PRINTER'S NO. 3218
No. 2329 Session of 2002
INTRODUCED BY STAIRS, COLAFELLA, ARGALL, BASTIAN, HERMAN, KREBS,
McILHATTAN, R. MILLER, NAILOR, ROHRER, SCHULER, T. STEVENSON,
GRUCELA, KIRKLAND, ROEBUCK, STURLA, M. BAKER, BELFANTI,
BENNINGHOFF, BISHOP, BROWNE, BUNT, CAPPELLI, L. I. COHEN,
COSTA, CREIGHTON, CRUZ, DALEY, DeLUCA, DeWEESE, J. EVANS,
FEESE, FRANKEL, GEIST, GEORGE, GORDNER, HARHAI, HERSHEY,
HESS, HORSEY, HUTCHINSON, JOSEPHS, LAUGHLIN, MANN, MARKOSEK,
MELIO, MICOZZIE, S. MILLER, PETRARCA, PRESTON, RAYMOND,
READSHAW, ROBERTS, SAINATO, SANTONI, SATHER, SAYLOR,
SCRIMENTI, SEMMEL, SHANER, B. SMITH, SOLOBAY, SURRA,
TANGRETTI, E. Z. TAYLOR, THOMAS, TRAVAGLIO, WALKO, WATSON AND
YOUNGBLOOD, JANUARY 30, 2002
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION, JANUARY 30, 2002
AN ACT
1 Providing certain students the opportunity to enroll in a
2 community college, State-owned institution or State-related
3 institution and to earn both high school and college credit.
4 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
5 hereby enacts as follows:
6 Section 1. Short title.
7 This act shall be known and may be cited as the Postsecondary
8 Education Opportunities Act.
9 Section 2. Legislative findings and declaration.
10 The General Assembly hereby finds, determines and declares:
11 (1) High school students need to be continually
12 challenged in order to maintain their academic interest and
13 such challenges must include rigorous academic pursuits.
1 (2) High school students need to be prepared for
2 postsecondary learning.
3 (3) The Commonwealth should promote a seamless system of
4 elementary, secondary and postsecondary education.
5 Section 3. Definitions.
6 The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
7 have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
8 context clearly indicates otherwise:
9 "Community college." A public college or technical institute
10 which is established and operated under Article XIX-A of the act
11 of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), known as the Public School
12 Code of 1949, and all branches or campuses of such a college or
13 institution.
14 "Department." The Department of Education of the
15 Commonwealth.
16 "Program." The Postsecondary Education Opportunities Program
17 established in this act.
18 "Qualified student." A resident of this Commonwealth who:
19 (1) Is enrolled in the school district of residence.
20 (2) Is in eleventh or twelfth grade.
21 (3) Is not more than 21 years old.
22 (4) Has not yet received a high school diploma or its
23 equivalent.
24 (5) Has a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or
25 higher on a 4.0 scale.
26 (6) Demonstrates the ability to benefit from college-
27 level courses as evidenced by the student's high school
28 transcript.
29 "State-owned institution." An institution which is part of
30 the State System of Higher Education under Article XX-A of the
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1 act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), known as the Public
2 School Code of 1949, and all branches and campuses of such an
3 institution.
4 "State-related institution." The Pennsylvania State
5 University, the University of Pittsburgh, Temple University, the
6 Pennsylvania College of Technology and Lincoln University.
7 Section 4. Postsecondary Education Opportunities Program.
8 (a) Establishment.--
9 (1) The Postsecondary Education Opportunities Program is
10 established. The program shall provide that a qualified
11 student may, after receiving advice and counsel of a high
12 school guidance counselor and supplying the high school
13 guidance counselor with the written consent of the student's
14 parent or legal guardian, apply to a community college,
15 State-related or State-owned institution for admission.
16 (2) If a qualified student meets admissions and program
17 requirements and is accepted for enrollment under this act,
18 the community college, State-related or State-owned
19 institution shall send written notice to the student and the
20 student's school district within ten days of acceptance. The
21 notice shall indicate the course and hours of enrollment for
22 that student.
23 (b) Nonpublic students and home schooled students.--
24 (1) A qualified student who is enrolled in a nonpublic
25 high school is eligible to participate in the program only if
26 the nonpublic school has been approved by the student's
27 school district.
28 (2) A qualified student who is home schooled is eligible
29 to participate only if that student's education program has
30 been approved by the student's school district superintendent
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1 in accordance with section 1327.1 of the act of March 10,
2 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), known as the Public School Code of
3 1949. To participate in the program, a home-schooled
4 qualified student must obtain the approval of a high school
5 guidance counselor and school superintendent of the district
6 where that student resides.
7 Section 5. Courses, credits and grades.
8 (a) Summer and intersession programs.--A qualified student
9 may enroll in courses offered in summer and intersession
10 programs.
11 (b) Academic and occupational college-level courses.--
12 (1) A qualified student may enroll in academic and
13 occupational college-level courses and may not enroll in
14 developmental/remedial, physical education or sectarian
15 courses.
16 (2) At the discretion of the high school in which the
17 student is enrolled, the student may enroll in academic and
18 occupational college-level courses even though such courses
19 may already be offered at the high school in which the
20 student is enrolled.
21 (c) High school credit.--
22 (1) Upon evidence that a qualified student has
23 successfully completed his or her courses, the high school in
24 which the student is enrolled shall determine how to
25 calculate the college credits earned by the student into the
26 student's grade point average, include such courses on the
27 student's transcript and apply such credits toward the
28 student's high school graduation requirements. Successful
29 completion shall be determined by the high school in which
30 the student is enrolled.
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1 (2) The awarding of high school credit for nonpublic,
2 qualified students shall be at the discretion of the
3 student's nonpublic schools.
4 (d) College course credit.--At the discretion of the
5 community college, State-related or State-owned institution in
6 which a qualified student is enrolled, course credit may apply
7 towards a certificate or an associate's or bachelor's degree.
8 Section 6. Eligible sites.
9 (a) General rule.--A qualified student may enroll in
10 academic and occupational college-level courses offered at a
11 high school or at a main or branch campus of a community
12 college, State-related or State-owned institution. At the
13 discretion of the high school in which the student is enrolled,
14 the student may enroll in distance learning courses which may
15 include, but are not limited to, technology or correspondence.
16 (b) Hours of instruction.--At the discretion of the high
17 school in which a qualified student is enrolled, the student may
18 attend academic and occupational college-level courses before,
19 during or after the normal hours of a school day.
20 Section 7. Transportation, textbooks and materials.
21 Qualified students participating in the program shall be
22 responsible for their own transportation, textbooks and
23 instructional materials.
24 Section 8. Extracurricular and cocurricular activities.
25 No school district of residence shall prohibit a qualified
26 student participating under the program from participating in
27 any extracurricular or cocurricular activities of that school
28 district of residence. Provided, that the student is able to
29 fulfill all of the requirements of participation in such
30 activities.
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1 Section 9. Cost for tuition and fees.
2 (a) General rule.--A qualified student participating under
3 the program shall pay the costs for tuition and fees, as
4 determined by the community college, State-related or State-
5 owned institution.
6 (b) Reimbursement.--A qualified student participating under
7 the program may be eligible for reimbursement for costs for
8 tuition and fees.
9 (c) Payment by school district.--On behalf of the qualified
10 student participating under this program, a school district may,
11 but shall not be required to, pay the costs for tuition and
12 fees, unless otherwise required to pay such costs as a local
13 sponsor of a community college.
14 Section 10. Reimbursement to community colleges.
15 Community colleges shall be eligible to receive full-time
16 equivalent reimbursement for qualified students under section
17 1913-A(b)(1.4) of the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14),
18 known as the Public School Code of 1949.
19 Section 11. Reimbursement to school districts.
20 (a) General rule.--To the extent that funds are available, a
21 qualified student participating under this program may be
22 eligible for reimbursement for costs for tuition and fees by the
23 student's school district of residence, provided that the
24 student successfully completed his or her college-level courses.
25 Successful completion shall be determined by the high school in
26 which the student is enrolled. To be reimbursed for costs for
27 tuition and fees, the student must apply to his or her school
28 district of residence and report information regarding student
29 participation in the program in such a manner and on such forms
30 as the school district may require.
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1 (b) Membership roll.--Qualified students participating under
2 this program shall be included in the membership roll of the
3 student's school district of residence, regardless of the hours
4 of instruction.
5 Section 12. Rules and regulations.
6 The department shall promulgate such reasonable rules and
7 regulations as it deems necessary for the administration of this
8 act.
9 Section 13. Effective date.
10 This act shall take effect July 1, 2002, or immediately,
11 whichever is later.
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