Weimar High School
AGREEMENT FOR THE BLINN COLLEGE DISTRICT DUAL CREDIT PROGRAM
This Agreement for the Blinn College District Dual Credit Program (Agreement) is by and between BLINN COLLEGE DISTRICT, a public community college established under Chapter 130 of the Texas Education Code and a political subdivision of the State of Texas, (College), and: Weimar High School, a Texas Public independent school district and political subdivision of the State of Texas, (District) with an effective date of June 1, 2024 (Effective Date). Individually, the College and the District are referred to herein as Party and collectively as Parties.
Recitals
WHEREAS, Texas Education Code (TEC) §§ 28.009, 29.182, 29.184, and 130.008; and 19 Texas Administrative Code (TAC) Chapter 4, Subchapter D and Chapter 9, Subchapter H authorize an institution of higher education to contract with a public school district for the provision of instruction resulting in dual credit received by a student for such course; and
WHEREAS, the College and the District desire to establish a dual credit program (Dual Credit Program) to be operated as part of the District’s Weimar High School (School).
NOW THEREFORE, for the mutual promises and covenants contained herein and other good and valuable consideration, the Parties agree as follows:
SECTION 1. GENERAL CRITERIA
A. Blinn College District (College)
- The College will designate a leadership team to be in charge of the management and supervision of the Dual Credit Program.
- The College service area includes the following thirteen counties: Austin, Brazos, Burleson, Fayette, Grimes, Lee, Madison, Waller and Washington Counties and parts of Milam, Montgomery, Robertson and Walker Counties.
- The College will ensure that dual credit courses follow the same quality, sequencing, content, and rigor, as those courses taught to the institution’s other students. [Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) standard].
- In accordance with Applicable Law (as hereinafter defined), the College will offer dual credit courses listed in the current edition of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board’s (THECB) Lower Division Academic Course Guide Manual (ACGM) and Workforce Education Course Manual (WECM). Courses offered in each semester shall be determined by the College and agreed upon by the District/School. Courses provided by the College under this Agreement shall be consistent with the educational purpose, mission, and goals of the College and shall be under direct control of the College. Developmental courses are not available to dual credit students. Kinesiology courses that count towards the high school graduation physical education requirement will not be offered to dual credit students.
- Dual credit courses may be offered during any semester in a location and classroom mutually agreed upon by the School and College. The College will seek every opportunity to use the available technology as appropriate to support dual credit sites.
- The District is responsible for ensuring that dual credit courses meet the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) requirements. A course equivalency crosswalk will be used to equate high school courses with college courses. Such crosswalk identifies the number of credits that may be earned for each course completed through the Dual Credit Program. It will also provide an alignment of endorsements offered by the District and its corresponding dual credit course. As per SB 1276 from 2019, endorsements offered by the District, and dual credit courses offered under the agreement that apply towards those endorsements shall be aligned with postsecondary pathways and credentials at the institution and industry certifications. Information on postsecondary pathways and industry certifications are available on the College website under Degree Programs. The TEA graduation Toolkit offers information on graduation, college and career resources among others, and can be used as a reference by counselors, students, and families. See Appendix F, Dual Credit Course Crosswalk.
- All College prerequisites must be met and all College course sequencing shall be followed.
- A participating student’s satisfactory academic performance in a course provided under the Dual Credit Program shall be determined in accordance with College Board Policy EGA(LOCAL), which is attached in Appendix A.
- The College reserves the right to set a minimum number of students for enrollment in each course. If this minimum is not met, the College reserves the right to cancel the course.
- The College strongly encourages dual credit students taking classes online to have an in-school time scheduled to work with a high school proctor.
B. The School
- The School is responsible for providing a learning atmosphere and classroom facilities comparable to the ones offered on the College campus, regardless of modality of instruction.
- The School will provide instructional technology and other auxiliary equipment typically used in support of classroom instruction.
- The School will provide facilities, personnel, and equipment to meet the particular requirements for the online/internet, Interactive Video Conference (IVC). Appendix B describes video class regulations.
- The School will assign professional-level personnel, as applicable and as agreed upon between the Parties, who will be responsible for identifying, advising, and verifying prospective students’ eligibility to participate in the Dual Credit Program in accordance with Applicable Law.
- The School will assign trained professional-level personnel, as applicable and as agreed upon between the Parties, to assist with College registration functions, including but not limited to, completing and collecting appropriate admissions forms, and collecting student documentation.
- The School/District will initiate the process for course accommodations due to a disability by providing students with documentation outlining required accommodations and services under an Individual Education Plan (IEP). It is the student’s responsibility to provide the IEP documentation from the School/District to the Office of Disability Services (ODS) at the College. Upon receipt of the School/District IEP documentation from the student, the College’s ODS will provide a verification form listing the required classroom accommodations to the student. The student is responsible for presenting the verification form from the College’s ODS to the instructor and making the necessary arrangements for accommodations with the instructor. Please note that instructors are not allowed to provide classroom accommodation to a student until appropriate verification from the College’s ODS has been provided, therefore, it is critical to complete this process as soon as possible to ensure the student receives accommodations.
- Whereas the College will follow existing Board of Trustees policies with regard to assigning a grade for College credit in the dual credit courses, if the College grading scale differs from the District’s grading scale, the District/School will provide participating students with a comparative document displaying both the College grading scale and the District’s grading scale. See Appendix A.
- Although a student may pass a College class with a grade of D, the District/School will be responsible for communicating to students and parents that under 19 TAC § 74.26(c), credit for courses for high school graduation may be earned only if the student received a grade which is the equivalent of 70 on a scale of 100. College personnel will not be expected to communicate with parents. See Appendix A.
- Dual credit students are not affected by the provisions of TEC §51.907. Therefore, dual credit students with Q drops will be recorded as a W and will not be penalized as one of the allowed six-state-drops.
C. Applicable Law
- The Parties agree to operate the Dual Credit Program and perform their obligations under this Agreement in compliance with the applicable federal, State, and local laws, implementing regulations, executive orders, interpreting authorities, and administrative rules and requirements, including, but not limited to:
- Title VI of Civil Rights Act of 1964; Title VII of the Civil Rights Act; Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1974; Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973; the Age Discrimination Act of 1975; the Americans with Disabilities Act;
- the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA); Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965; and Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act;
- the Texas constitution;
- applicable provisions of the Texas Education Code;
- State and federal laws regarding the reporting of any and all alleged child abuse, school-related crimes, and sexual molestation of students;
- State record retention laws;
- applicable provisions of Title 19 of the Texas Administrative Code, including, without limitation, Chapter 4, Subchapters D and Chapter 9, Subchapter H;
- TEA guidelines and requirements, including, the Student Attendance Accounting Handbook and the Financial Accountability System Resource Guide;
- THECB guidelines and requirements;
- and the rules, regulations, and requirements imposed by accrediting agencies applicable to either Party, including the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.
- The Parties agree:
- To certify that their sites are Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant;
- To comply with all applicable provisions of the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act, 20 U.S.C. §1232g;
- In all cases, to comply with all federal, state, and local laws applicable to this MOU; and
- To have in place and abide by policy prohibiting discrimination, including harassment, based on sex, race, color, national origin, religion, age, disability, or any other basis prohibited by law.
BLINN COLLEGE DISTRICT NOTICE OF NONDISCRIMINATION
Blinn College District does not discriminate on the basis of sex and prohibits sex discrimination in any education program or activity that it operates, as required by Title IX and its regulations, including in admission and employment.
Inquiries about Title IX may be referred to the College’s Title IX Coordinator, the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights, or both. The College’s Title IX Coordinator is:
Dr. Adrienne McCain, Title IX Coordinator902 College Avenue
Brenham, Texas 77833
Administration Building Room 219
adrienne.mccain@blinn.edu
979-830-4216
Blinn College District’s nondiscrimination policy and grievance procedures can be located at www.blinn.edu/title-ix/index.html. To report information about conduct that may constitute sex discrimination or make a complaint of sex discrimination under Title IX, please refer to https://www.blinn.edu/title-ix/reporting-information.html.
The College will investigate all Title IX complaints or concerns that arise in dual credit courses. The College and the District will work collaboratively and timely to share all information necessary in the event of an investigation of a personnel matter. Ownership of the Title IX investigation will depend on the location in which the incident occurred.
BLINN COLLEGE DISTRICT STATEMENT OF NONDISCRIMINATION
The College prohibits discrimination, including harassment, against any employee on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, age, disability, or any other basis prohibited by law. Retaliation against anyone involved in the complaint process is a violation of College District policy. For more information, please see College Board Policy DIAB.
BLINN COLLEGE DISTRICT STATEMENT ON PARENTING SERVICES
Any student who, because of their pregnancy or parenting status, may require special arrangements in order to meet the course requirements should contact the Parenting Services Office. Please note that the instructor is not allowed to provide classroom accommodations to a student until verification from the Parenting Services Office has been provided. For additional information, please contact the Parenting Services Office.
APPENDIX B: Dual Credit Approval Form
2024-25 Dual Credit/Early Admission Course Approval Form
- Student Name:
- __________________
- Blinn ID:
- __________________
- Grade:
- __________________
- School:
- __________________
- Class of:
- __________________
Understanding that if I am admitted under this program, I will be subject to the rules and regulations of the Blinn College District as outlined in the College Catalog. I may also encounter adult material in classroom or laboratory discussions and in various resource centers. I also understand that Blinn College may release my record to include my transcript and/or academic record to the parent and the high school district. I further understand that I am not eligible for financial aid unless awarded regular admission status upon high school graduation.
I understand that once I am registered in a college course I am under the rules of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), and my parent/legal guardian may not have access to my student’s records without my written permission on the FERPA release form.
To be completed by Parent or Guardian
I agree to these provisions of admission and enrollment, understand the student may be exposed to adult material in the classroom and open laboratories, including libraries, learning centers and computer labs. I understand that once the student is registered in a college course he/she is under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), and I may not have access to my student’s records without his/her written permission on the FERPA release form.
- Parent/Guardian Signature
- __________________
- Date
- __________________
- Parent Name
- __________________
- Parent Telephone
- __________________
Please complete the course request below.
| Course Name | Semester | CRN | Day/Time |
|---|
For academic dual credit, I certify the student has attained an 80 or better average on all schoolwork attempted. For technical dual credit, I certify the student has attained a 70 or better average on all schoolwork attempted.
- Signature of High School Principal or Designee
- __________________
- Date
- __________________
- Signature of College Designee
- __________________
- Date
- __________________
APPENDIX D: Dual Credit Course Crosswalk
*High School course is subject to change. Alignment of high school course is determined and approved by the High School.
** Each school district determines which courses they will offer as dual credit.
| Course Number | Blinn College Course Title | High School TEKS Course* | College Credit | Endorsement |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ECON 2301 | Principles of Macro Economics | Economics | 3 | All Areas |
| SPCH 1311 | Introduction to Speech Communication | Public Speaking | 3 | All Areas |
APPENDIX F: Statewide Dual Credit Goals
- Implement purposeful and collaborative outreach efforts: ISDs and IHEs will inform all students and parents of the benefits and costs of dual credit, including enrollment and fee policies.
- Collaboration between ISDs and Blinn College Dual Credit for informational sessions
- Advisors provide information at high school and community events
- High School Counselor Workshops
- Dual credit programs will assist high school students in the successful transition to and acceleration through postsecondary education.
- College tours and new student registration events
- Automatic transition to traditional students after senior year
- All dual credit students will receive academic and college readiness advising.
- Advising and career counseling for all dual credit students
- Access to resources: Learning Center, Writing Center, Disability Services, Counseling, Testing Center, Libraries, Computer Labs
- The quality and rigor of dual credit courses will be sufficient to ensure student success in subsequent courses.
- Data showing student performance in college credit courses
- Dual Credit instruction must follow the same curriculum, materials, grading, and rigor as regular college classes
- College readiness requirements in place for all dual credit participants
EXECUTED BY THE PARTIES as of the Effective Date of ____________________, 2024 by:
- BLINN COLLEGE DISTRICT
Mary Hensley, Ed.D., Chancellor
Date: ______________________ - Name of School: _________________________________
Date: ______________________
Weimar High School
Superintendent
Chase Seelke
8/12/2024