(a) Need for Institutional Agreements. For any dual credit partnership between a school district or private school and an institution, an agreement must be approved by the governing boards or designated authorities (e.g., superintendent or chief academic officer) of both the public school district or private secondary school, as applicable, and the institution prior to the offering of such courses. Each institution shall report to the Coordinating Board a list of school districts and private schools with which it has agreements under this section, and the URL where these agreements are posted on the institution's Internet website.
(b) Elements of Institutional Agreements. An Institutional Agreement entered into or renewed between an institution and a school district or private school, including a memorandum of understanding or articulation agreement, shall include the following elements:
  (1) Eligible Courses;
  (2) Student Eligibility;
  (3) Location of Class;
  (4) Student Composition of Class;
  (5) Faculty Selection, Supervision, and Evaluation;
  (6) Course Curriculum, Instruction, and Grading;
  (7) Academic Policies and Student Support Services;
  (8) Transcripting of Credit;
  (9) Funding, including the sources of funding for courses offered under the program, including, at a minimum, the sources of funding for tuition, transportation, and any required fees, instructional materials, or textbooks for students participating in the program, including for students eligible to take dual credit courses at no cost to the student under the FAST program, under Texas Administrative Code, chapter 13, subchapter Q;
  (10) All requirements for joint implementation of the FAST program under Education Code, §28.0095, including ensuring the accurate and timely exchange of information necessary for an eligible student to enroll at no cost in a dual credit course, for eligible public schools and students participating in the FAST program, under Texas Administrative Code, chapter 13, subchapter Q;
  (11) Defined sequences of courses that apply to academic or career and technical education program requirements at the institution or industry-recognized credentials, where applicable;
  (12) Specific program goals aligned with the statewide goals developed under Education Code, §§28.009(b-1), 130A.004, and 130A.101(c)(3);
  (13) Coordinated advising strategies and terminology related to dual credit and college readiness, including strategies to assist students in selecting courses that will satisfy applicable high school and college requirements for the student's intended program;
  (14) Provision for the alignment of endorsements described by Education Code, §28.025(c-1), offered by the school district and dual credit courses offered under the agreement that apply toward those endorsements with postsecondary pathways and credentials at the institution and industry-recognized credentials;
  (15) Identification of tools, including online resources developed by the Texas Education Agency, Coordinating Board, or the Texas Workforce Commission, to assist counselors, students, and families in selecting endorsements offered by the school district and college courses offered by the institution under the agreement;
  (16) A procedure for establishing the course credits that may be earned under the agreement, including developing a course equivalency crosswalk or other method of identifying the number of high school and college credits that may be earned for each course completed through the program;
  (17) A description of the academic supports and, if applicable, other support that will be provided to students participating in the program (e.g., transportation to and from a college campus);
  (18) The respective roles and responsibilities of the institution of higher education and the school district or private school in providing the program and ensuring the quality of instruction and instructional rigor of the program;
  (19) A requirement that the school district and the institution consider the use of free or low-cost open educational resources in courses offered under the program; and
  (20) Designation of at least one employee of the school district or private school, or the institution as responsible for providing academic advising to a student who enrolls in a dual credit course under the program before the student begins the course.
(c) Each Agreement must be posted each year on the institution of higher education's and the school district's respective Internet websites.

Source Note: The provisions of this §4.84 adopted to be effective May 16, 2024, 49 TexReg 3247