Dual Enrollment Programs and Courses

Purpose:

To provide policy for the offering of dual enrollment programs and courses to students in participating high schools.

The procedures for implementation of this policy are provided below.

Procedure and/or Process Definitions:

Advance College Academy: a primarily high school-based dual enrollment program pathway that provides qualified high school students the opportunity to earn an associate degree by completing college courses that may be substituted for the requirements for a high school diploma.

Concurrent enrollment: high school students that take independent college courses that do not count for VDOE high school graduation requirements.

Dual enrollment: community college coursework taken by high school students pursuant to a written contract and/or memorandum of understanding between a public school division, an individual public high school or technical education center, or an individual private school and Reynolds Community College wherein the college-level coursework, upon successful completion, earns both college credits and high school credits applicable to eligibility for a high school diploma.

Dual enrollment partnerships: agreements governed by an annually renewable contract between a school or district and the community college to allow academically qualified high school juniors and seniors to enroll in college courses that are applicable to degree, diploma, certificate, or career studies certificate programs offered at Reynolds; courses taken for dual enrollment credit pursuant to such agreements shall be designated on both the student’s college and high school transcripts.

Early College Academy: a dual enrollment program pathway, offered primarily on the college campus, which provides qualified high school students the opportunity to earn an associate degree by completing college courses that may be substituted for the requirements for a high school diploma.

High school-based dual enrollment: dual enrollment college courses and program pathways offered on a high school campus.

Procedures:

1. Student eligibility

   Prospective dual enrollment students should first meet with their high school dual enrollment counselor to discuss dual enrollment options. Interested students must complete and submit the Reynolds Community College online application for admission. High school juniors and seniors who meet each of the following criteria may register in college-level credit-bearing courses:

   1. The student submits an application for admission.

   2. The student is a rising high school junior or senior.

      1. The high school student has permission of the principal or designee, and the parent.

   3. The student demonstrates readiness for each college-level credit-bearing course in which they want to enroll. High school students are not eligible to enroll in developmental or direct placement co-requisite English and Math courses. In demonstrating readiness, a student must meet one of the criteria established for each type of course in which they want to be registered.

      *Cumulative

      Student eligibility for Math and English Courses

      Course Type	Eligibility Criteria (Any of the following)
      Transfer Courses** (Except Math)	High School Transcript*: Current cumulative high school GPA of 3.0 or higher SAT: ERW score of 480 or higher PSCAT: ERW score of 390 or higher ACT: 18 or higher on both English and Writing subject area tests VPT: Placement into ENG 111
      Career and Technical*** (Except Math)	High School Transcript*: Current cumulative high school GPA of 2.0 or higher SAT: ERW score of 480 or higher PSCAT: ERW score of 390 or higher ACT: 18 or higher on both English and Writing subject area tests VPT: Placement into ENF 1 or higher
      MTH 101-133	High School Transcript*: Current cumulative high school GPA of 3.0 or higher and a 2.0 (C) grade or higher in high school math course SAT: ERW score of 480 or higher AND Math score of 530 or higher PSCAT: ERW score of 390 or higher and math score of 500 or higher ACT: 22 or higher on Math subject area tests VPT: Placement in MTH 111 or higher (Satisfaction MTE 1-3)
      MTH 154, 155	High School Transcript*: Current cumulative high school GPA of 3.0 or higher and a 2.0 (C) grade or higher in high school math course SAT: ERW score of 480 or higher AND Math score of 530 or higher PSCAT: ERW score of 390 or higher and math score of 500 or higher ACT: 22 or higher on Math subject area tests VPT: Placement in MTH 154 or higher (Satisfaction MTE 1-5)
      MTH 161, 167 (Individual colleges may establish criteria for direct placement into calculus or other high-level math course)	High School Transcript*: Current cumulative high school GPA of 3.0 or higher and a 2.0 (C) grade or higher in Algebra 2 or in a higher level math course SAT: ERW score of 480 or higher AND Math score of 530 or higher PSCAT: N/A ACT: 22 or higher on Math subject area tests VPT: Placement in MTH 161 or higher (Satisfaction MTE 1-9)

   4. In addition to meeting the eligibility criteria above, a dual enrollment student must meet all course pre- or co-requisites as listed in the VCCS Master Course File and established by the college at which the student is enrolled in the course.

   Dual enrollment is restricted to rising high school juniors and seniors and home school students studying at the high school junior or senior levels. Admitting high school or home school students below the junior or senior level is considered exceptional. The collegeready status of each prospective student below the junior or senior high school level shall be assessed on a case-by-case basis. Such students must meet the above eligibility criteria and any other criteria as may be established by the college for participation of students below the junior or senior level in dual enrollment. Colleges shall have criteria and procedures for the case-by-case assessment of such students. Formal approval by the college president, or designee, is required for applicants who are below the junior or senior high school level to participate in dual enrollment.

   Upon fulfilling eligibility requirements and course prerequisites, a student may be enrolled in selected classes by submitting their course request forms and residency form to their high school by the appropriate deadline.

2. Admissions and enrollment

   Prior to the official start date of each college class for which dual enrollment credit is being sought, high school counselors must submit to the Reynolds Office of Dual Enrollment, for each student, a completed Dual Enrollment Course Request Form, signed by the student, the student's parent or legal guardian, and the counselor, plus a completed Residency for Dual and Concurrent Enrollment Applicants Form signed by the student's parent or legal guardian. In addition, for each student, any documentary evidence to support a waiver of placement test requirements to establish college readiness must be provided.

   Upon receipt of the required documentation, students will be enrolled in the appropriate courses and course sections by authorized college personnel. Any subsequent changes to a student's schedule must be initiated by the dual enrollment counselor, the assigned Reynolds career coach, or other authorized high school personnel, using the appropriate college forms.

3. Contractual agreements

   Each year, the Reynolds Office of Dual Enrollment, in collaboration with the vice president of Finance and Administration shall be responsible for the preparation of a dual enrollment contract for each public school division, each private school, and any other secondary school entity with whom the college intends to pursue a dual enrollment partnership.

4. Tuition and billing reimbursement

   Each semester, after all enrollment transactions are finalized, the Reynolds Office of Dual Enrollment and the Reynolds Admissions Office shall collaborate with high school counselors and dual enrollment instructors to verify the accuracy of each dual enrollment class roster. Upon completion of the roster verification process, the Reynolds Office of Dual Enrollment shall issue a billing authorization to each school division or other dual enrollment partnership entity. Each dual enrollment partnership entity shall review the billing authorization for accuracy, annotate the authorization with any proposed corrections, and affirm said review by signature of a duly authorized representative of the dual enrollment partner. Upon reconciliation of any proposed corrections, the Reynolds Office of Dual Enrollment shall forward the authorization of the college Finance and Administration division, whereupon the college shall invoice the dual enrollment partner for all tuition and fees pursuant to the terms of the dual enrollment contract.

5. Faculty qualifications

   For high school faculty identified by the school division to teach dual enrollment, the appointment and intake procedure at Reynolds begins with the completion of the personnel file. The credentialing documents required are, in effect, the same as that of any other fulltime or part-time faculty member at Reynolds. The following items are required in order to evaluate a high school-based instructor’s eligibility to teach a dual enrollment course:

   • Commonwealth of Virginia State Application for Employment
   • resume/curriculum vitae
   • official transcripts or certified copy of official transcripts validated by employed school district (signed and dated letter)
   • industry credentials: certifications or licensure applicable to the teaching discipline (only for faculty seeking to teach career and technical courses)
   • three letters of recommendation (dated within 12 months of adjunct hire date)
   • JSRCC Form 40-0009, VCCS/Reynolds Information Technology Employee Acceptable Use Agreement
   • supporting documentation to provide justification for exceptions to the credentialing guidelines

   These materials are then reviewed by the appropriate Reynolds department chair and dean, or designee, who make the initial determinations regarding the prospective dual enrollment faculty member’s eligibility to teach. Final approval of the faculty member rests with the Office of the Vice President of Academic Affairs and the president, as appropriate.

6. Faculty responsibility

   Dual Enrollment faculty are expected to adhere to all program policies, procedures, and expectations (refer to the Reynolds Dual Enrollment Faculty Handbook).

   Faculty employed directly by the college to teach dual enrollment at a high school site are expected to contact the dual enrollment counselor at the high school, prior to the start of classes, to receive information about high school policy and procedures, including adherence to high school attendance and grading requirements. Contact information for high school dual enrollment counselors may be obtained from the Reynolds Office of Dual Enrollment.

   For dual enrollment programs and courses that are subject to external accreditation, dual enrollment faculty are expected to assure that all aspects of those programs and courses adhere to the standards of that accreditation.

   Attendance reporting

   For dual enrollment classes taught on the college campus or via distance learning, after the last day of classes, instructors must submit by appropriate means a copy of the daily attendance record to the office of the Reynolds academic school responsible for the course.

   For high school-based dual enrollment classes, a summary report of daily attendance may be submitted in lieu of a copy of the daily attendance record.

   Non-compliance with college expectations

   In the case of concerns from Reynolds administration over the quality of instruction or noncompliance with college expectations, or in the case of dual enrollment faculty members failing to meet the annual requirements of providing a syllabus for every section, obtaining at least two hours of discipline-specific and two hours of general professional development, facilitating annual classroom observations by the full-time faculty liaison, department chair, and/or dean, submitting grades and other required reports in a timely manner, and/or providing student course evaluations, the following steps should be taken:

   • The faculty liaison, department chair, or dean will discuss the concerns with the dual enrollment faculty member and set a reasonable time to address the concerns and correct the problems. The director of dual enrollment and the appropriate director of college or CTE academies should also be informed at this point.

   • If the concerns are not corrected within a reasonable time (i.e., one semester), the director of dual enrollment should be notified of the concerns regarding the instructor and contact the appropriate high school central office or school administrative representatives.

   • If the above steps do not correct the problems, the Director of Dual Enrollment and academic dean will co-write a letter to the appropriate parties listing specific issues:

     • Include a specific date by which the concerns listed in the letter need to be addressed or corrected, as determined on a case-by-case basis within one academic year. Include the consequences of not correcting the problems by the above date.
     • Include a place for dated signatures of the dual enrollment faculty member, the full-time faculty liaison, the department chair, the academic dean, and, if applicable, the Director of Dual Enrollment.
     • Hold follow-up discussions with the appropriate parties on the issues.
     • Keep a file copy of the letter signed by all appropriate parties.
     • Follow-up with the instructor to see if the issues addressed in the letter have been corrected before the deadline.
     • Future teaching assignments may be denied if the concerns addressed in the letter are not corrected.

   Extended absence

   The high school is expected to notify the Reynolds Office of Dual Enrollment when an instructor is absent for more than five consecutive class meeting days. The college is expected to assist the high school with intervention strategies in such cases when normal

   College or high school closings

   In the event of scheduled or authorized unscheduled closings of the college due to inclement weather or other unanticipated circumstances, if the high school site remains open, dual enrollment classes taught at the high school site will continue to meet as scheduled. Exceptions to this provision must be clearly articulated in the course syllabus.

   In the event of scheduled or authorized unscheduled closings of the high school site due to inclement weather or other unanticipated circumstances, if the college remains open, dual enrollment classes taught on the college campus site will not meet. Exceptions to this provision must be clearly articulated in the course syllabus.

   Dual enrollment students enrolled in college classes with the general college population are expected to attend those classes if the college is open, even if the high school is closed.

7. Faculty orientation and evaluation

   Upon certification of faculty qualification for appointment, the dean of each school in which dual enrollment courses are taught will add new faculty members to their roster of individuals to participate in orientation. Additionally, the dean will see that dual enrollment faculty are added to appropriate email distribution lists for intra-unit communication.

   Additionally, the dean will follow these steps in ensuring dual enrollment faculty receive orientation:

   • identify and assign appropriate personnel to do initial in-take orientation;
   • where dual enrollment faculty are teaching as part of special program academies, the dean will coordinate with the director of college academies orientation activities for those faculty;
   • report to the Office of Human Resources the names and contact information for new faculty, so that they may receive invitations to general faculty meetings as well as information about on-going professional development opportunities available to all faculty;
   • monitor completion of orientation activities of dual enrollment faculty and report to the vice president of academic affairs, or designee, their successful completion.

   Reynolds department chairs (or designated full-time faculty liaisons) are required to perform on-site classroom observations of dual enrollment faculty, using JSRCC Form 36-2000, Classroom Observation Planning, and JSRCC Form 36-2002, Classroom Observation Form–Online Classes. Because Reynolds department chairs and deans are ultimately responsible for annually submitting JSRCC Form 36-5003, Adjunct Teaching Faculty Evaluation Summary, for dual enrollment faculty members, they may choose to conduct their own site visits and classroom observations, or they may choose to work in tandem with designated full-time faculty liaisons in their discipline to collaborate on the completion of JSRCC Form 36-5003.

   In most cases, Reynolds department chairs and deans will draw from data submitted to them by full-time faculty liaisons (JSRCC Form 36-2000, Classroom Observation Planning, and JSRCC Form 36-2001, Classroom Observation–For Face-to-Face Classes), along with other performance measures (such as Student Evaluations and the ACA faculty member’s record of documentation and compliance with college policies and submission deadlines), in order to complete JSRCC Form 36-5003, Adjunct Teaching Faculty Evaluation Summary. Full-time faculty liaisons should communicate with their department chairs and deans to find out the extent to which they are expected to contribute to each assigned dual enrolment faculty member’s annual Adjunct Teaching Faculty Evaluation Summary (JSRCC Form 36-5003).

   As part of yearly evaluation, the dean, or designee, will identify any areas of additional professional development dual enrollment faculty may require in support of their classroom teaching and then see that those resources are provided.

8. Program and course offerings

   The Office of Dual Enrollment will collaborate with each of the college's dual enrollment partners and determine the courses and number of sections of each course to be offered at each dual enrollment site for the ensuing academic year. Where appropriate, course offerings associated with a contractual dual enrollment program pathway will be identified by means of a program pathway Implementation Plan.

   The Office of Dual Enrollment will provide all required course information to the college's Class Scheduling team in order for dual enrollment course offerings to be entered into the Student Information System database in a timely manner. In addition, by March 1, the Office of Dual Enrollment will inform appropriate department chairs of the anticipated dual enrollment offerings in order for faculty staffing to be arranged as needed.

9. Quality assurance

   The Dual Enrollment Program will develop, implement, and maintain a quality assurance plan that identifies annual outcomes and the assessment measures that will be used to assess attainment of outcomes as well as a timeline that indicates when assessment activities will occur. The quality assurance plan will address the following:

   • dual enrollment instruction course equivalency;
   • student readiness, eligibility, and support;
   • faculty qualifications, professional development, and support;
   • administrative characteristics; and
   • student outcomes assessment.

   department chairs (or designated full-time faculty liaisons) will ensure that the quality of each high school dual enrollment course is equivalent to its on-campus counterpart in curriculum, delivery, rigor, assessment, and classroom management. department chairs (when possible, assisted by designated full-time faculty liaisons) will provide disciplinespecific professional development to help high school adjunct teachers stay current with the latest information, trends, and technologies in their field.

10. Satisfactory academic performance and continuing eligibility

    For students participating in an Advance College Academy or Early College Academy, academic performance will be monitored throughout each academic term by the instructors, career coaches, and the Director of Dual Enrollment. Students who are identified, prior to the official withdrawal date of the term, as being in danger of failing to maintain satisfactory academic performance standards will be counseled to withdraw from the course(s) in question and, where appropriate, to discontinue participation in the academy. At the end of each academic term, instructors, career coaches, and the Director of Dual Enrollment will identify students who fail to meet satisfactory academic performance standards and will coordinate advisement of students who are no longer eligible to continue participation in the academy.

    For all other dual enrollment students, monitoring of satisfactory academic performance during the academic term is the responsibility of instructors, high school counselors, and career coaches. At the end of each academic term, the Reynolds Office of Dual Enrollment will inform high school counselors of students who have failed to meet satisfactory academic performance standards and who are, thus, unable to continue participation in dual enrollment.

Other Information:

Governing Principles for Dual Enrollment between Virginia Public Schools and the Virginia Community College System

VCCS Policy 6.0.1.1, Dual Enrollment Student Admissions

Reynolds Dual Enrollment Faculty Handbook

JSRCC Form 36-2000, Classroom Observation Planning Form

JSRCC Form 36-2001, Classroom Observation Form – For Face-to Face

JSRCC Form 36-2002, Classroom Observation Form – Online Class

JSRCC Form 36-5003, Adjunct Teaching Faculty Observation Form

JSRCC Form 40-0009, VCCS/Reynolds Information Technology Employee Acceptable Use Form