Extending Concurrent Enrollment Statewide

The bill amends the existing 'Concurrent Enrollment Programs Act' to require all school districts, charter schools, and BOCES schools (local education providers) and all public institutions of higher education to provide concurrent enrollment opportunities for qualified students enrolled in high school. A qualified student who seeks to concurrently enroll in one or more postsecondary courses must apply to the school district superintendent or, if the qualified student is enrolled in a charter school or school operated by a board of cooperative services (BOCES school), to the school principal, specifying the institution of higher education and the postsecondary course or courses in which the qualified student seeks to enroll. The superintendent or principal may deny the qualified student's request to concurrently enroll only on the basis of documented evidence that the qualified student is not behaviorally or academically prepared to enroll in postsecondary courses.

If a superintendent or principal denies a qualified student's request to enroll, the denial must be in writing with the reasons for the denial. The qualified student may appeal the denial to the governing board of the local education provider, and the governing board shall consider the appeal no later than the next regular meeting. If the governing board denies the appeal, the qualified student may appeal the denial to the state board of education, and the state board shall consider the appeal no later than its next regular meeting.

Each local education provider must publicize the availability of concurrent enrollment to students and parents at least twice each school year.

Under existing law, a local education provider may enter into a cooperative agreement with one or more institutions of higher education. In addition to other provisions, the terms of the cooperative agreement must specify the amount of tuition that the local education provider pays to the institution of higher education, which generally does not exceed the local community college tuition rate. Under the bill, cooperative agreements are no longer required, and issues that were previously required to be addressed in cooperative agreements are specified in the bill.

If a qualified student concurrently enrolls, the local education provider that enrolls the qualified student must pay to the enrolling institution of higher education an amount equal to 5% of the local education provider's per pupil revenue for each credit hour in which the qualified student enrolls.

(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)