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ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Fifty-Sixth Legislature, First Regular Session
AMENDED
dual enrollment; revisions; appropriations
Purpose
Establishes programs and funds for the Arizona Department of Education (ADE) to provide grants and incentive bonuses for dual enrollment courses to school districts, charter schools and teachers and dual enrollment reimbursements to students. Prescribes eligibility, distribution and administration requirements and appropriates a total of $25,500,000 from the state General Fund (state GF) in FY 2024 to the outlined programs and funds.
Background
A community college district (CCD) governing board may enter into a
contract or agreement with a school district governing board to offer dual
enrollment college courses at a high school during the school day that count
toward both high school and college graduation requirements. Students must be
admitted to a community college under the CCD's adopted policies and a dual
enrollment course must be previously approved through the CCD's curriculum
approval process. Each CCD's chief executive officer must establish an advisory
committee to assist in course selection and implementation and an advisory
committee to assist in the selection, professional development and evaluation
of faculty who teach dual enrollment courses (A.R.S.
§ 15-1821.01).
A dual enrollment course is a college-level course that is: 1) conducted on the campus of a high school or a career technical education district; 2) applicable to an established community college academic degree or certificate program; and 3) transferable to an Arizona public university (A.R.S. § 15-101).
The Tribal College Dual Enrollment Program Fund is administered by ADE to compensate tribal colleges for books, instructional materials, tuition and fees that are waived to allow high school students to attend courses at tribal college campuses. A tribal college dual enrollment program may offer, pursuant to agreements with high schools located outside of a reservation, dual enrollment courses that qualify for a certificate or degree program and relate to any college subject (A.R.S. § 15-244.01).
S.B. 1717 appropriates a total of $25,500,000 from the state GF in FY 2024 to the outlined programs and funds.
Provisions
Dual Enrollment Grant Program (Grant Program)
1. Establishes the Grant Program within ADE to support the establishment of dual enrollment programs by school districts and charter schools and repeals the Grant Program on January 1, 2028.
2. Appropriates $5,000,000 from the state GF in FY 2024 to the Grant Program.
3. Limits Grant Program eligibility to only a school district or charter school that does not offer dual enrollment courses or have an established dual enrollment program by July 1, 2023.
4. Directs ADE to prioritize Grant Program applications by:
a) granting highest priority to a school district or charter school in which 50 percent or more of the students are FRPL-eligible (prioritized schools); and
b) authorizing ADE, subject to available monies after awarding grants to prioritized schools, to award grants on a first-come, first-served basis to a school district or charter school in which less than 50 percent of the students are FRPL-eligible.
5. Requires grant awards, if the sum of applications by prioritized schools exceeds the amount of available appropriated Grant Program monies, to be reduced proportionally to cover the applications.
6. Restricts the use of Grant Program monies to only:
a) the establishment and operation of a new dual enrollment program by a school district or charter school; and
b) the cost of administering the Grant Program, subject to a cap of three percent of the appropriated Grant Program monies each fiscal year.
7. Requires ADE to administer the Grant Program and establish procedures and requirements for school districts and charter schools to apply for grants.
Dual Enrollment Incentive Program (Incentive Program) and Fund (Incentive Fund)
9. Establishes the Incentive Program within ADE to provide incentive bonuses to teachers, school districts and charter schools for students who obtain a passing grade in a qualifying dual enrollment course.
10. Requires ADE, beginning in FY 2027, to annually distribute incentive bonuses, by March 1, to school districts and charter schools for each qualifying student.
11. Establishes the Incentive Fund, administered by ADE and consisting of legislative appropriations.
12. Appropriates $5,000,000 from the state GF in FY 2024 to the Incentive Fund.
13. Determines that a student who receives a passing grade in a qualifying dual enrollment course generates an incentive bonus for the student's school district or charter school in an amount of:
a) $450 per passing grade, if enrolled in a school where at least 50 percent of the students are eligible for the Free or Reduced-Price Lunch Program (FRPL); or
b) $300 per passing grade, if enrolled in a school where less than 50 percent of the students are FRPL-eligible.
14. Requires ADE, if the sum of incentive bonuses awarded exceeds the amount of available Incentive Fund monies, to reduce incentive bonus monies proportionally to cover all eligible incentive bonuses.
15. Directs, within 30 days after the end of the school year, a school district or charter school to distribute at least 50 percent of the received incentive bonus monies to each qualifying student's associated classroom teacher.
16. Directs a school principal to allocate the remainder of received incentive bonus monies on behalf of qualifying students for:
a) teacher professional development;
b) student instructional support;
c) reimbursement of tuition and mandatory fees; or
d) instructional materials.
17. Specifies that an incentive bonus distributed to, and incentive bonus monies received by:
a) a school district or charter school are not subject to collective bargaining; and
b) a teacher are not compensation for the purposes of the Arizona State Retirement System, and are in addition to any regular wage, compensation or other bonus the teacher is scheduled to receive.
18. Requires incentive bonus monies received by a school district or charter school to be separately accounted for in the school district's or charter school's annual financial report.
19. Allows, by August 1 of each year, a school district or charter school to appeal the allocation of incentive bonus monies.
20. Allows ADE to withhold up to $10,000 of appropriated Incentive Fund monies to address school district and charter school allocation appeals.
21. Requires ADE, by December 15 of 2027 and each subsequent year, to submit an annual report to the Governor, President of the Senate, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Secretary of State and Joint Legislative Budget Committee on:
a) the number of students enrolled in a qualifying dual enrollment course at each school;
b) the number of students who received a passing grade in a qualifying dual enrollment course and number of incentive awards distributed;
c) the number and type of qualifying dual enrollment courses taken by students; and
d) the amount of incentive bonus monies received by each school.
22. Specifies that Incentive Fund monies are continuously appropriated and exempt from lapsing.
Dual Enrollment Development Fund (Development Fund)
23. Establishes the Development Fund, administered by ADE and consisting of legislative appropriations.
24. Requires ADE to distribute Development Fund monies to schools to provide an incentive bonus of up to $1,000 for each teacher who:
a) satisfies the teaching requirements for a dual enrollment course adopted by a higher learning commission that accredits degree-granting postsecondary institutions in the north central region, including Arizona; and
b) provides instruction in at least one dual enrollment course.
25. Appropriates $500,000 from the state GF in FY 2024 to the Development Fund.
26. Prohibits a teacher from receiving more than one incentive bonus from the Development Fund.
27. Requires teacher incentive bonus monies, if the sum of awards exceeds the amount of available Development Fund monies, to be reduced proportionally to cover all eligible bonus awards.
28. Specifies that Development Fund monies are continuously appropriated and exempt from lapsing until July 1, 2029.
Dual Enrollment Student Fund (Student Fund)
30. Appropriates $15,000,000 from the state GF in FY 2024 to the Student Fund.
31. Allows a student to receive a reimbursement of up to $50 per credit hour if the student:
a) obtains a passing grade in a qualifying dual enrollment course; and
b) has a grade point average of 2.5 or higher on a 4.0 scale.
32. Requires ADE to administer the Student Fund and use Student Fund monies for the purposes of providing student reimbursements.
33. Directs ADE to:
a) distribute Student Fund monies to qualifying providers for reimbursements to students as outlined; and
b) prioritize Student Fund distributions to qualifying providers that serve FRPL-eligible students.
34. Caps the total reimbursement a student may receive per school year at:
a) $300, for a student who is in grade 9 or 10; and
b) $600, for a student who is in grade 11 or 12.
35. Specifies that Student Fund monies are continuously appropriated and exempt from lapsing.
Miscellaneous
36. Specifies that a child with a disability in a dual enrollment course must have access to any supplementary aids, services and accommodations provided in the child's IEP or Section 504 Plan.
37. Defines passing grade as a letter grade of A, B or C.
38. Defines qualifying dual enrollment course as a dual enrollment course that:
a) fulfills a lower division general education credit at an Arizona public university or a community college; or
b) is a career and technical education course that is required for a program that results in a certificate, credential or license.
39. Defines qualifying provider as a community college, university or institution that provides a qualifying dual enrollment course.
40. Becomes effective on the general effective date.
Amendments Adopted by the Commerce Committee
1. Requires ADE to administer the Student Fund to qualifying providers.
2. Defines qualifying provider as any community college, university or institution that meets the criteria of qualifying dual enrollment course.
4. Makes conforming changes.
Amendments Adopted by the Appropriations Committee
1. Directs ADE to distribute Student Fund monies to qualifying providers to then provide student reimbursements.
2. Requires ADE to prioritize Student Fund distributions to qualifying providers that serve FRPL-eligible students.
3. Defines qualifying provider as a community college, university or institution that provides a qualifying dual enrollment course.
4. Specifies that a child with a disability in a dual enrollment course must have access to any supplementary aids, services and accommodations provided in the child's IEP or Section 504 Plan.
5. Makes conforming changes.
Amendments Adopted by Committee of the Whole
1. The Commerce Committee amendment was withdrawn.
2. Delays, from FY 2024 to FY 2027, the requirement for ADE to distribute Incentive Fund monies to school districts and charter schools and delays the initial Incentive Program report date to 2027.
3. Establishes the Grant Program within ADE until January 1, 2028, to provide grants for dual enrollment programs to school districts and charter schools that do not offer dual enrollment courses or have a dual enrollment program by July 1, 2023.
4. Outlines requirements for Grant Program administration, grant prioritization and permissible expenses.
5. Appropriates $5,000,000 from the state General Fund in FY 2024 to the Grant Program.
6. Exempts Grant Program monies from lapsing, except that Grant Program monies remaining unencumbered and unexpended on July 1, 2027, are transferred to the Incentive Fund.
7. Makes technical and conforming changes.
Senate Action
COM 2/15/23 DPA 6-1-0
APPROP 2/23/23 DPA 8-2-0
Prepared by Senate Research
March 24, 2023
LB/MH/sr