Assigned to COM & APPROP AS PASSED BY COW
ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Fifty-Sixth Legislature, First Regular Session
AMENDED
FACT SHEET FOR S.B. 1717
dual enrollment; revisions; appropriations
Purpose
Establishes programs and funds for the Arizona Department of Education (ADE) to provide
grants and incentive bonuses for dual enrollment courses to school districts, charter schools and
teachers and dual enrollment reimbursements to students. Prescribes eligibility, distribution and
administration requirements and appropriates a total of $25,500,000 from the state General Fund
(state GF) in FY 2024 to the outlined programs and funds.
Background
A community college district (CCD) governing board may enter into a contract or
agreement with a school district governing board to offer dual enrollment college courses at a high
school during the school day that count toward both high school and college graduation
requirements. Students must be admitted to a community college under the CCD's adopted policies
and a dual enrollment course must be previously approved through the CCD's curriculum approval
process. Each CCD's chief executive officer must establish an advisory committee to assist in
course selection and implementation and an advisory committee to assist in the selection,
professional development and evaluation of faculty who teach dual enrollment courses (A.R.S.
§ 15-1821.01).
A dual enrollment course is a college-level course that is: 1) conducted on the campus of
a high school or a career technical education district; 2) applicable to an established community
college academic degree or certificate program; and 3) transferable to an Arizona public university
(A.R.S. § 15-101).
The Tribal College Dual Enrollment Program Fund is administered by ADE to compensate
tribal colleges for books, instructional materials, tuition and fees that are waived to allow high
school students to attend courses at tribal college campuses. A tribal college dual enrollment
program may offer, pursuant to agreements with high schools located outside of a reservation, dual
enrollment courses that qualify for a certificate or degree program and relate to any college subject
(A.R.S. § 15-244.01).
S.B. 1717 appropriates a total of $25,500,000 from the state GF in FY 2024 to the outlined
programs and funds.
Provisions
Dual Enrollment Grant Program (Grant Program)
1. Establishes the Grant Program within ADE to support the establishment of dual enrollment
programs by school districts and charter schools and repeals the Grant Program on January 1,
2028. FACT SHEET – Amended
S.B. 1717
Page 2
2. Appropriates $5,000,000 from the state GF in FY 2024 to the Grant Program.
3. Limits Grant Program eligibility to only a school district or charter school that does not offer
dual enrollment courses or have an established dual enrollment program by July 1, 2023.
4. Directs ADE to prioritize Grant Program applications by:
a) granting highest priority to a school district or charter school in which 50 percent or more
of the students are FRPL-eligible (prioritized schools); and
b) authorizing ADE, subject to available monies after awarding grants to prioritized schools,
to award grants on a first-come, first-served basis to a school district or charter school in
which less than 50 percent of the students are FRPL-eligible.
5. Requires grant awards, if the sum of applications by prioritized schools exceeds the amount of
available appropriated Grant Program monies, to be reduced proportionally to cover the
applications.
6. Restricts the use of Grant Program monies to only:
a) the establishment and operation of a new dual enrollment program by a school district or
charter school; and
b) the cost of administering the Grant Program, subject to a cap of three percent of the
appropriated Grant Program monies each fiscal year.
7. Requires ADE to administer the Grant Program and establish procedures and requirements for
school districts and charter schools to apply for grants.
8. Exempts Grant Program monies from lapsing, except that Grant Program monies remaining
unencumbered and unexpended on July 1, 2027, are transferred to the Incentive Fund.
Dual Enrollment Incentive Program (Incentive Program) and Fund (Incentive Fund)
9. Establishes the Incentive Program within ADE to provide incentive bonuses to teachers, school
districts and charter schools for students who obtain a passing grade in a qualifying dual
enrollment course.
10. Requires ADE, beginning in FY 2027, to annually distribute incentive bonuses, by March 1,
to school districts and charter schools for each qualifying student.
11. Establishes the Incentive Fund, administered by ADE and consisting of legislative
appropriations.
12. Appropriates $5,000,000 from the state GF in FY 2024 to the Incentive Fund.
13. Determines that a student who receives a passing grade in a qualifying dual enrollment course
generates an incentive bonus for the student's school district or charter school in an amount of:
a) $450 per passing grade, if enrolled in a school where at least 50 percent of the students are
eligible for the Free or Reduced-Price Lunch Program (FRPL); or
b) $300 per passing grade, if enrolled in a school where less than 50 percent of the students
are FRPL-eligible. FACT SHEET – Amended
S.B. 1717
Page 3
14. Requires ADE, if the sum of incentive bonuses awarded exceeds the amount of available
Incentive Fund monies, to reduce incentive bonus monies proportionally to cover all eligible
incentive bonuses.
15. Directs, within 30 days after the end of the school year, a school district or charter school to
distribute at least 50 percent of the received incentive bonus monies to each qualifying student's
associated classroom teacher.
16. Directs a school principal to allocate the remainder of received incentive bonus monies on
behalf of qualifying students for:
a) teacher professional development;
b) student instructional support;
c) reimbursement of tuition and mandatory fees; or
d) instructional materials.
17. Specifies that an incentive bonus distributed to, and incentive bonus monies received by:
a) a school district or charter school are not subject to collective bargaining; and
b) a teacher are not compensation for the purposes of the Arizona State Retirement System,
and are in addition to any regular wage, compensation or other bonus the teacher is
scheduled to receive.
18. Requires incentive bonus monies received by a school district or charter school to be separately
accounted for in the school district's or charter school's annual financial report.
19. Allows, by August 1 of each year, a school district or charter school to appeal the allocation of
incentive bonus monies.
20. Allows ADE to withhold up to $10,000 of appropriated Incentive Fund monies to address
school district and charter school allocation appeals.
21. Requires ADE, by December 15 of 2027 and each subsequent year, to submit an annual report
to the Governor, President of the Senate, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Secretary
of State and Joint Legislative Budget Committee on:
a) the number of students enrolled in a qualifying dual enrollment course at each school;
b) the number of students who received a passing grade in a qualifying dual enrollment course
and number of incentive awards distributed;
c) the number and type of qualifying dual enrollment courses taken by students; and
d) the amount of incentive bonus monies received by each school.
22. Specifies that Incentive Fund monies are continuously appropriated and exempt from lapsing.
Dual Enrollment Development Fund (Development Fund)
23. Establishes the Development Fund, administered by ADE and consisting of legislative
appropriations.
24. Requires ADE to distribute Development Fund monies to schools to provide an incentive
bonus of up to $1,000 for each teacher who:
a) satisfies the teaching requirements for a dual enrollment course adopted by a higher
learning commission that accredits degree-granting postsecondary institutions in the
north central region, including Arizona; and
b) provides instruction in at least one dual enrollment course. FACT SHEET – Amended
S.B. 1717
Page 4
25. Appropriates $500,000 from the state GF in FY 2024 to the Development Fund.
26. Prohibits a teacher from receiving more than one incentive bonus from the Development Fund.
27. Requires teacher incentive bonus monies, if the sum of awards exceeds the amount of available
Development Fund monies, to be reduced proportionally to cover all eligible bonus awards.
28. Specifies that Development Fund monies are continuously appropriated and exempt from
lapsing until July 1, 2029.
Dual Enrollment Student Fund (Student Fund)
29. Establishes the Student Fund within the State Board of Education to provide financial
assistance to qualifying students.
30. Appropriates $15,000,000 from the state GF in FY 2024 to the Student Fund.
31. Allows a student to receive a reimbursement of up to $50 per credit hour if the student:
a) obtains a passing grade in a qualifying dual enrollment course; and
b) has a grade point average of 2.5 or higher on a 4.0 scale.
32. Requires ADE to administer the Student Fund and use Student Fund monies for the purposes
of providing student reimbursements.
33. Directs ADE to:
a) distribute Student Fund monies to qualifying providers for reimbursements to students
as outlined; and
b) prioritize Student Fund distributions to qualifying providers that serve FRPL-eligible
students.
34. Caps the total reimbursement a student may receive per school year at:
a) $300, for a student who is in grade 9 or 10; and
b) $600, for a student who is in grade 11 or 12.
35. Specifies that Student Fund monies are continuously appropriated and exempt from lapsing.
Miscellaneous
36. Specifies that a child with a disability in a dual enrollment course must have access to any
supplementary aids, services and accommodations provided in the child's IEP or Section 504
Plan.
37. Defines passing grade as a letter grade of A, B or C.
38. Defines qualifying dual enrollment course as a dual enrollment course that:
a) fulfills a lower division general education credit at an Arizona public university or a
community college; or
b) is a career and technical education course that is required for a program that results in a
certificate, credential or license. FACT SHEET – Amended
S.B. 1717
Page 5
39. Defines qualifying provider as a community college, university or institution that provides a
qualifying dual enrollment course.
40. Becomes effective on the general effective date.
Amendments Adopted by the Commerce Committee
1. Requires ADE to administer the Student Fund to qualifying providers.
2. Defines qualifying provider as any community college, university or institution that meets the
criteria of qualifying dual enrollment course.
3. Specifies that a child with a disability in a dual enrollment course must have access to any
supplementary aids, services and accommodations provided in the child's IEP or Section 504
Plan.
4. Makes conforming changes.
Amendments Adopted by the Appropriations Committee
1. Directs ADE to distribute Student Fund monies to qualifying providers to then provide student
reimbursements.
2. Requires ADE to prioritize Student Fund distributions to qualifying providers that serve
FRPL-eligible students.
3. Defines qualifying provider as a community college, university or institution that provides a
qualifying dual enrollment course.
4. Specifies that a child with a disability in a dual enrollment course must have access to any
supplementary aids, services and accommodations provided in the child's IEP or Section 504
Plan.
5. Makes conforming changes.
Amendments Adopted by Committee of the Whole
1. The Commerce Committee amendment was withdrawn.
2. Delays, from FY 2024 to FY 2027, the requirement for ADE to distribute Incentive Fund
monies to school districts and charter schools and delays the initial Incentive Program report
date to 2027.
3. Establishes the Grant Program within ADE until January 1, 2028, to provide grants for dual
enrollment programs to school districts and charter schools that do not offer dual enrollment
courses or have a dual enrollment program by July 1, 2023.
4. Outlines requirements for Grant Program administration, grant prioritization and permissible
expenses. FACT SHEET – Amended
S.B. 1717
Page 6
5. Appropriates $5,000,000 from the state General Fund in FY 2024 to the Grant Program.
6. Exempts Grant Program monies from lapsing, except that Grant Program monies remaining
unencumbered and unexpended on July 1, 2027, are transferred to the Incentive Fund.
7. Makes technical and conforming changes.
Senate Action
COM 2/15/23 DPA 6-1-0
APPROP 2/23/23 DPA 8-2-0
Prepared by Senate Research
March 24, 2023
LB/MH/sr