Early College Partners

Appropriate Course Selection

1. general education courses aligned with Oakton associate’s degree programs and transfer into bachelor's degree programs at other colleges and universities within Illinois, as well as many out-of-state colleges and universities;
2. career-focused courses aligned with Oakton certificate and degree programs, helping students learn specific knowledge and skills required to enter the workforce, and may also transfer to other colleges and universities in various ways.

*Students/parents should always use transferology.com or contact the college/university of choice to confirm course transferability. 

Minimum Instructor Qualifications

1. The qualifications for teaching general education (or elective) transfer courses are a minimum of a master's degree within the discipline OR any master's degree with 18 graduate hours appropriate to the academic field of study or in the discipline in which the instructors will be teaching.
   • District instructors with a master's degree and at least 9 in-discipline graduate credit hours could qualify for a dual credit instructor professional development plan (PDP). 
2. The qualifications for teaching career and technical education courses are 2,000 hours of work experience and appropriate recognizable credentials and demonstrated teaching competencies appropriate to the field of instruction.
   • District instructors with the appropriate licenses or certifications for the field and at least 1,000 hours of work experience could qualify for a dual credit instructor professional development plan (PDP). 

Partnership Arrangements

Oakton courses can be offered for dual credit through an early college partnership with a high school (HS) according to any of the following arrangements:

1. Type A: taught at a HS (or other district-managed location) by one or more qualified district teachers. 
2. Type B: taught at a HS (or other district-managed location) by one or more College faculty members. 
3. Type C: taught online, via distance learning platforms, co-taught by a qualified district teacher & College faculty member, or other hybrid models of other types.
4. Type D: taught at the College (or a College satellite location other than a district-managed location) by one or more College faculty members.

Phase 1

1. affirm recurring courses with returning or new instructors;
2. request new courses with returning or new instructors;
3. submit proof of qualifications for new instructors.  

Phase 2

Oakton Academic Division Designees will review and approve (or disapprove) each course request. Early College staff will provide:

1. approval status updates on each partner's course confirmation document, and
2. contact information for respective Oakton Academic Contacts.

Phase 3

Early College staff will prompt partners to confirm which approved Oakton courses they will offer through our partnership, along with other course scheduling logistics (e.g., class periods, number of sections) via the course confirmation document during the Spring semester - usually in March, after the high school registration cycle has concluded.

1. The College retains academic oversight to ensure courses offered for dual credit through early college partnerships are appropriate and equivalent to courses offered at the College in quality and rigor. (Reference: Dual Credit Quality Act, Section 16)
   • Textbooks and other required instructional materials are determined and approved by applicable Oakton Academic Division Designees.
   • Unless otherwise specified, enrollment shall not exceed Oakton’s maximum capacity.
     (Partners may request exceptions through their Oakton Academic Division Contact.)
2. The naming conventions of dual credit courses offered through our partnership should reflect Oakton’s course names in the high school scheduling system and student transcript  (i.e., EGL 101: Composition I). (Reference: NACEP C1-Curriculum 1 Standard)
3. Oakton courses offered as dual credit through early college partnership are reserved for high school juniors and seniors.
   (Partners may request exceptions through their Oakton Academic Division Contact.)  
4. Partners must ensure high school students registered for dual credit courses meet the College's English and/or Math placement benchmarks to earn college credit as applicable courses. (Reference: Oakton Testing Services webpage.)
   • Students who do not meet the College's placement requirements or prerequisites may take Oakton courses offered through our partnership for high school credit only. Moreover, partners must establish a process to notify students (before courses start) of their eligibility to earn college credit for dual credit courses. (Reference: Dual Credit Quality Act, Section 16.5)
5. Final course approval for newly approved district instructors is contingent upon their completion of our required onboarding processes before teaching Oakton courses. 

Prospective

If you are a district instructor interested in teaching an Oakton course through our early college partnerships during the Academic Year 27-28, please prepare the following documents for submission as proof of your academic qualifications: 

1. an up-to-date resume/curriculum vitae 
2. a copy of all collegiate transcripts (undergraduate and graduate)
3. any pertinent credentials, certifications, and/or licenses (primarily for CTE courses)

Note: Oakton will provide a submission link when the course confirmation cycle opens. High school districts are responsible for hiring and compensating all district dual credit instructors. (Reference: Dual Credit Quality Act, Section 16)

Incoming

If you are a newly approved district instructor for Academic Year 2026-2027, review/revisit the New Instructor Info Guide and follow the instructions provided in your welcome email from the Early College team.

• Final course approval for newly approved instructors is contingent on completion of all required onboarding processes before teaching Oakton courses.

Returning

If you are a returning district instructor, please submit your updated syllabus to your Oakton Academic Division Contact and cc: earlycollege@oakton.edu by or before:

• August 28, 2026 for Fall 26 and Yearlong 26-27 courses
• December 4, 2026 for Spring 27 courses

1. Upon request, each school must submit initial rosters by following instructions provided by Early College staff, who will facilitate enrollment with Oakton's Registrar staff.
   • To ensure an efficient enrollment process, partners should (1) prompt students to submit the Oakton dual credit application during or shortly after the high school registration cycle concludes and (2) ensure students meet all placement requirements or prerequisites.
     • Students who do not meet the College's placement requirements or prerequisites may take Oakton courses offered through our partnership for high school credit only. Moreover, partners must establish a process to notify students (before courses start) of their eligibility to earn college credit for dual credit courses. (Reference: Dual Credit Quality Act, Section 16.5)
     • Oakton does not retroactively award college credit for students who took Oakton courses through our early college partnerships but did not initially meet placement/prerequisite requirements. Instead, students may follow the Oakton process for requesting prior learning credit.
2. District designees can track enrollment progress via roster files in our shared Google Drive workspace. (Reference Owl Status column)
3. District designees must indicate student drops or withdrawals using instructions provided by Early College staff, by or before the College's deadline each semester.
   • Be mindful of the College's course drop and withdrawal dates for each semester. (Reference Oakton Academic Calendar)
     • When students drop a course before the College's drop deadline, there is no impact on their collegiate record.
     • When students drop after the College's drop deadline, it is considered a withdrawal; therefore, a 'W' will appear on their collegiate record.
       • A 'W' protects students' collegiate record, as it has no adverse effect on students' collegiate GPA; however, too many withdrawals can impact students' financial aid eligibility should they continue their collegiate journey after high school graduation.
   • In extenuating circumstances, partners may request late enrollment or withdrawal for students following the process outlined by Early College staff. Approval of such requests is not guaranteed; each request is considered on a case-by-case basis.

State

• Illinois Dual Credit Quality Act
• Illinois Association of Concurrent Enrollment Partnerships (ILACEP)
• Education Systems Center at Northern Illinois University
• Illinois Education and Career Success Network
• Stand for Children Illinois

National

• National Association of Concurrent Enrollment Partnerships (NACEP)
• Columbia College Research Center
• College in High School Alliance
• Achieving the Dream: K-College