1. Why is the Center for Next Generation Leadership of the College of Education leading the UK dual credit program?
A. The Center serves as the coordinator for dual credit to facilitate better communication between high schools and the University and to increase schools' capacity to design and deliver Next-Gen learning experiences. The Center is the one-stop-shop to coordinate the dual credit program at the University.
2. Can a school get access to the dual credit model without being a Network partner high school?
A. No, UK would like to invest in partner network high schools to collaborate on improving college-going rates.
3. Is there a fee to be a partner network high school?
A. Yes, however, the fee is on a sliding scale based on high school size and can be reduced through in-kind contributions to the Network.
4. If districts already are engaged in a dual credit with other partners, can these coexist with the UK Next Gen Scholars program?
A. Yes, school districts are welcome to partner with any other institutions. For instance, a combination of UK Next Gen Scholars with local Community/Technical College courses can make a powerful dual credit combination for students throughout the high school.
5. Are there other fees for textbooks for particular courses or online programs?
A. As per the KHEAA dual credit model, no additional fees are applied to the dual credit tuition rate. However, schools or students are still expected to purchase the necessary textbook/s and materials for each course.
6. Would districts be responsible for tuition and fees for free & reduced (FRL) lunch students?
A. School districts are responsible for the tuition and books for FRL students. A number of schools have developed ways to mitigate these costs such as lending libraries for textbooks.
7. How many students at the high school may participate? Is there a maximum number of students?
A. There is no minimum/maximum per school depending on course availability at UK and the ability of the high school to fill a section. The most important consideration is to best support the students who are participating in dual credit. We are asking schools to estimate the number of participants, knowing that number is just an estimate at this time.
8. Do you see a difference between students who secure college credit through AP vs dual credit—say in HIS109 vs AP US.
A. We value broadening access to challenging coursework for all students in a variety of formats including dual credit and AP. Each method has its advantages, for instance, successfully completed dual credit courses are transcripted and accepted credits, not dependent on one annual test like AP. In addition, we believe there is value in high school students learning directly with UK professors, partnered with high school instructors. AP courses may, in some instances, be more suited to a particular student than the courses offered in this model. One consideration is that our current offering for dual credit math is College Algebra, but STEM-focused students might be better served in AP Calculus. However, math is just one of courses now offered for dual credit. We are happy to further advise on specific courses as needed.
9. For equity purposes, will districts need to set aside funds for additional fees for F/R students?
A. We recommend districts and schools prepare budgets for this, similar to what you are doing now with other dual credit providers. Use the amount of $58/credit hour (subject to change each year) as set forth by the Council for Postsecondary Education, your anticipated number of participants, as well as some textbook fees.
10. What is the Next Gen fee?
A. The Next Gen network fee is determined on a sliding scale, based on school size and contribution to the network. In-kind contributions such as providing meeting space or presenting to Next Gen can offset the network expenses. The network fee is for professional learning to build capacity for schools and districts to design and deliver Next Gen learning experiences. Professional learning funds can be used for this purpose, including Title I funds and existing professional learning funds. Districts can also be creative in the use of educational foundations or local donors. Because this varies so widely from school to school, please reach out to us individually to determine what the specific costs would be.
11. Is the application per individual high school or for the district, on behalf of all high schools within the district?
A. Because partners are selected on a school-by-school basis, each school would need to submit a response to the RFP. If there are district-level commonalities between all of the schools (i.e. a district-level Profile of a Graduate or district-established processes for student exhibitions of work or portfolios), schools can submit artifacts that are specific to how those elements are reflected in the learning experience at their individual sites.
12. If we have three high schools apply, can all 3 high schools be chosen?
A. Yes, that is possible if all three schools meet the criteria outlined in the RFP document. A more likely scenario is that the implementation would start with one site and then spread to the others.