24 Pa. Stat. § 20-2004-I

Current through Pa Acts 2024-53, 2024-56 through 2024-92

Section 20-2004-I - Dual credit innovation grant program

(a) Establishment.--The Dual Credit Innovation Grant Program is established within the department to award grants to public institutions of higher education that offer dual credit opportunities to high school students enrolled in a school entity.

(b) Use of funding.--Funding provided for the program shall be used for the purpose of increasing the capacity for public institutions of higher education to provide dual credit courses. Money awarded through a grant may be used for the following:

(1) To operate dual credit courses that are tuition free to high school students.

(2) To support public institutions of higher education in seeking external accreditation for their dual credit courses.

(3) To provide student academic supports to aid students enrolled in dual credit courses to be successful in the courses and to successfully transition to postsecondary education upon graduation from high school.

(4) To increase the use of no-cost or low-cost textbooks or course materials used in dual credit courses.

(5) To provide professional development activities for high school teachers to enable them to teach dual credit courses.

(c) Priority.--The department shall give priority in grant funding to public institutions of higher education that expand the current offerings of the public institution of higher education, with a particular emphasis on providing courses aligned with high-priority occupations and serving students experiencing education instability as defined in section 1331.1, students enrolled in career and technical education programs, low-income students, historically underserved student groups and students in rural areas of this Commonwealth.

(d) Additional priority.--If the department does not receive sufficient applications to expend the available funding under this section, the department may award grants for the uses under subsection (b) to State-related institutions and independent institutions of higher education.

(e) Limitation.--Nothing in this section shall be construed to supersede or preempt the rights, remedies and procedures afforded to school employees or labor organizations under Federal or State law, including the act of July 23, 1970 (P.L.563, No.195), known as the Public Employe Relations Act, or any provision of a collective bargaining agreement between a school entity and an exclusive representative of the employees in accordance with that act.

(f) Reporting and accountability.--For the purpose of improving data collection and transparency related to the value of dual credit courses to the success of students as they graduate high school and transition to postsecondary education, the department shall annually collect student-level data from grant recipients and use other existing data resources to inform the following measures and post aggregate, de-identified information related to all of the following on the department's publicly accessible internet website:

(1) The demographics of students enrolled in dual credit courses.

(2) The high school graduation rate of students enrolled in dual credit courses.

(3) The percentage of economically disadvantaged students enrolled in dual credit courses and the percentage of students enrolled in dual credit courses who are economically disadvantaged.

(4) The percentage of dual credit students who enroll in a regionally accredited postsecondary institution the fall after graduation, within one year and within two years after high school graduation.

(5) The number of college credits earned by students enrolled in dual credit courses while in high school.

(6) An estimate of the cost savings to the families of students enrolled in dual credit courses.

(7) The percentage of dual credit students who enroll in an institution of higher education following high school graduation and go on to graduate or transfer to a four-year institution within two, three and four years of high school graduation.

(8) The percentage of dual credit students who enroll in an institution of higher education following high school graduation and go on to graduate in four, five or six years.

(9) The percentage of dual credit students who attend postsecondary institutions located in this Commonwealth following graduation compared to those who attend out-of-state postsecondary institutions.

(g) Definitions.--As used in this section, the following words and phrases shall have the meanings given to them in this subsection unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:

"Department." The Department of Education of the Commonwealth.

"Dual credit." Credit received under an agreement between a school entity and an institution of higher education approved to operate in this Commonwealth in which a student earns both high school and postsecondary credit by taking a single postsecondary course.

"Grant." A grant provided under the program.

"Independent institution of higher education." An institution of higher education operated not for profit, located and incorporated or chartered by the Commonwealth and entitled to confer degrees as provided in 24 Pa.C.S. § 6505 (relating to power to confer degrees) and which applies to itself the designation "college" or "university" as provided for by the standards and qualifications prescribed by the State Board of education under 24 Pa.C.S. Ch. 65 (relating to private colleges, universities and seminaries).

"Institution of higher education." The term includes an independent institution of higher education, public institution of higher education and a State-related institution.

"Program." The Dual Credit Innovation Grant Program established in this section.

"Public institution of higher education." An institution of the State System of Higher Education established under article XX-A, a community college established under article XIX-A, Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology established under article XIX-B, the Pennsylvania College of Technology or the rural regional college established under article XIX-G upon accreditation.

"School entity." A school district, area career and technical school, charter school, cyber charter school or regional charter school.

"State-related institution." The Pennsylvania State University, including the Pennsylvania College of Technology, the University of Pittsburgh, Temple University and Lincoln University and their branch campuses.

24 P.S. § 20-2004-I

Added by P.L. (number not assigned at time of publication) 2024 No. 69,§ 9, eff. 7/17/2024.