Dual Enrollment

The term dual enrollment refers to students being enrolled – concurrently – in two different educational institutions. This means that a student enrolled in high school may be dual enrolled at a local institution of higher learning, in this case a local community college. If students pass their college classes, they receive credit that may be applied toward their high school diploma and toward a college degree or certificate.

Dual enrollment courses are different in that they are taught to the rigor of a college course. Students will be using the same college textbooks and syllabi as they would if they were taking a class at the college. Assignments will be graded using college rubrics and standards. The final grade the student receives in their dual enrollment class will be recorded on their official college transcript.

Advantages of Dual Enrollment:

• Dual Enrollment can decrease the amount of time a student will spend in college completing general education (GE) and/or prerequisite courses.
• In some cases, the student may be able to attain an Associate’s degree at the same time or shortly after their high school graduation.
• Participation in college credit courses may ease the transition from high school to college by giving students a sense of what college academics are like.
• A cost-efficient way for students to accumulate college credits because courses are taken at no cost to the student through the local high school.

Disadvantages:

• If a student fails one of these classes it will negatively affect them on their high school transcripts and college transcripts.
• Too many failed dual enrollment classes and too many “W” withdrawals will jeopardize future college enrollment and possibly financial aid.
• Financial aid has a 90 unit limit and thus dual enrollment courses must be carefully selected with the advice of a high school and college counselor.

No. Currently most classes designated as dual enrollment are offered on the high school campus and if they are on the college campus, a parent/guardian signature will be required for transportation purposes. Most courses will take place during the student’s regular school day/hours.

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is a federal law that affords parents the right to have access to their children’s education records, the right to seek to have the records amended, and the right to have some control over the disclosure of personally identifiable information from the education records. When a student turns 18 years old, or enters a postsecondary institution at any age, the rights under FERPA transfer from the parents to the student (“eligible student”).

For more information, visit the US Department of Education’s Protecting Student Privacy website.

An “eligible student” means a student who has reached the age of 18 or who is attending a postsecondary institution at any age.  Once a student becomes an “eligible student,” the rights afforded his or her parents under FERPA transfer to that student.

However, in a situation where a student is enrolled in both a high school and a postsecondary institution, the two schools may exchange information on that student.  If the student is under 18, the parents still retain the rights under FERPA at the high school and may inspect and review any records sent by the postsecondary institution to the high school.

When can a parent access the postsecondary educational records of their eligible student?

While the rights under FERPA transfer from the parents to the student when the student turns 18 or enrolls in a postsecondary institution at any age, FERPA provides ways in which an institution can share education records on the student with their parents, such as:

• Schools may disclose any and all information to parents, without the consent of the eligible student, if the student is a dependent for tax purposes under the IRS rules. Neither the age of the student, nor the parent’s status as custodial parent, is relevant to determining whether disclosure of information from the education records of eligible students to a parent without written consent is permissible under FERPA. If a student is claimed as a dependent by either parent for tax purposes, then either parent may have access under this provision, absent a court order specifically prohibiting it.
• FERPA also permits a school to disclose information from an eligible student’s education records to parents if a health or safety emergency involves their student.
• Another provision in FERPA permits a college or university to let parents of students under the age of 21 know when the student has violated any law or policy concerning the use of possession of alcohol or a controlled substance.
• School officials may also share information with a parent about an eligible student that is based on that official’s personal knowledge or observation and that is not based on information contained in an education record.

If your site is interested in offering a new college credit course, contact the College and Career Readiness office for information regarding required steps. After approval to offer a course:

1. Complete the SCCCD new hire packet (Email Donna Rojo for the packet)
2. Collect your official transcripts from your undergraduate and graduate degrees
3. Email your completed packet and transcripts to Donna Rojo and Tressa Overstreet
4. You will be contacted after submitting your packet to go over next steps for hiring

Questions? Contact Donna Rojo.

Additional helpful information can be found on the FCC Dual Enrollment Staff Resources website. If you are interested in teaching a Unitrack course, more information is available on the Fresno State Unitrack page.