With the help of EdSystems, Illinois achieved a significant milestone in its efforts to expand dual credit access and offerings with the adoption of the Model Partnership Agreement by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) and the Illinois Community College Board (ICCB). The model guides local partnerships between school districts and community colleges necessary for the successful implementation of quality dual credit courses and related student supports. Under the Dual Credit Quality Act, if a school district and community college cannot agree on the terms of a local partnership for dual credit, the school district and community college must default to a Model Partnership Agreement (MPA) adopted by ISBE and ICCB.
Our Role
In early 2019, ISBE and ICCB appointed and convened the Dual Credit Committee to develop the MPA, with equal representation from school districts and community colleges. Our team at EdSystems was brought on by the agencies to staff and facilitate the work of this committee. We convened seven meetings of the committee, drafted sections of the MPA review, and facilitated discussions to reach consensus. The final MPA resulting from this process is a model of recommended practice for communities to scale and ensure access to a comprehensive, quality dual credit program.
