HB5506 EnrolledLRB102 22403 CMG 31543 b



1 AN ACT concerning education.


2 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,

3represented in the General Assembly:



4 Section 5. The Dual Credit Quality Act is amended by 
5changing Sections 16 and 20 and by adding Section 16.5 as 
6follows:

7 (110 ILCS 27/16)
8 Sec. 16. High school and community college partnership 
9agreements; dual credit. A community college district shall, 
10upon the request of a school district within the jurisdiction 
11of the community college district, enter into a partnership 
12agreement with the school district to offer dual credit 
13coursework.
14 A school district may offer any course identified in the 
15Illinois Articulation Initiative General Education Core 
16Curriculum package under the Illinois Articulation Initiative 
17Act as a dual credit course on the campus of a high school of 
18the school district and may use a high school instructor who 
19has met the academic credential requirements under this Act to 
20teach the dual credit course.
21 The partnership agreement shall include all of the 
22following:
23  (1) The establishment of the school district's and the 
 
 
HB5506 Enrolled- 2 -LRB102 22403 CMG 31543 b


1 community college district's respective roles and 
2 responsibilities in providing the program and ensuring the 
3 quality and instructional rigor of the program. This must 
4 include an assurance that the community college district 
5 has appropriate academic control of the curriculum, 
6 consistent with any State or federal law and as required 
7 or negotiated with the Higher Learning Commission or other 
8 applicable accrediting agency.
9  (2) The dual credit courses that the school district 
10 will offer its students and whether those courses will be 
11 offered on the high school or community college campus or 
12 through an online platform established by the Illinois 
13 Community College Board.
14  (3) The establishment of academic criteria for 
15 granting eligibility for high school students to enroll in 
16 dual credit coursework. The academic criteria shall be 
17 evidence-based and shall include multiple appropriate 
18 measures to determine whether a student is prepared for 
19 any dual credit coursework in which the student enrolls.
20  (4) The establishment of any limitations that the 
21 school district or community college district may put on 
22 course offerings due to availability of instructors, the 
23 availability of students for specific course offerings, or 
24 local board policy.
25  (5) The requirement that the dual credit instructor 
26 meet the academic credential requirements to teach a dual 
 
 
HB5506 Enrolled- 3 -LRB102 22403 CMG 31543 b


1 credit course, consistent with paragraphs (1), (2), and 
2 (3) of Section 20 of this Act, but shall not be required to 
3 exceed those credentials.
4  (6) The collaborative process and criteria by which 
5 the school district shall identify and recommend and the 
6 community college district shall review and approve high 
7 school instructors of dual credit courses taught on the 
8 campus of a high school. This provision shall require that 
9 the school district be responsible for hiring and 
10 compensating the instructor.
11  (7) The requirement that a community college district 
12 take the appropriate steps to ensure that dual credit 
13 courses are equivalent to those courses offered at the 
14 community college in quality and rigor to qualify for 
15 college credit. The dual credit programs shall encompass 
16 the following characteristics:
17   (A) Student learning outcomes expected for dual 
18 credit courses in General Education Core Curriculum 
19 courses and the professional and career and technical 
20 disciplines shall be the same as the student learning 
21 outcomes expected for the same courses taught on the 
22 postsecondary campus.
23   (B) Course content, course delivery, and course 
24 rigor shall be evaluated by the community college 
25 chief academic officer or his or her designee, in 
26 consultation with the school district's superintendent 
 
 
HB5506 Enrolled- 4 -LRB102 22403 CMG 31543 b


1 or his or her designee. The evaluation shall be 
2 conducted in a manner that is consistent with the 
3 community college district's review and evaluation 
4 policy and procedures for on-campus adjunct faculty, 
5 including visits to the secondary class. This 
6 evaluation shall be limited to the course and the 
7 ability of the instructor to deliver quality, rigorous 
8 college credit coursework. This evaluation shall not 
9 impact the instructor's performance evaluation under 
10 Article 24A of the School Code.
11   (C) The academic supports and, if applicable, 
12 guidance that will be provided to students 
13 participating in the program by the high school and 
14 the community college district.
15  (8) Identify all fees and costs to be assessed by the 
16 community college district for dual credit courses. This 
17 provision shall require that any fees and costs assessed 
18 for dual credit courses shall be reasonable and promote 
19 student access to those courses, and may take into account 
20 regional considerations and differences.
21  (8.5) The collaborative process and criteria by which 
22 a school district and a community college district shall 
23 work to ensure that individual students with disabilities 
24 have access to dual credit courses, provided that those 
25 students are able to meet the criteria for entry into a 
26 dual credit course. Through this process and criteria, the 
 
 
HB5506 Enrolled- 5 -LRB102 22403 CMG 31543 b


1 student shall have access to the supplementary aids and 
2 accommodations included in the student's individualized 
3 education program under Article 14 of the School Code or 
4 Section 504 plan under the federal Rehabilitation Act of 
5 1973 while the student is accessing a dual credit course 
6 on a high school campus, in accordance with established 
7 practices at the high school for providing these services. 
8 A student who accesses a dual credit course on a community 
9 college campus shall have access to supplementary aids and 
10 accommodations provided in the partnership agreement, 
11 including access to the community college's disability 
12 services. A school district and community college district 
13 shall work together to provide seamless communication 
14 about the student's progress. 
15  (9) The community college district shall establish a 
16 mechanism for evaluating and documenting on a regular 
17 basis the performance of students who complete dual credit 
18 courses, consistent with paragraph (9) of Section 20 and 
19 Section 30 of this Act, and for sharing that data in a 
20 meaningful and timely manner with the school district. 
21 This evaluation shall be limited to the course and the 
22 coursework. This evaluation shall not impact the 
23 instructor's performance evaluation under Article 24A of 
24 the School Code.
25  (10) The expectations for maintaining the rigor of 
26 dual credit courses that are taught at the high school and 
 
 
HB5506 Enrolled- 6 -LRB102 22403 CMG 31543 b


1 including students not deemed ready for college-level 
2 coursework according to the standards of the community 
3 college. 
4  (11) A requirement that the school district and 
5 community college annually assess disaggregated data 
6 pertaining to dual credit course enrollments, completions, 
7 and subsequent postsecondary enrollment and performance to 
8 the extent feasible. If applicable, this assessment shall 
9 include an analysis of dual credit courses with credit 
10 sections for dual credit and for high school credit only 
11 pursuant to subsection (a) of Section 16.5 that reviews 
12 student characteristics by credit section in relation to 
13 gender, race and ethnicity, and low-income status. 
14 If, within 180 calendar days of the school district's 
15initial request to enter into a partnership agreement with the 
16community college district, the school district and the 
17community college district do not reach agreement on the 
18partnership agreement, then the school district and community 
19college district shall jointly implement the provisions of the 
20Model Partnership Agreement established under Section 19 of 
21this Act for which local agreement could not be reached. A 
22community college district may combine its negotiations with 
23multiple school districts to establish one multi-district 
24partnership agreement or may negotiate individual partnership 
25agreements at its discretion.

26(Source: P.A. 102-516, eff. 8-20-21.)

 
 
HB5506 Enrolled- 7 -LRB102 22403 CMG 31543 b


1 (110 ILCS 27/16.5 new)
2 Sec. 16.5. High school and community college partnership 
3agreements; student enrollment eligibility.
4 (a) A partnership agreement under Section 16 that is 
5entered into, amended, renewed, or extended after the 
6effective date of this amendatory Act of the 102nd General 
7Assembly shall allow a high school student who does not 
8otherwise meet the community college district's academic 
9eligibility requirements to enroll in a dual credit course 
10taught at the high school, but only for high school credit. 
11Instructors, in coordination with their higher learning 
12partner, may differentiate instruction by credit section. 
13 (b) Nothing in this Section shall be construed to allow 
14the award of dual credit to a student who does not meet the 
15requirements of the partnership agreement. 
16 (c) High schools shall establish procedures, prior to the 
17first day of class, to notify all individual high school 
18students enrolled in a mixed enrollment dual credit course 
19that includes students who have and have not met the criteria 
20for dual credit coursework of whether or not they are eligible 
21to earn college credit for the course. 

22 (110 ILCS 27/20)
23 Sec. 20. Standards. All institutions offering dual credit 
24courses shall meet the following standards:
 
 
HB5506 Enrolled- 8 -LRB102 22403 CMG 31543 b


1  (1) High school instructors teaching credit-bearing 
2 college-level courses for dual credit must meet any of the 
3 academic credential requirements set forth in this 
4 paragraph or paragraph (2) or (3) of this Section and need 
5 not meet higher certification requirements or those set 
6 out in Article 21B of the School Code:
7   (A) Approved instructors of dual credit courses 
8 shall meet any of the faculty credential standards 
9 allowed by the Higher Learning Commission to determine 
10 minimally qualified faculty. At the request of an 
11 instructor, an instructor who meets these credential 
12 standards shall be provided by the State Board of 
13 Education with a Dual Credit Endorsement, to be placed 
14 on the professional educator license, as established 
15 by the State Board of Education and as authorized 
16 under Article 21B of the School Code and promulgated 
17 through administrative rule in cooperation with the 
18 Illinois Community College Board and the Board of 
19 Higher Education.
20   (B) An instructor who does not meet the faculty 
21 credential standards allowed by the Higher Learning 
22 Commission to determine minimally qualified faculty 
23 may teach dual credit courses if the instructor has a 
24 professional development plan, approved by the 
25 institution and shared with the State Board of 
26 Education no later than January 1, 2025 , within 4 
 
 
HB5506 Enrolled- 9 -LRB102 22403 CMG 31543 b


1 years of January 1, 2019 (the effective date of Public 
2 Act 100-1049), to raise his or her credentials to be in 
3 line with the credentials under subparagraph (A) of 
4 this paragraph (1). The institution shall have 30 days 
5 to review the plan and approve an instructor 
6 professional development plan that is in line with the 
7 credentials set forth in paragraph (2) of this 
8 Section. The institution shall not unreasonably 
9 withhold approval of a professional development plan. 
10 These approvals shall be good for as long as 
11 satisfactory progress toward the completion of the 
12 credential is demonstrated, but in no event shall a 
13 professional development plan be in effect for more 
14 than 3 years from the date of its approval or after 
15 January 1, 2028, whichever is sooner. A high school 
16 instructor whose professional development plan is not 
17 approved by the institution may appeal to the Illinois 
18 Community College Board or the Board of Higher 
19 Education, as appropriate.
20   (C) The Illinois Community College Board and Board 
21 of Higher Education shall report yearly on its 
22 Internet website the following: 
23    (i) the number of teachers presently enrolled 
24 in an who have approved professional development 
25 plan plans under this Section; .
26    (ii) the number of instructors who 
 
 
HB5506 Enrolled- 10 -LRB102 22403 CMG 31543 b


1 successfully completed an approved professional 
2 development plan;
3    (iii) the number of instructors who did not 
4 successfully complete an approved professional 
5 development plan after 3 years;
6    (iv) a breakdown of the information in 
7 subdivisions (i), (ii), and (iii) of this 
8 subparagraph (C) by subject area; and
9    (v) a summary, by community college district, 
10 of professional development plans that are in 
11 progress, that were successfully completed, or 
12 that have expired. 
13  (2) For a high school instructor entering into a 
14 professional development plan prior to January 1, 2023, 
15 the A high school instructor shall qualify for a 
16 professional development plan if the instructor:
17   (A) has a master's degree in any discipline and 
18 has earned 9 graduate hours in a discipline in which he 
19 or she is currently teaching or expects to teach; or
20   (B) has a bachelor's degree with a minimum of 18 
21 graduate hours in a discipline that he or she is 
22 currently teaching or expects to teach and is enrolled 
23 in a discipline-specific master's degree program; and
24   (C) agrees to demonstrate his or her progress 
25 toward completion to the supervising institution, as 
26 outlined in the professional development plan.
 
 
HB5506 Enrolled- 11 -LRB102 22403 CMG 31543 b


1  (2.5) For a high school instructor entering into a 
2 professional development plan on or after January 1, 2023, 
3 the high school instructor shall qualify for a 
4 professional development plan if the instructor: 
5   (A) has a master's degree in any discipline, has 
6 earned 9 graduate hours in a discipline in which he or 
7 she currently teaches or expects to teach, and agrees 
8 to demonstrate his or her progress toward completion 
9 to the supervising institution, as outlined in the 
10 professional development plan; or 
11   (B) is a fully licensed instructor in career and 
12 technical education who is halfway toward meeting the 
13 institution's requirements for faculty in the 
14 discipline to be taught and agrees to demonstrate his 
15 or her progress toward completion to the supervising 
16 institution, as outlined in the professional 
17 development plan. 
18  (3) An instructor in career and technical education 
19 courses must possess the credentials and demonstrated 
20 teaching competencies appropriate to the field of 
21 instruction.
22  (4) Course content must be equivalent to 
23 credit-bearing college-level courses offered at the 
24 community college.
25  (5) Learning outcomes must be the same as 
26 credit-bearing college-level courses and be appropriately 
 
 
HB5506 Enrolled- 12 -LRB102 22403 CMG 31543 b


1 measured.
2  (6) A high school instructor is expected to 
3 participate in any orientation developed by the 
4 institution for dual credit instructors in course 
5 curriculum, assessment methods, and administrative 
6 requirements.
7  (7) Dual credit instructors must be given the 
8 opportunity to participate in all activities available to 
9 other adjunct faculty, including professional development, 
10 seminars, site visits, and internal communication, 
11 provided that such opportunities do not interfere with an 
12 instructor's regular teaching duties.
13  (8) Every dual credit course must be reviewed annually 
14 by faculty through the appropriate department to ensure 
15 consistency with campus courses.

16  (9) Dual credit students must be assessed using 
17 methods consistent with students in traditional 
18 credit-bearing college courses.


19  (10) Within 15 days after entering into or renewing a 
20 partnership agreement, the institution shall notify its 
21 faculty of the agreement, including access to copies of 
22 the agreement if requested. 
23(Source: P.A. 102-558, eff. 8-20-21.)