(a) Authority. These rules are authorized by Texas Education Code, §§28.009(b), 28.0095, 130.001(b)(3) - (4), and 130.008.
(b) Purpose. The purpose of this rule is to encourage and authorize public institutions of higher education to deliver innovatively designed dual credit courses that integrate both college-level content in the core curriculum of the institution alongside college-readiness content and skills instruction. These innovatively designed courses will allow students the maximum flexibility to obtain college credit and provide integrated college readiness skills to students who are on the continuum of college readiness and will benefit from exposure to college-level content.
(c) Student eligibility. An eligible student must be enrolled in a public school district or open-enrollment charter as defined in Texas Education Code, §5.001(6), and meet the requirements of §4.85(b) of this subchapter (relating to Dual Credit Requirements). Notwithstanding §4.85(b), an institution may enroll a high school student who is not exempt or college ready under the requirements of §4.54 or §4.57 of this chapter (relating to Exemptions, Exceptions, and Waivers and College Ready Standards, respectively) in a math or communications College Connect Course offered by the institution.
(d) Course content. The following standards apply to delivery of College Connect Courses offered under this rule:
  (1) An institution may only offer College Connect Courses within the institution's core curriculum in accordance with §4.28 of this chapter (relating to Core Curriculum).
  (2) An institution shall also incorporate supplemental college readiness content to support students who have not yet demonstrated college readiness, as defined in §4.57, within these courses. The supplemental college readiness content shall be related to and integrated with the subject matter of the course. An institution may deliver this supplemental instruction through a method at their discretion, including through embedded course content, supplemental coursework, or other methods.
(e) The Coordinating Board may provide technical assistance to an institution of higher education or school district in developing and providing these courses.
(f) Additional Academic Policies.
  (1) College Connect Courses offered through dual credit must confer both a college-level grade and a secondary-level grade upon a student's successful completion of the course. A grade conferred for the college-level course may be different from the secondary-level grade, to reflect whether a student has appropriately demonstrated college-level knowledge and skills as well as secondary-level knowledge and skills. An institution may determine how a student enrolled in this course may earn college credit, whether through college-level course completion or successful completion of a recognized college-level assessment that the institution would otherwise use to award college credit.
  (2) An institution must enter into an institutional agreement with the secondary school according to §4.84 of this subchapter (relating to Institutional Agreements) to offer College Connect Courses.
  (3) An institution is strongly encouraged to provide the maximum latitude possible for a student to withdraw from the college-level course component beyond the census date, while still giving the student an opportunity to earn credit toward high school graduation requirements, in accordance with §4.85(g) of this subchapter (relating to Dual Credit Requirements).
  (4) Hours earned through this program before the student graduates from high school that are used to satisfy high school graduation requirements do not count against the limitation on formula funding for excess semester credit hours under §13.104 of this title (relating to Exemptions for Excess Hours).
(g) Funding and Tuition. The Coordinating Board shall fund College Connect Courses in accordance with §4.87 of this subchapter (relating to Funding).

Source Note: The provisions of this §4.86 adopted to be effective May 16, 2024, 49 TexReg 3247