| (a) Authority. These rules are authorized by Texas
Education Code §§28.009(b), 130.001(b)(3) - (4), and 130.008.
(b) Purpose. The purpose of this rule is to encourage
and authorize public institutions of higher education to deliver innovatively
designed dual credit or dual enrollment courses that integrate both
college-level content in the core curriculum of the institution alongside
college-readiness content and skills instruction. These innovatively
designed courses will allow students the maximum flexibility to obtain
college credit and provide integrated college readiness skills to
students who are on the continuum of college readiness and will benefit
from exposure to college-level content.
(c) Student eligibility. An eligible student must be
enrolled in a public school district or open-enrollment charter as
defined in Texas Education Code §5.001(6). An institution of
higher education may offer College Connect Courses to:
(1) A student who has met the college readiness standards
set forth in subchapter C, §4.57 of this chapter (relating to
College Ready Standards); or
(2) A student who has not yet demonstrated college
readiness by achieving minimum passing standards set forth in §4.57
of this chapter, if the student is:
(A) a non-degree-seeking or non-certificate seeking
student under Texas Education Code §51.338(a); and
(B) has earned not more than 14 semester credit hours
of college credits at an institution of higher education; or
(C) a student who is otherwise exempt from the Texas
Success Initiative, as set forth in subchapter C, §4.54 of this
chapter (relating to Exemptions, Exceptions, and Waivers).
(d) An institution may add eligibility requirements
for students qualifying under subsection (c)(2)(A) and (B) of this
section.
(e) Course content. The following standards apply to
delivery of College Connect Courses offered under this rule:
(1) An institution of higher education may offer College
Connect Courses within the institution's core curriculum in accordance
with subchapter B, §4.28 of this chapter (relating to Core Curriculum).
(2) An institution of higher education must also incorporate
supplemental college readiness content to support students who have
not yet demonstrated college readiness as defined in §4.57 of
this chapter within these courses. An institution may deliver this
supplemental instruction through a method at their discretion, including
through embedded course content, supplemental corequisite coursework,
or other method.
(f) Coordinating Board staff may provide technical
assistance to public institutions of higher education and secondary
schools and districts in developing and providing these courses.
(g) Additional Academic Policies.
(1) College Connect Courses offered through dual credit
or dual enrollment must confer both a college-level grade and a secondary-level
grade upon a student's successful completion of the course. A grade
conferred for the college-level course may be different from the secondary-level
grade, to reflect whether a student has appropriately demonstrated
college-level knowledge and skills as well as secondary-level knowledge
and skills. An institution may determine how a student enrolled in
this course may earn college credit, whether through college-level
course completion or successful completion of a recognized college-level
assessment.
(2) An institution of higher education must enter into
an institutional agreement with the secondary school according to §4.84
of this chapter (relating to Institutional Agreements) to offer College
Connect Courses.
(3) An institution of higher education is strongly
encouraged to provide the maximum latitude possible for a student
to withdraw from the college-level course component beyond the census
date, while still giving the student an opportunity to earn credit
toward high school graduation requirements.
(4) Hours earned through this program before the student
graduates from high school that are used to satisfy high school graduation
requirements do not count against the limitation on formula funding
for excess semester credit hours under chapter 13, subchapter F, §13.104
of this title (relating to Exemptions for Excess Hours).
(h) Funding and Tuition. For College Connect Courses
offered through dual credit under this option:
(1) An institution of higher education may receive
formula funding for College Connect Course semester credit hours in
accordance with Texas Education Code §61.059 and chapter 130,
subchapter A, and any Coordinating Board rules that authorize funding
for courses offered under this section.
(2) An institution of higher education may waive a
student's tuition for College Connect Courses in accordance with Texas
Education Code §§54.216 and 28.0095.
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