Alene Zimmer
Director for Gifted/Talented & Advanced Academic Studies

Earning College Credit in High School

Katy ISD offers three methods by which students may obtain college credit while in high school. 

v  The Advanced Placement Program

v  The Dual Credit Program

v  Articulated Credit

Advanced Placement, Dual Credit and Articulated Credit Programs can be used in a variety of combinations based on student preferences to meet graduation requirements. The 4-year plans included here are samples of how these programs may be employed for the student to acquire college hours prior to graduating from high school. Consult the counselor to determine the appropriateness of a 4 year plan for each student.

Advanced Placement (AP) Program

Katy ISD offers Advanced Placement courses to high school students who are ready to engage in college level course content and rigorous academics. Courses are available in English, social studies, computer science, mathematics, science, languages other than English, music theory and art. All Advanced Placement course offerings are contingent upon each campus receiving College Board authorization for each course through the AP Course Audit.

The AP Program offers college level instruction to the academically successful high school student with the option of taking an Advanced Placement examination and possibly qualifying for college credit. AP students are expected to work at an accelerated pace and to engage in outside reading and independent learning.

AP courses are open to all students with the prerequisite coursework who wish to take on the additional challenge of advanced academics. Students who choose to enroll, however, should be prepared for the increased academic rigor of these courses. AP and AP/GT courses concentrate on providing students with rigorous college level academic instruction while preparing students for the AP exam associated with the course. Katy ISD’s Advanced Placement program includes service to GT students. AP and AP/GT courses earn weighted grade points.

Students are responsible for ensuring that the college that they are planning to attend will award credit for AP Examination scores.

There are a number of ways to earn college credit with Advanced Placement. The following example four year plans represent a sampling of the possibilities and are not intended to be prescriptive.

Sample Four Year Plan with
Advanced Placement Language Arts/Social Studies Concentration

Sample Four Year Plan with
Advanced Placement Mathematics/Science Concentration

The Katy ISD Dual Credit Program

The Dual Credit Program is a fee-based cooperative effort between Katy ISD and Houston Community College System. Katy ISD students can earn high school credit toward graduation and college credit at the same time. By state law, students may take up to two courses per semester prior to graduating from high school beginning in their junior year. Public institutions of higher learning in the State of Texas, by law, accept HCCS transfer credit for college-level course work that has been successfully completed at HCCS. Dual credit courses earn the same grade points as KISD academic courses.

All dual credit course offerings are contingent upon availability of HCCS qualified instructors to teach the course. All courses may not be available on all campuses. HCCS may elect to deliver instruction in a distance-learning or online format. The dual credit course may be delivered in a 3 day or 5 day format. Enrollment in HCCS Dual Credit courses is subject to the student meeting ALL enrollment requirements prior to the beginning of the KISD semester calendar.

These requirements include:

•       Students must be classified as juniors or seniors.

•       Student must meet their high school requirements for taking dual credit classes.

•       Student must meet the Texas Success Initiative requirement. See page 18.

•       Student must pay all fees due HCCS for the semester courses by KISD deadline.

•       Students must purchase the textbook(s) for the course.

Failure to complete the enrollment process by the KISD deadline will necessitate enrolling the student in a KISD course equivalent to the HCCS course for graduation purposes, but not dual credit.

Students are responsible for ensuring that the college they are planning to attend will accept transfer credit from HCCS.

Expectations of Students Enrolled in Dual Credit

Each student enrolled in a concurrent enrollment (dual credit) class will receive a syllabus. The syllabus contains an outline of the material to be covered, assignments, due dates, grades, grading legend, absence policy, conduct expectations and other pertinent information.

Students must be mature enough to follow the syllabus, work independently, and behave appropriately. It is the responsibility of college students to complete assignments without reminders. It is also the responsibility of the student, not the parents, to communicate directly with the college instructor if he or she is experiencing difficulty in the class.

Characteristics of a Successful Dual Credit Student

Students who register to participate in Dual Credit Program will be expected to:

• Work independently
• Deal with sophisticated concepts maturely
• Manage their study time and complete assignments
• Deal personally and directly with the instructor to discuss problems and questions
• Behave appropriately
• Follow directions and a syllabus without reminders.

• Students must have the recommendation of the high school principal/designee to enroll in dual credit courses.

Applying for Admission to Houston Community College System

1. Before enrolling in any Dual Credit course, students must apply for admission to Houston Community College System by completing an online application at www.hccs.edu and providing all necessary documentation.
2. Students must show proof of eligibility to take college-level classes by providing an official high school transcript with test scores which meet the Texas Success Initiative standards (page 18 OR by taking an alternate exam such as the Compass.) A transcript for this purpose may be requested by submitting the Dual Credit Transcript Request Form to the high school registrar.

Enrolling in HCCS Course

After students have successfully completed the application process, they enroll online in up to two HCCS course(s) per semester offered on their high school campus with principal/designee approval. Course enrollment may be done online, and requires a course recognition number (CRN). Students receive the CRN from their high school counselor prior to the beginning of the semester in August for the fall semester; at the end of the fall semester for the spring semester, and in late spring for summer school classes. Students cannot enroll in the fall or spring semester course without the CRN.

Katy ISD is in the HCCS service district; however, it is not in the HCCS taxing district. Therefore, dual credit students are subject to the out of district fee charged by HCCS to all students who do not pay property taxes to support the institution. This fee has been $162 per 3 hour course, but is subject to change for any semester. HCCS has waived all tuition and fees except for the out-of-district fees for Katy ISD students. To receive this waiver, payment of the fees must be made in person (except as noted above) at the HCCS-Westgate or HCCS Town and Country locations after the student has enrolled in the course online.

Fall and Spring semester students must enroll and pay their fees by the KISD designated deadline. (HCCS deadlines apply for summer school enrollment.)

Sample Four Year Plan with
Emphasis on Dual Credit Courses

College Release

KISD will also award credit for KISD approved dual credit courses taken at HCC during the regular school year. Students may request college release for 2 class periods in order to attend Houston Community College during the day.

Dual Credit in Summer School

KISD will award credit for KISD approved dual credit courses taken at HCC in summer school. Consult the Summer School catalog for the approved course list.

The Advanced Technical Credit Program (ATC)

Advanced Technical Credit is another way to start a college technical major in high school. In the ATC program, students begin their course of study in high school and continue in a community or technical college. The result is a certificate or an associate of applied science (AAS) degree. A complete list of articulated credit course options is available on page 25.

Guidelines for students in ATC Programs.

1. Complete articulated course or last course in a required sequence in grades 11 or 12. Complete all required prerequisites with a grade of 80 (3.0) or higher.
2. Enroll in a participating two year college within 15 months after high school graduation.
3. Declare a college major that includes the equivalent college course in the degree plan.
4. Visit college advisor or program coordinator prior to college registration and with approval enroll in the next level courses.
5. Complete 4 additional non-developmental college hours in any subject by dual credit and/or qualifying scores on AP or CLEP exams.
6. Petition for award of articulated technical credit. Articulated credit is subject to change. College credit will be posted on the post secondary transcript only after being deemed appropriate by college officials.
7. Verify that articulated courses have been posted to college transcript.

Sample Four Year Plan with Articulated Credit