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New law expands student access to high school dual-credit courses in Illinois

Bill sponsored by state Sen. Sue Rezin passes both chambers with no opposition

By Shaw Local News Network
Dual Credit Spanish teacher Lana Bachta looks up at her projection screen as she teaches a hybrid classroom with some students attending in-person and some over video conference during the first day back at school since October for hybrid learning, which incorporates two full days of in-person learning per week, at Cary-Grove High School on Tuesday, Jan. 19, 2021 in Cary.

Spanish teacher Lana Bachta teaches a dual-credit high school and college course at Cary-Grove High School on Jan. 19, 2021, in Cary. (Matthew Apgar)

More high school students can receive high school credits from a dual-credit program thanks to legislation recently signed into law.

House Bill 5506, sponsored by Senate Republican Deputy Minority Leader Sue Rezin (R-Morris), amends the state’s Dual Credit Quality Act. Previously, students who did not meet a community college’s eligibility requirements were barred from enrolling in dual-credit courses offered through a partnership agreement between a community college and a school district. The updated act will allow those students to enroll in the course for high school credit but not college credit.

High schools are required to establish procedures to notify students enrolled in dual credit courses if they are eligible for both college and high school credits or limited to high school credit.

“This law will create more opportunities for high school students to gain access to academic courses and credits that were previously unavailable to them,” Rezin said. “Students interested in courses that are part of a dual-credit program will no longer be turned away just because they might not qualify for the college credit for whatever reason, which in turn will hopefully lead to more course offerings.”

The legislation requires school districts and community colleges to make annual assessments of disaggregated data pertaining to the dual-credit enrollment, completion, subsequent post-secondary enrollment and performance. Additionally, institutions shall notify its faculty within 15 days of entering or renewing a partnership agreement.

“While expanding academic opportunities for high school students in Illinois, our state will be able to gather additional data on these dual-credit programs,” Rezin said. “This additional information will help our state ensure that these programs continue to meet our students’ academic needs.”

House Bill 5506 passed both chambers without opposition and was signed into law by Gov. J.B. Pritzker on June 10.