CHSA is pleased to make available a tracker, which will updated approximately every two weeks, compiling bills and regulatory actions impacting college in high school programs such as dual enrollment, concurrent enrollment, and early college high school across the country.
The tracker includes information and links to the bills, current status, a brief summary, and how each bill or action could be categorized according to CHSA’s Unlocking Potential framework for policy for college in high school programs.
If you have any questions about the tracker, please contact us. This tracker is maintained by Foresight Law + Policy.
Updated January 29, 2023
Legislative Updates
The following bills had significant status updates:
- Florida SB74 – Passed Senate and House - This bill makes nonsubstantive changes to the Dual Enrollment Scholarship Program statute to improve clarity.
The following bills were introduced:
- California AB1812 & SB917 - This bill makes appropriations for the support of state government for the 2024-2025 fiscal year. Funding is provided for the Rising Scholars Network - of which, certain funds must be used to support ongoing implementation of model programming for juvenile-justice impacted students. Model programs must utilize both Dual Enrollment and Guided Pathways. Funding is also provided for the Middle College High School program.
- Florida SB7000 - This bill would require the Commissioner of Education to make recommendations to the Governor and Legislature on policy and funding changes, by December 1, 2024, to enhance the development and retention of exceptional student education instructional personnel. In developing these, the Commissioner should consider certain issues, including strategies to encourage high school students to consider exceptional student education, including through preapprenticeships and dual enrollment.
- Florida SB7032 - This bill amends existing law relating to fund for operation of workforce education programs. Existing law allows high school students to be dually enrolled in a workforce education program and specifies the funding formula to be used. Existing law provides that if a student is coenrolled in core curricula courses for credit recovery or dropout prevention purposes and does not have a pattern of excessive absenteeism or habitual truancy or a history of disruptive behavior in school, the student may be reported for funding for up to two courses per year. Amendments would delete the "core curricula" requirement for the courses and amend this to allow a student to be reported for funding for up to four courses per year.
- Illinois SB2838 - This bill amends the Higher Education Student Assistance Act and provides that scholarships awarded under the Teach Illinois Scholarship Program may be granted to individuals employed as teachers who agree to pursue a master's degree at a qualified institution of higher learning in order to teach dual credit courses at a secondary school.
- Maryland HB82 – This bill amends existing law and repeals the requirement that a county board of education provide certain post college and career readiness pathways at no cost to students who meet the college and career readiness standard - this includes programs that allow students, through an early college program or dual enrollment at a student's high school and an IHE to earn an associate degree or at least 60 credits toward a bachelor's degree.
- Maryland HB116 & SB84 - This bill would establish the Teacher Apprenticeship Startup Grant Program. The bill would require high school-level apprenticeships under a teacher apprenticeship program to allow a student participating in the teacher apprenticeship to maximize attainment in college-level credits through an early college program, or dual enrollment at a student's high school or an institution of higher education, among others.
- New Hampshire HB1586 - This bill amends existing law relating to data related to the provision of public education. This bill would require each school district to report additional data to the department of education at the school and district levels - amendments would add several new data points, including the number of school-age children attending public schools, homeschools, dual enrollment with a community college, alternative schools, and EFA students.
- New Mexico HB39 - This appropriations bill provides funding to the department of languages and culture for the Native American and Hispanic studies program to develop a major degree in Chicana and Chicano studies, including courses offered as high school dual enrollment credits.
- South Carolina HB2 - This bill removes provisions for establishing a uniform method for calculating high school credit received from completing a postsecondary course.
- Tennessee HB1923 – This bill would require each Tennessee College of Applied Technology (TCAT) to reserve an enrollment slot for each dual enrollment student in the term immediately following the last term in which the student was enrolled in the TCAT as a dual enrollment student if space is available.
- Virginia HB83 - This bill amends existing law and specifies that local school boards must adopt an agreement for postsecondary credit and degree attainment with a comprehensive community college that serves the local school division that permits any student to complete an associate degree, the Passport Program, or a one-year Uniform Certificate of General Studies from a comprehensive community college concurrent with a high school diploma or high school equivalency program. The agreement must specify the credit available for dual enrollment courses and AP courses.
- Virginia HB1051 & SB563 - This bill amends existing law and specifies the Board must develop guidelines and policies for prioritizing to the maximum extent practicable dual enrollment and concurrent enrollment programs. This bill also amends existing law and specifies that local school boards must adopt an agreement for postsecondary degree attainment with a comprehensive community college in the Commonwealth specifying the options for students to complete an associate degree, the Passport Program, a one-year Uniform Certificate of General Studies, a Career Studies Certificate, or a high-demand industry-recognized credential from a comprehensive community college concurrent with a high school diploma. The agreement must specify the credit available for dual enrollment and concurrent enrollment courses, among others.
- Virginia HB1079 - This bill establishes the Early College Model Program where any public institution of higher education may establish a college partnership laboratory school in which each enrolled high school student earns, at no cost to the student, an associate degree or a bachelor's degree concurrently with a high school diploma.
- West Virginia HB4833 - This bill would require any student in 11th or 12th grade, who has been placed in a "free/elective/assistant" period, be informed of online college course opportunities available for them.
Note: Alaska, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia, and West Virginia are now in session.
Regulatory Updates
There are no major regulatory updates to report this week.
