Early College Partners

Phase 1

Appropriate district designees (i.e., assistant superintendents, curriculum directors/coordinators, etc.) must:

• complete the 26-27 Request sheet within your course confirmation document (found in our shared Google Drive repository)
• submit all required documentation of credentials for your prospective instructors (via the Instructor Credentials column on your Request sheet):
  • an up-to-date resume/curriculum vitae 
  • a copy of all collegiate transcripts (undergraduate and graduate)
  • any pertinent credentials, certifications, and/or licenses (primarily for CTE courses)

Instructor Qualifications

According to the Illinois Dual Credit Quality Act (DCQA), high school district instructors must meet the following qualifications to teach college courses: 

• For transfer courses (i.e., general education courses), instructors should have an in-discipline master’s degree OR any master's degree with 18 in-discipline graduate hours.
• For career technical education courses, instructors should have 2,000 hours of work experience and, depending on the field, the appropriate recognizable credential.

Special Notes

• You need only submit documentation for returning instructors if requesting approval for them to teach a course in a different academic discipline.
• The appropriate Oakton academic division deans or chairs will review the provided documents and may request supplemental information or a meeting. 

Phase 2

• Once you have indicated that your 26-27 Request sheet is complete by checking the box at the bottom of the document, College Transitions staff will prompt Oakton academic deans or chair to begin their review process to consider all requests and provide feedback concerning approval.
• After the appropriate Oakton academic deans or chairs have considered all your requests, College Transitions staff will update add notations about approval status to the course confirmation documents and prompt district designees to revisit the document.

1. We will prompt district designees to confirm which approved courses with teaching assignments you intend to offer for the next academic by March 31. 
2. Final course approval for newly approved district instructors is contingent upon their completion of our required onboarding/orientation process before teaching Oakton courses. 
3. 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).
4. Unless otherwise specified, enrollment shall not exceed Oakton’s maximum capacity. (Partners can email requests for exceptions to earlycollege@oakton.edu.)
5. Textbooks and other required instructional materials are determined and approved by applicable Oakton academic division deans or chairs.
6. Most Oakton courses offered through our partnership are reserved for high school juniors and seniors. However, freshmen and sophomores may enroll in designated career-technical courses in the following academic areas:  
   1. Accounting (ACC)
   2. Automotive Technology (ATA)
   3. Computer-Aided Design (CAD)
   4. Computer Networking Systems (CNS)
   5. Early Childhood Education (ECE)
   6. Electronics and Computer Technology (ELT)
   7. Graphic Design (GRD) 
   8. Management (MGT) 
   9. Manufacturing (MFG)
   10. Photography (ART)
7. District designees should prompt students to submit the Oakton dual credit application during your high school registration cycle and ensure they meet all placement requirements.

Please advise your prospective early college students of the following during your high school registration cycle:

• They must submit the Oakton dual credit application for the term in which they are seeking initial enrollment. 
• After successful application submission, they should receive a welcome letter at the email address entered on the application within 2-3 days; errors will delay application processing.
• They must follow the instructions provided in their welcome letter to access their myOakton student account.
• A one-time $25 application fee will be added to the student's records, but Oakton will bill the high school after enrollment. (Note: You should advise students/parents of any fees they are responsible for paying directly to your high school.)

Note: College Transitions staff will email district designees an Early College Admission Report (ECAR) during the established admission and enrollment window. 

Placement Requirements

Oakton uses various methods (commonly called multiple measures) for determining student eligibility for the Oakton courses offered through our early college partnerships.

• Early college students should be vetted by the high school based on the established criteria determined by Oakton academic department deans and chairs.

Initial Enrollment

Once district designees determine which students meet placement requirements for dual credit courses, they must add applicable information for each dual credit roster (located in our shared Google Drive repository) by the established deadlines.

• College Transitions staff will indicate when enrollment initial enrollment is complete by changing students' "Owl Status" on rosters in Google Drive. 
• Dual credit instructors are required to complete roster reviews (via Faculty Services in myOakton) to verify that each roster if correct. In cases of discrepancies, instructors should connect with the designated dual credit roster managers at your school to amend applicable rosters via Google Drive. 

Enrollment Changes

Since College Transitions staff will enroll dual credit students according to rosters submitted via Google Drive, district designees must routinely review those rosters for accuracy.

• Designees can choose "Drop (no W)" in the HS Request column (before the College's deadline) to indicate that a student has dropped a course.
• After drop deadlines, assistant superintendents, curriculum directors, administrative coordinators, and guidance counselors can indicate student withdrawals (by the College's withdrawal deadline) using this submission form. (Reference: Academic Calendar)

Exceptional Appeals

In extenuating circumstances where a student needs to be enrolled or withdrawn after established deadlines, district designees must notify College Transitions staff as soon as possible by emailing earlycollege@oakton.edu. Late enrollment or withdrawal approvals are not guaranteed and are considered on a case-by-case basis.

All approved district dual credit instructors are required to complete general onboarding/orientation steps before their first semester teaching through our partnership. Topics include, but are not limited to:

1. submitting Oakton course syllabi for review/approval,
2. navigating myOakton to verify class lists and enter grades,
3. understanding the student admission and enrollment process,
4. getting help related to academic inquiries, technical issues, & other Oakton connections 

The aforementioned information may be disseminated and steps may be completed in various modalities (i.e., via virtual connection sessions, email correspondence, etc.).

The College Transitions team will provide information during the semester before the academic year the instructors is scheduled to teach. (Incoming 26-27 dual credit instructors can expect instructions during Spring 2026). 

Here are some of the ongoing expectations of all district dual credit instructors:

• Check Oakton emails regularly and respond (if prompted) in a timely fashion.
• Submit syllabi that are consistent with Oakton's established program guidelines.
  • High school course syllabi must be uploaded to the designated area in the Partner Hub for review/approval by the appropriate academic department prior to the start of each term the course is offered (2nd Friday in August for fall and yearlong term courses; 2nd Friday in December for spring term courses).
• Provide students enrolled in dual credit courses with an Oakton-approved course syllabus. 
• Complete roster verification when prompted to ensure roster accuracy each semester.
• Evaluate student learning outcomes within the framework of the Oakton Program for Assessment and Learning (OPAL) and report assessment data per college protocols.
• Submit midterm and final grades via myOakton by Oakton's deadlines unless otherwise specified.
  • Final grades are due one week after course completion at the high school.  

Academic Records

Oakton uses a grading system in which students are assigned a letter grade of A, B, C, D or F reflecting the student’s performance in a course. The student’s high school grade for the course will be reported on the high school report card. The college grade will be recorded on the student’s official Oakton College transcript upon course completion. 

• Failing grades and withdrawals could restrict eligibility for future college admissions, scholarships, and financial aid.
• Be mindful of the College's course drop and withdrawals dates for each term. (Reference Academic Calendar)
  • When students drop a course before the College's Drop date, there is no impact to their collegiate record.
  • When students drop after the College's drop date, it is considered a withdrawal; therefore, a W will appear on their collegiate record. A W protects students' collegiate record in that it has no adverse on GPA.

In accordance with the Illinois Dual Credit Quality Act (DCQA) and in alignment with the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) and National Alliance for Concurrent Enrollment Partnerships (NACEP) accreditation standards, all dual credit courses offered at district high schools are subject to review by the college. To review the delivery of dual credit courses to ensure consistency with courses offered on campus, Oakton has established the following guidelines and procedures:

• An Oakton Academic Dean or Chair will conduct a site visit during the first year of a new course/instructor.
  • Provided the course review is satisfactory, the academic department will conduct ongoing reviews at least once every five years. However, the College may elect to conduct additional reviews as necessary.
  • A copy of the documentation from the site visit will go to the district instructor, the appropriate high school district administrator, and on file at Oakton.
• Should Oakton find a course to be non-compliant with the College’s expectations, formal notice, with a deadline for remediation (if appropriate), shall be provided by the appropriate Academic Dean and Chair to the district instructor and appropriate high school district administrator(s).
  • If remediation is not appropriate, or if the remediation deadline is not met satisfactorily, the College reserves the right to discontinue awarding college credit for the course(s) in question.