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Early Postsecondary Credit Opportunities

Statewide Dual Credit Pilot 2013-14
Advanced Algebra/Trigonometry - College Algebra

We are inviting schools to take part in a statewide dual credit pilot program for the 2013-14 school year. The program will allow students enrolled in Advanced Algebra/Trigonometry (course code 3124) to earn College Algebra (MATH 1130) credits, which will be accepted by and transferable to any public postsecondary institution in Tennessee.

To earn this credit, students must pass a TDOE-approved statewide dual credit challenge exam that aligns Advanced Algebra/Trigonometry (AAT) with College Algebra.The dual credit challenge exam fee will be waived for the 2013-14 pilot, though we do expect a nominal challenge exam administration fee for students participating in dual credit college algebra in future years.

This statewide challenge exam has been developed by secondary and postsecondary math faculty from various LEAs, colleges, and universities across the state. Statewide dual credit courses do not change the AAT standards approved by the Tennessee State Board of Education.

This program provides students with an affordable postsecondary learning experience and the opportunity to earn credits toward a postsecondary degree. If there is a school in your district that might be interested in participating in this pilot, please have the school principal complete the 2013-14 Dual Credit College Algebra Pilot Form by April 10, 2013*.

Once TDOE has gathered a list of potential schools, we will implement the pilot in a random selection of these schools as dictated by our resource constraints. Schools not selected for the pilot this year will be able to participate in this early postsecondary opportunity after course approval by the state board.

Please direct all questions to Dr. Cathy Day and Melissa Canney in the Office of Postsecondary Coordination and Alignment at Early.Postsecondary@tn.gov.

* If you have trouble accessing the online version of the 2013-14 Dual Credit College Algebra Pilot Form, you can download the 2013-14 Dual Credit College Algebra Pilot Form as a Word document. Please fill in the blank form fields and email the completed form to Early.Postsecondary@tn.gov by April 10, 2013.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a statewide dual credit course?

  • A statewide dual credit course is an existing high school course which is aligned with a TDOE-approved statewide dual credit challenge examination and supplemental resources developed by postsecondary faculty. Students who pass these challenge examinations will earn college credits accepted by all Tennessee public postsecondary institutions. Several statewide dual credit courses are currently under development.
  • Statewide dual credit courses do not alter or replace existing local dual credit agreements between LEAs and postsecondary institutions. However, these local agreements are not automatically transferable to other postsecondary institutions (unless agreed upon by all parties).
  • For this pilot, students enrolled in Advanced Algebra/Trigonometry will take an online assessment (statewide dual credit challenge exam) testing their knowledge of course content. Students who pass this challenge exam will be considered proficient in College Algebra, and will be awarded College Algebra credits upon matriculation at any public postsecondary institution.

What are the benefits of participating?

  • If your school is selected to implement the pilot course, students enrolled in Advanced Algebra/Trigonometry in 2013-14 will have the opportunity to earn transferable College Algebra credits before graduating high school by taking an online assessment.
  • College Algebra is included in several Tennessee Transfer Pathways, and it meets the general education math requirement for many degree programs.
  • Advanced Algebra/Trigonometry teachers will receive professional development and supplemental materials which will help them align the Advanced Algebra/Trigonometry standards to the postsecondary learning objectives measured by the statewide dual credit challenge exam (online assessment).
  • Your school’s participation will contribute to a more effective statewide dual credit program and will help to expand early postsecondary opportunities for your students and for students across Tennessee.

What is required in order to participate?

  • Any participating school must offer AAT during the 2013-14 school year.
  • At least one Advanced Algebra/Trigonometry teacher from each pilot school must attend two days of professional development (dates listed below).Any participating school must agree to administer the statewide dual credit College Algebra challenge exam to all Advanced Algebra/Trigonometry students at the end of the course, using an online assessment provided by the state.
  • During the 2013-14 pilot year, we will offer the dual credit College Algebra pilot challenge exam to participating students at no charge.
    • While we hope to continue offering the dual credit challenge examinations at no charge indefinitely, the dual credit assessment platform and data system are still under development. Dual credit students may incur a nominal testing fee associated with test scoring in future years. We continue to investigate the possibility of fee reductions or waivers for students who qualify for Free and Reduced Lunch. More information about dual credit challenge examination fees will be released as it is available.

What should you know about the teacher professional development?

  • Teachers must attend one of the two-day professional development sessions listed below:
    -   July 12-13, 2013: Knoxville and Jackson              -   Sept. 6-7, 2013: Knoxville and Jackson
    -   July 19-20, 2013: Murfreesboro                           -   Sept. 13-14, 2013: Nashville
  • The Tennessee Department of Education will cover all travel and substitute teacher expenses to allow one teacher from your school to attend the training days. Additional teachers are welcome to attend at your expense.

About the Office of Postsecondary Coordination and Alignment

 

  • The Division of Career and Technical Education established the Office of Postsecondary Coordination and Alignment (OPCA), which is designed to expand and promote early postsecondary credit opportunities for high school students through dual credit, dual enrollment, Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, CLEP, and other relevant course offerings and initiatives in academic and CTE content areas. This office is also responsible for collecting and disseminating information related to postsecondary opportunities to students, parents, and educators.

 

  • OPCA is responsible for collaborating with secondary, postsecondary, and industry partners to implement the vision, policies, and recommendations established by Public Chapter 967 (P.C. 967).

 

  • Effective July 1, 2012, P.C. 967 established the Consortium of Cooperative Innovative Education, which is charged with increasing and expanding opportunities for high school students. This legislation specifically calls for the development and pilot implementation of dual credit assessments that are recognized and accepted for credit by postsecondary institutions statewide.

 

  • The 2013-14 statewide dual credit pilot will include:
    • College Algebra/Advanced Algebra/Trigonometry
    • Introduction to Agribusiness/Agriculture Business/Finance
    • Introduction to Agriculture Leadership/Leadership & Communications
    • Introduction to Ornamental Horticulture/Greenhouse Management

  • Six additional statewide dual credit assessments are under development for pilot during the 2014-15 academic year. These courses are:
    • Art History
    • Health Informatics
    • Introduction to Criminal Justice
    • Introduction to Sociology
    • Pre-Calculus
    • World History

     

  • The Office of Postsecondary Coordination and Alignment is currently working with the Tennessee Technology Centers to establish statewide articulation agreements based on industry certifications. We also will work to develop dual credit assessments for programs that do not have interim or stackable certifications.

 

  • The Office of Postsecondary Coordination and Alignment is collaborating with the Tennessee Higher Education Commission to provide www.CollegforTN.org, a website that allows students, parents, and educators to access comprehensive information, resources, and tools related to high school and postsecondary preparation, early postsecondary opportunities, and career planning.

 

For questions regarding early postsecondary credit opportunties, contact Cathy Day and Melissa Canney at Early.Postsecondary@tn.gov. 

A special note for parents and students: A wide variety of courses meeting dual credit, dual enrollment, AP, IB, CLEP, or articulation agreements are available through Tennessee secondary and postsecondary schools. Check with your high school to determine eligibility for courses, availability of courses, course or credit requirements, and cost, if any.

The followings definitions were approved by the P – 16 Council of Tennessee on June 2008:

Dual Credit is a high school course aligned to a postsecondary course that is taught at the high school by high school faculty for high school credit. Students are able to receive postsecondary credit by successfully completing the course, plus passing an assessment developed and/or recognized by the granting postsecondary institution.

  • Local dual credit agreements occur between one postsecondary institution and one or more LEAs. These credits are only accepted by the postsecondary institution(s) involved in that partnership, and typically are not recognized by other institutions.
  • Statewide dual credit courses are existing high school courses aligned with a TDOE-approved statewide dual credit challenge examination and supplemental resources developed by postsecondary faculty. Students who pass these challenge examinations will earn college credits accepted by all Tennessee public postsecondary institutions.

Dual Enrollment is a postsecondary course, taught either at the postsecondary institution or at the high school, by the postsecondary faculty (may be credentialed adjunct faculty), which, upon successful completion of the course, allows students to earn postsecondary and secondary credit simultaneously. The student must meet dual enrollment eligibility under the Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR) and University of Tennessee (UT) policies.