Purpose

Statewide articulation is a state-level process that identifies commonly articulated secondary career and technology courses, aligns them with content-equivalent postsecondary courses, sets common standards for the award of college credit for these courses statewide, and provides information to teachers on articulated course methodology and expectations of college Workforce Education Course Manual (WECM) courses during joint curriculum development, alignment, and evaluation activities.

The process allows students who successfully complete these career and technology courses, graduate from any secondary school in the state, and meet the requirements outlined in the statewide articulation agreement, to receive articulated credit from any public postsecondary two-year degree-granting institution in the state that offers the corresponding college course(s).

The statewide articulation agreement replaces individual course-to-course articulation agreements for these courses, facilitating the use of articulated credit statewide and streamlining and standardizing the process for students, schools, and colleges. It does not replace local articulation efforts for courses not listed in Technical Course Alignment Manuals (TCAMS).
 
 

Time Line

Fall 2000 Voluntary implementation
Fall 2002 Proposed date: required implementation by public two-year postsecondary institutions

1. The standards outlined in the statewide technical course articulation agreement apply to secondary career and technology courses aligned with college workforce education courses. These courses are outlined in accompanying Technical Course Alignment Manuals (TCAMS) by subject area.

• Business Education
• Computer Information Systems
• Engineering Related Sciences
• Electronics, Machine Technology, and Drafting

1. Not all sections of a high school course listed in a TCAM may qualify for college credit through statewide articulation. In order to qualify:

• The course must be taught to college standards and include all elements listed in the TCAM.
• The teacher must meet the minimum requirements for college faculty teaching the equivalent course. The typical requirement is an associate or baccalaureate degree and three years of direct or related work experience other than teaching.
• The course must be noted on the high school transcript with the special explanation course code "A." This identifies the course to college personnel as eligible for college credit. The "A" code is used even if the student does not successfully complete the course.

1. Local high school and college subject area faculty must meet annually to review course content and expectations for student learning.

General

1. Students enrolled in public high schools are eligible to enroll in and receive high school credit for courses eligible for articulated credit.
2. Additional award of college credit requires that students meet all general requirements outlined in the statewide articulation agreement and any course-specific requirements outlined in the Technical Course Alignment Manual (TCAM).
3. Successful completion of a high school course eligible for articulated college credit does not guarantee that a student will receive college credit for the course.

Credit for courses identified on the high school transcript with the "A" code, and for which the student has met all the requirements identified in the statewide articulation agreement and the TCAM, may be transcripted by the receiving college beginning Fall 2000. Conditions for award of credit include:

1. The student must achieve a minimum grade of 80 in prerequisite high school courses listed in the TCAM;
2. The student must achieve a minimum grade of 80 and achieve content mastery of the high school course, or each course in a required sequence, outlined in the TCAM;
3. The student must have completed the course, or final course in an articulated course sequence, with junior (grade 11) or senior (grade 12) standing;

   
   NOTE: At the discretion of the receiving college, credit may be awarded for a course or final course in a sequence, taken in grades 9 and 10. A college at its discretion may also award academic credit for articulated technical courses.

4. Articulated courses must be noted with the "A" code on the high school transcript;
5. The student must successfully complete 6 hours of college credit from a college, either after high school graduation, or by concurrent enrollment (AP and/or CLEP examinations may also apply toward the 6 college credit hours);
6. The articulated course or courses appear in the college catalog/bulletin and are included in the technical degree plan declared by the student; and
7. The student enrolls in a public two-year associate degree-granting institution and completes requirements for award of articulated credit within 15 months of high school graduation. At the discretion of the receiving institution, this time limit may be extended.

1. High school course sections taught for statewide articulated credit must be taught to college standards and include all elements listed in the TCAM.
2. Local high school and college subject area faculty must meet annually to review course content, student performance expectations, and articulation processes.
3. High schools must document that a teacher meets the minimum requirement for college faculty teaching the equivalent college course.
4. The articulated course must be noted on the high school transcript with the special explanation course code "A." The "A" code must be used even if the student does not successfully complete the course. The "A" code indicates only that a course is eligible for articulation.
5. Information on courses eligible for statewide articulation and requirements for award of articulated course credit must be made available to students and parents through processes established by the high school.
6. Instructional resources comparable to those of their college-level counterparts for courses taught for statewide articulation must be made available by high schools.
7. Only high school students who elect to participate in a state-approved Tech-Prep program should be identified as Tech-Prep (PEIMS C/T code 3). Enrollment in courses eligible for articulation is not sufficient to determine that a student is a Tech-Prep program participant.

1. The statewide articulation agreement is designed for use with high school courses listed in Technical Course Alignment Manuals. It replaces local articulation agreements.
2. Articulated courses may be noted by a letter grade, "credit" or "credit by articulation" on the college transcript.
3. A college may designate the course as "credit only" or may include articulated courses in a student’s cumulative grade point average.
4. Articulated courses should not be identified as "Tech-Prep" courses on the college transcript, even if the articulated courses are part of a state-approved Tech-Prep program.
5. A college may not charge tuition or fees for the award of articulated credit hours, although a college may charge a nominal administrative fee to transcript articulated credit.
6. A college may not charge a fee for challenge exams used to award academic credit to students eligible for articulated credit for WECM courses that are equivalent to the academic (ACGM) course in question.