ARIZONA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Fifty-fifth Legislature

First Regular Session

House: ED DP 10-0-0-0

HB 2021: college course credit; dual enrollment

Sponsor: Representative Udall, LD 25

House Engrossed

Overview

Requires a school district governing board to award at least one-half and up to one Carnegie unit for each three semester hours of credit a pupil earns while in a dual enrollment course. Eliminates enrollment restrictions for dual enrollment courses.

History

The Carnegie unit system is commonly used by high schools to measure academic credit hours earned by students. Under current law, a school district governing board is required to award one-half of a Carnegie unit for each three semester hours of credit that a student earns in a community college or university course upon determination that: 1) the subject matter of the course is appropriate to the specific requirement the student intends it to fulfill; and 2) the level of the course is higher than the course taught in the high school attended by the student or, if the course is not taught in the high school, the level of the course is equal to or higher than the level of a high school course.

Under current law, high school students are eligible to be admitted to a community college for dual enrollment provided that the students are high school juniors or seniors. A community college may waive the requirement that students be a high school junior or senior for up to 25% of the high school students that are enrolled provided that certain criteria are met, including a demonstration, by way of an exam, that high school freshmen and sophomore students who meet course prerequisites are prepared to benefit from the college-level course (A.R.S. § 15-1821.01).

A dual enrollment course is defined as a college-level course that is conducted on the campus of a high school or a career technical education district, applicable to an established community college academic degree or certificate program and transferable to a university under the jurisdiction of the Arizona Board of Regents (ABOR). A dual enrollment course that is applicable to a community college occupational degree or certificate program may also be transferable to a university under the jurisdiction of ABOR (A.R.S. § 15-101).

Provisions

1. Requires a school district governing board to award at least one-half and up to one Carnegie unit for each three semester hours of credit a pupil earns in a community college or university course. (Sec. 1)

2. Deletes language that restricts the total enrollment of high school freshmen and sophomores in a dual enrollment course to 25%. (Sec. 1)

3. Makes technical changes. (Sec. 2)

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7. HB 2021

8. Initials CH Page 0 House Engrossed

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