High School Articulation Agreements

NIACC works with high school partners to facilitate as seamless a delivery system as possible. One method to produce a seamless and effective delivery system is to provide qualified high school students an opportunity for advanced standing in a vocational/technical field through articulation agreements. Listed below is NIACC's "Articulation Agreement Policy and Procedure".

Articulation Agreement Policy and Procedure

STATEMENT OF INTENT

The purpose of this Articulation Agreement is to provide a mechanism for linking educational programs at the secondary and postsecondary levels in order to grant equivalent college credit to students for mastering identified competencies in secondary programs. More specifically, the purpose of this articulation agreement is to:

• Establish common definitions and understandings of “articulation”
• Provide for a common understanding of the benefits of articulation
• Identify students eligible for advanced placement under an approved articulation agreement
• Outline procedures for developing and implementing articulated agreements among secondary school systems and NIACC
• Establish the criteria for evaluation of competencies mastered by secondary school students
• Provide for documentation of competencies mastered
• Establish a procedure for amending the materials involved in articulation.

ARTICULATION

Definitions

Articulation is a process for coordinating the linking of two or more educational systems within a community to help students make a smooth transition from one level to another without experiencing delays, duplication of courses or loss of credit. (Center for Occupational Research and Development, 1989) Articulation can be characterized as a process, an attitude, and a goal.

• As a process, it is the coordination of policies and practices among sectors of the education system to produce a smooth flow of students from one sector to another.
• As an attitude, it is exemplified by the willingness of educators in all sectors to work together to transcend the individual and institutional self-interest that impedes the maximum development of the student.
• As a goal, it is the creation of an educational system without artificial divisions, so that the whole educational period becomes one unbroken flow, which varies in speed for each individual, and which eliminates loss of credit, delays and unnecessary duplication of effort.” (Con, Henry, and Hardy, 1978)

Articulation is an agreement between public schools and postsecondary institutions which may allow a student to receive credit for instruction received while attending public schools. Articulation with at least one postsecondary institution is required by the State of Iowa (Iowa Code, Chapter 12).

BENEFITS OF ARTICULATION

Some of the desirable benefits of articulation that affect both the student and the institution are listed below.

• Reduces duplication of effort and time for the student at the postsecondary level who has acquired job skills in high school.
• Enhances job opportunities for the student by identifying student job qualifications more accurately.
• Provides an opportunity for students to acquire marketable job skills in a more effective and efficient manner.
• Provides for improved guidance, placement and follow-up services for students through planning by staff at the local and college levels.
• Provides a more realistic procedure for evaluation of student performance and for evaluation of programs.
• Provides savings in expenditures for both students and institutions.
• Improves communication between secondary and postsecondary administrators, educators, and guidance counselors.
• Improves program content and performance standards.
• Promotes better utilization of available equipment, materials, and facilities.
• Establishes more active program advisory committees, thus increasing community participation in and support for education.

WHO IS ELIGIBLE?

Any student who has attended an articulated program in an accredited school which has signed an agreement with North Iowa Area Community College may receive college credit for instruction received at the high school. In addition, the student must:

• Receive a grade of “B” or better in the specified course(s).  (If more than one high school course is necessary to articulate, then an average grade of “B” or better is required in those courses.)
• Obtain a signed form from the high school instructor indicating that he/she has mastered the agreed–upon competencies and/or critical objectives
• Graduate from a participating program in a school district that is a member of the NIACC Articulation Project.

PROCEDURES

Administrative Support and Commitment

As experience indicates that articulation works best when it is supported at the top levels of administration, the first step toward articulation is the signing of an “Intent to Articulate” form by the school superintendent and NIACC’s Director of School Partnerships. The “Intent to Articulate” form shall become part of this agreement.

NIACC and Secondary School Faculty

NIACC faculty will prepare a list of competencies and/or critical objectives to share with secondary school faculty. Instructional faculty within the two educational systems will meet to determine whether similarities in educational experiences provided to students of the two systems appear to result in an overlapping or duplication of instruction. Where overlapping or duplication of instruction appears to be evident, an attempt will be made to enter into an articulated agreement. Upon successful evaluation of respective programs, NIACC faculty and secondary faculty will sign a “Discipline–Specific Articulation Agreement” specifying the course(s) eligible for advanced placement. The “Discipline–Specific Articulation Agreement” shall become part of this agreement.

Students

Students must secure the written certification of their teachers that they have mastered all the competencies that comprise the agreed–upon articulated minimum course content for every NIACC course for which they desire College credit. The student must also sign a statement requesting College credit for specific courses. College credit will be granted only for those NIACC courses listed in the appropriate discipline–specific articulation agreement.

Students should apply for College credit at the time they make application for admission to the College and a student must enroll at NIACC within 15 months after high school graduation in order to be eligible for college credit under this agreement. If the time limit has expired, the student may choose to take competency examinations.

After the applicant for College credit successfully completes at least twelve credits of course work in residence at North Iowa Area Community College (not counting independent study, cooperative education, internship or practicum courses), he/she will be notified by the Registrar that his/her request for College credit through NIACC’s Articulation Project has been granted. At that time, such credit will also be duly recorded on the student’s academic record. The Registrar will grant a grade of “L” (credit for prior education or experience) for the courses(s) certified. The grade(s) will be recorded on the student’s record with the notation of “credit per articulation agreement.”

Professional Development

All full-time faculty and administrators directly involved in the NIACC Articulation Agreement will be oriented to the articulation process. NIACC and secondary school faculty and administrators will work toward the sharing of professional development opportunities as occasions permit.

NIACC and Secondary School Counselors

NIACC and secondary school counselors will cooperate toward developing, disseminating, and presenting occupational information to students within the public school system. Such information will include, as a minimum, an orientation on career programs at the secondary and postsecondary levels and the articulation agreements that have been established among the systems of education.

Publicity

The College and the school system will develop methods of publicizing the agreements in order to encourage students to take advantage of advanced placement opportunities.

Articulation Agreement Review and Change

Meetings are scheduled when the existing teacher is replaced at a district and when course competencies change significantly.

This agreement will become effective upon approval by the signees listed below. Upon implementation, this agreement will continue on an annual basis until one of the parties petitions the other party to end the agreement.

Petition to end this agreement must be: