Alvin ISD and Alvin Community College
(Note: Information provided by Alvin Community College)
The Alvin Independent School District and Alvin Community College have entered into an agreement which offers qualified students the opportunity to earn college credits while attending high school.
A. Benefits
• Students maximize their high school years by selecting courses which will count as credit for both Alvin ISD and college.
• Parents receive huge savings by paying lower college tuition at the $25.00per credit rate, as well as waived fees.
• Parents appreciate the additional savings by not incurring charges for college room and board.
• Students have the benefits of college and career counseling from the ACC Academic Advisor for the Dual Credit Program on the high school campus.
• Students can graduate with their Bachelor’s degree up to two years ahead of their peers, putting them in the job market earlier.
• Students qualify to participate in all college activities and organizations and have full use of campus facilities such as the Academic Enhancement Center, Fitness Center, Library, and Computer Labs.
B. Student Expectations
The Dual Credit program is a rigorous program that will require extra time and dedication to academic studies. The successful Dual Credit candidate should make above average grades, be highly motivated, possess good study skills, be goal oriented, and not be afraid to ask for assistance. Students are expected to be emotionally and intellectually mature and ready for rigorous work, much of which is done outside of class. Students should have a strong work ethic, a positive attitude toward learning, excellent time management, and organizational skills.
C. Application Process
Visit www.alvincollege.edu/dualcredit for up to date information.
1. Apply to Alvin Community College - https://app.alvincollege.edu/Admissions/Intent/Index
2. Complete the Pre-Assessment Activity and the TSI Exam—Students testing for the first time should take all 3 sections of the exam unless otherwise advised by the ACC Dual Credit Advisor. 9th & 10th graders must take all 3 sections of the exam, and pass the Reading & Writing sections to qualify for Dual Credit Classes. If taking just Spanish or French, only the Reading section must be passed. Junior/Senior students may file for an exemption
with one of the following test scores:
• PSAT waiver- 107 Composite 50-Math and 50 Reading
• ACT Scores – Minimum score 23 – Composite and 19 – Math and English
• SAT Scores – Minimum score 1070 – Total (Critical Reading & Math) and 500 – Critical Reading and Math • Currently the state has not set exemptions based on EOC/STARR test.
3. Complete an Early Admissions Contract with ACC Advisor. Parent signature is required. 4. Complete the admissions process with ACC Dual Credit Advisor at the high school. 5. Attend Dual Credit Orientation—Visit www.alvincollege.edu/highschool for dates & times.
6. All dual credit courses require payment of tuition to Alvin Community College at www.alvincollege.edu by the posted deadline.
7. Purchase the required college textbooks which are available at ACC College Store or
63 D. Testing Requirements
Some students are required to take tests prior to entering into Dual Credit courses. The tests listed below might be required and meeting their standard will exempt the student from TSI testing. Meet with the ACC Dual Credit Advisor on the high school campus to determine specific testing requirements. These scores must be provided to the college Admissions Office directly from the testing company or must be identified on the official high school transcript at the initial time of admission to the college in order to qualify for the TSI exemption.
• Texas has not determined exemptions based on the STAAR exam. • PSAT (waiver)
Composite score of 107 with Verbal and Math scores of no less than 50 each.
• SAT
Composite score of 1070 or higher with Verbal and Math scores of no less than 500 each. A mathematics score of 550 or higher is required to enroll in College Algebra.
• ACT
Composite score of 23 or higher with individual Math and English scores of 19 or higher. A mathematics score of 21 or higher is required to enroll in College Algebra.
• TSI Exam
To enroll in Dual Credit courses, high school students who have not taken or who cannot claim exemption with PSAT, SAT, or ACT scores must take the TSI exam and meet the college readiness standard .
SECTION TSI Reading 351
Writing 5 on Essay or 4 on essay with objective score of 363 or higher
Math 350
Since college level math is not taken until the 11th grade, students will not have had the benefit of high school geometry and Algebra II for the math TSI Exam. Therefore, the math portion of the placement test can be retaken if the required score is not made on the first attempt.
E. College Algebra Placement
To qualify for placement in Math 1314 – College Algebra, a student must have one of the following math scores: PSAT - 50
ACT - 19 SAT - 500 TSI - 350
STAAR (Algebra II) - 4000 TAKS - 2200*
THEA - 270*
ACCUPLACER - 86+* COMPASS - 70+*
High School Pre-Calculus with an A or B * Exam is no longer available.
64 F. State Testing
Students taking Dual Credit courses are still required to take and pass all required state testing as mandated by their graduation plan. Taking a core course as a Dual Credit class will not take the place of STAAR EOC testing for high school graduation.
G. Alvin ISD Dual Credit Grade Conversion Chart
Dual Credit courses are college courses taken by students to earn college credit while simultaneously earning high school credit. These courses are graded as they would be on the ACC college campus. Grades reported for high school purposes are done so to meet the need of reporting progress to parents through progress reports and report cards; but are not aligned with the high school grading policies. The grade reported is what the student currently has in the college course, which may be drastically different from what the student may earn as their final grade. To learn more about how grades are being calculated in the Dual Credit college course, students/parents should refer to the Course Syllabus. Course Syllabi may be found online at www.alvincollege.edu underneath the Quick Link section.
This chart has been put in place to ensure that if a student earns a C or D in the college course, it is likewise recorded as such on their high school transcript. According to the ACC grading policy 60-69 is a D; 70-79 is a C.
ACC AISD 60 & 61-D =70-D 62 & 63-D =71-D 64 & 65-D =72-D 66 & 67-D =73-D 68 & 69-D =74-D 70 & 71-C =75-C 72 & 73-C =76-C 74 & 75-C =77-C 76 & 77-C =78-C 78 & 79-C =79-C
H. Verification of Numerical Grade
AISD students taking courses at ACC during the summer, fall, and spring semesters will receive the standard alpha grade assigned by the college. To receive high school credit, students must complete and submit a Verification of Numerical Grade form and an ACC transcript, to the high school Registrar no later than 10 days after grades have been posted for the semester in which the course was taken. Alpha grades will no longer be sufficient for high school transcription. See your high school counselor or ACC Advisor for any questions.
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