Application. The qualified student shall complete the District's Concurrent Enrollment application form and submit it to the school principal at least 60 days prior to the end of the academic term immediately preceding the term of the student’s proposed enrollment in a postsecondary course. The requested postsecondary course(s) on the student’s application shall be consistent with the student’s approved academic plan of study. The school principal may waive the 60 day requirement at his or her discretion. The school principal shall approve or disapprove the student’s application in accordance with this policy and shall notify the student of the decision. The decision of the school principal shall be final.

2.4       Academic Credit. Academic credit granted for postsecondary courses successfully completed by a qualified student shall count as high school credit toward the District’s graduation requirements, unless such credit is denied because the qualified student does not receive a passing grade for the postsecondary course. High school credit for remedial or basic skills courses will only be granted for students in 12th grade, and only as required by law.

2.5       Approval of Postsecondary Course. The District shall not unreasonably deny approval of a qualified student’s concurrent enrollment in a postsecondary course nor shall the District limit the number of postsecondary courses in which a qualified student may concurrently enroll. Concurrent Enrollment approval for a postsecondary course is not available for summer courses. A postsecondary course that may be approved for concurrent enrollment is a course that:

2.5.1    meets or exceeds the District’s courses in rigor and scope; and

2.5.2    is not offered by the District or is not substantially similar to a course offered by the District, unless approved by the District due to a scheduling conflict or other legitimate reason.

2.6       Agreement with institution of higher education. When a qualified student seeks to concurrently enroll in postsecondary courses at an institution of higher education the District and the participating institution shall enter into a written cooperative agreement in accordance with the state law.

2.7       Payment of tuition and additional costs.

2.7.1    The District shall pay the tuition for approved postsecondary courses.

2.7.2    The tuition paid by the District for an approved postsecondary course shall be in accordance with state law and the District’s cooperative agreement with the institution of higher education.

2.7.3    The qualified student and the student’s parent/guardian shall be responsible for the cost of textbooks and any other fees for approved postsecondary courses.

2.8       Transportation. The District shall not provide or pay for the qualified student's transportation to the institution of higher education.

2.9       Notice. Information about Concurrent Enrollment options shall be made available to high school students and their parents/guardians on an annual basis. In addition, at least six (6) weeks prior to the beginning of the Concurrent Enrollment period, written notice (which may be sent electronically) shall be provided to high school students and their parents/guardians of the postsecondary courses offered at no tuition cost to qualified students at the District and at an institution of higher education, any anticipated costs of textbooks and fees to the qualified student for those courses, and the number and transferability of course credits that a qualified student may earn by concurrently enrolling in and successfully completing a postsecondary course.

2.10     Eligibility for High School Activities. Students who attend institutions of higher education in accordance with this policy shall still be considered as enrolled in the District, and such students' eligibility to participate in high school activities shall be determined without regard to enrollment in postsecondary courses.

LEGAL REFERENCES:
C.R.S. 22-35-101 et seq.
C.R.S. 22-32-109 (1) (ff) (I)
1 CCR 301-86

Adams 12 Five Star Schools
Most Recent Adoption: October 12, 2022