The bill SB1621 aims to expand the existing College Credit by Examination Incentive Program (CCEIP) by renaming it to the Dual Enrollment and College Credit by Examination Incentive Program. It introduces incentive bonuses for school districts and charter schools that offer qualifying dual enrollment courses, starting in fiscal year 2025. The bill appropriates $500,000 from the state General Fund in fiscal year 2024 to the Arizona Department of Education (ADE) to support this program. Under the new provisions, schools will receive a $450 bonus for each student in grades 9-12 who completes a qualifying dual enrollment course with a passing grade and is enrolled in a school where over 50% of students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunches.

Additionally, the bill requires community college district governing boards to maintain and annually provide a list of qualifying dual enrollment courses and the required passing grades to ADE and the Joint Legislative Budget Committee. It also mandates that schools distribute at least 50% of the incentive bonuses to the teachers associated with the qualifying students. The bill makes technical changes to existing laws and ensures that if the total bonuses exceed available funds, the bonuses will be proportionally reduced. Overall, the bill enhances the support for dual enrollment programs and aligns the incentive structure to encourage more students to participate in these courses.

Statutes affected:
Introduced Version: 15-203, 15-249.06, 15-501.01, 15-505, 15-214, 15-701.01, 15-107, 15-183, 15-550, 41-1758.03, 15-157, 15-158, 15-710.01, 15-701, 15-710.02