Dual Credit Partnership Agreement

The MPA focuses on three key issues that the Committee for the Success of the Dual Credit Partnership is essential: as noted above, partnership issues for high schools and community schools have influenced their ability to provide large-quality alternative loans on a large scale. In 2018, the Illinois General Assembly passed Public Act 100-10493, which helps address inconsistencies in dual credit opportunities in Illinois. To meet the challenge of partnership, a turnkey provision of the new law requires a municipal school district to enter into a partnership agreement with the borough, at the request of a school district in its area of jurisdiction, to offer alternating credit courses. However, if the school district and community school fail to agree on the terms of the partnership agreement, the school district and community college are not required to violate a Model Partnership Agreement (MPA) adopted by ISBE and ICCB under the Act. In early 2019, ISBE and ICCB appointed and convened the Dual Credit Committee to develop the MPA, with equal representation of school districts and community schools. Our team at the NIU Education Systems Centre (EdSystems) was brought by the agencies to staff and facilitated the work of this committee. What about the adoption of the MPA? scope! At EdSystems, we plan to support state public relations, which will include an MPA guide for the State of Illinois, a website for the provision of additional resources and examples of best practice, as well as webinar and in-person workshops, to work with high school and Community College staff participating in alternating credit courses. Between March and May 2019, our EdSystems team convened seven Committee meetings, developed the meeting materials, designed sections of the MPA for review, and facilitated the Committee`s discussions in order to reach consensus. The Committee noted that the MPA should be more than just a legal default – members sought to create a recommended practice model for municipalities to increase and ensure access to a large, high-quality alternating credit program. Committee members worked together on the needs and concerns of community schools and school districts, while continuing to focus on access and assistance to students. The final version of the MPA was adopted by the committee in June 2019. It was adopted and published by ISBE and ICCB in July 2019, along with a paper on frequently asked questions. The benefits of dual credit are well documented – compared to their colleagues, dual credit students are more likely to earn a high school diploma, enroll in college, maintain higher averages, and get a university degree on time.1, therefore, for Illinois, in order to achieve its broader goals of college readiness and level, our state must ensure an alternating credit performance that guarantees to all students that all students in every corner of Illinois, have access to robust dual credit opportunities.