2010 Tennessee Code
Title 49 - Education
Chapter 15 - Cooperative Innovative High School Programs
49-15-109 - Articulation agreement.

49-15-109. Articulation agreement.

(a)  To facilitate the creation of cooperative innovative high school programs and to provide a seamless transition process from secondary to postsecondary education, the consortium shall oversee the development of a high school to community college and technology center articulation agreement that will build on the existing technical preparation pathway and that will govern the articulation of courses between the public high schools of this state and the community colleges and technology centers. The consortium may undertake curriculum alignment and articulation itself or by appointment of a curriculum alignment committee or committees. If a committee is appointed, it shall be composed of experienced secondary and postsecondary educators and curriculum specialists. In aligning curriculum, not only shall course descriptions and contents be examined to determine if the requirements of a high school course or courses significantly match the requirements of a postsecondary course or courses, but also any applicable industry regulations and licensing requirements shall be considered. Validation requirements for postsecondary credit through a dual credit course shall be determined by the postsecondary institutions and their respective governing boards. Students participating in cooperative innovative programs shall be made aware of the validation requirements for receiving postsecondary credit for a dual credit course prior to enrolling in the course.

(b)  The state board of education, the department of education, the Tennessee higher education commission, the Tennessee board of regents system and the University of Tennessee system shall assist in the curriculum alignment process and particularly with expansion of articulation agreements to public universities, as appropriate.

(c)  The high school to community college and technology center articulation agreement shall be completed as expeditiously as possible, but no later than the 2009-2010 school year. An LEA and a public postsecondary institution may establish a cooperative innovative high school program offering dual credit courses before completion of the statewide articulation agreement through an agreement between the LEA and the postsecondary institution that is approved by the state board of education and the governing board of the public postsecondary institution. The consortium shall annually evaluate the articulation agreement and report as to the state of its development or subsequent revisions to the education committees of the senate and house of representatives in the report due by February 15.

(d)  The department of education, the University of Tennessee system and the Tennessee board of regents shall monitor the number of articulated students, their progression rate in courses included in the agreement and their progress toward graduation, employment or transfer to postsecondary institutions and timely report the data to the consortium each year for inclusion in the report to the education committees of the senate and the house of representatives due by February 15.

(e)  Assistance from private postsecondary institutions may be requested and private postsecondary institutions are encouraged to provide voluntary assistance, when requested, in order that the articulation agreement may also align courses between the public high schools and private postsecondary institutions whenever possible. Each private postsecondary institution located in this state is encouraged to assess the articulation agreement produced by the consortium and determine which courses, if any, qualify for award of college credit at the private postsecondary institution. If a private institution determines that a course qualifies for award of college credit at the private postsecondary institution, the institution, in addition to any institutional publication made of this fact, may notify the department of education of the potential for award of college credit for the course at the institution in order that the department may disseminate the information to LEAs for notification of high school students.

[Acts 2007, ch. 459, § 1.]