The St. Clair County School System provides high quality educational experiences and effective instruction in core academic subjects and a variety of elective programs and extracurricular activities. Schools in the system use the Courses of Study and College and Career Readiness Standards (CCRS)adopted by the Alabama State Department of Education as the basis of instruction. Go to the Alabama State Department of Education Standards or Alabama Learning Exchange for the Alabama College and Career Standards and Alabama Insight Tool. Schools provide a free and appropriate education for students eligible for Special Education services according to IDEA guidelines.

The A+ Partnership was founded in 1991 as a non-profit organization to unite business, civic, parent, government and education leaders around one common goal: improving student achievement. In 2008, at the request of Governor Riley and the State Superintendent, A+ established a new operating division dedicated to improving student achievement in math, science and English. The division, entitled A+ College Ready, was the recipient of a $13.2 million grant from theNational Math and Science Initiative to establish the Advanced Placement Training and Incentive Program (APTIP) a proven program that provides students and teachers with the tools, resources and support needed to achieve academic excellence.

The mission of A+ College Ready works to dramatically increase the numberl of students in Alabama taking math, science, and English AP courses, earning qualifying scores on AP exams and attending and succeeding in college.

Alabama ACCESS

Goal

The goal of the distance learning plan is to create equity through additional educational offerings for all Alabama public high school students. 

Mission

The mission of the distance education program in Alabama is to provide and infrastructure that delivers equitable, quality learning opportunities for all citizens.

Vision

The State of Alabama provides equal access to high-quality instruction to improve student achievement through distance learning.  

• Algebra I
• Algebra II
• Algebra II with Trigonometry
• Geometry
• Algebraic Connections
• PreCalculus
• Economics
• U.S. Government
• World History:  1500 to the present
• U.S. History to 1877
• U.S. History from 1877 to the present
• English 9
• English 10
• English 11
• English 12

The mission of Jacksonville State University's Jump Start Enrollment program is to create a community of learners within the high school who have decided that college coursework is an option for them.  These students actively participate in dual enrollment courses, navigate through the procedures of a JSU student, and take responsibility for their learning, making them well-equipped to enter any college or university and to be successful freshmen.

Criteria for participating in the dual enrollment program include the following:

• The student will have a “B” average.
• The student will obtain written approval of the principal and superintendent.
• The student will be enrolled in Grade 10, 11, or 12 or have an exception granted by the participating postsecondary institution upon recommendation of the student’s principal and superintendent and in accordance with Alabama Administrative Code Rule 290-8-9-.17 regarding gifted and talented students.
• The student who is enrolled in Grade 10, 11, or 12 who does not have a “B” average in completed high school courses may be deemed eligible to participate in dual enrollment courses pending demonstrated ability to benefit as documented by successful completion and placement identification on assessments approved by the Department of Postsecondary Education. Students eligible under this section will be restricted to pursuing career/technical and health-related courses. Students enrolled under this provision must have earned a “B” average in high school courses related to the occupational/technical studies and have an overall Grade Point Average of 2.5
• The student shall take courses at a postsecondary/college level – not remedial courses.
• The student enrolled in courses during the normal high school day on or off campus is responsible for his/her own transportation. The St. Clair County Board of Education is not responsible for transportation or its liability.
• Three semester credit hours at the postsecondary level shall equal one credit at the high school level Jefferson State Community College requires a 20 on the English portion of the ACT or students may take the placement test in English before being allowed to enroll in Dual Enrollment English. High Schools may have additional requirements for enrollment.

St. Clair County Schools currently have a Dual Enrollment / Dual Credit agreement with Jefferson State Dual Enrollment.

The Alabama State Board of Education has authorized the establishment of dual enrollment between public colleges and universities and local boards of education.

 The following options may be offered in dual enrollment:

• Dual Enrollment allows students to earn college credit.
• Dual Enrollment/Dual Credit (DE/DC) allows students to earn both high school and college credits for the same course.

1 Carnegie Unit is awarded for completion of a semester college course.

Assigned grades will appear on the high school report card and transcript and the college transcript. 

The St. Clair County Board of Education has established dual enrollment programs allowing certain high school students to enroll in postsecondary institutions in order to dually earn credits for a high school diploma and/or a postsecondary degree at both the high school and the participating postsecondary levels.

The Advance College Enrollment Institute is Gadsden State's dual enrollment program. Dual enrollment for dual credit permits eligible high school students to enroll in college courses concurrently with high school classes, either at one of Gadsden State's campuses or at the student's high school, earning college and high school credit simultaneously. Eligible students may enroll in the ACE Institute during the Summer, Fall or Spring semesters. ACE Institute students may enroll in any Gadsden State course deemed acceptable by the student's high school, including both general education courses and career technical courses. Certain college courses have prerequisite requirements and/or placement requirements. All credit for coursework completed under these provisions is held in escrow until the student provides proof of high school graduation (final high school transcripts).

ACE Institute students are responsible for the cost of all tuition, fees, books, materials/supplies. Students interested in certain career technical programs, identified as high-wage, high-demand, may qualify for the ACE Institute Scholarship. The ACE Institute Scholarship is funded by the Career Technical Dual Enrollment Grant through the Alabama Community College System may pay tuition and fees, and in some cases, books and supplies.

Please contact high school counselors for more information.  Information on Early College can be found at The University of Alabama Early College

Early College is an initiative from The University of Alabama that gives high school students the opportunity to earn college credit in a dynamic online learning environment, with the UA standard of excellence. Early College students are non-degree-seeking students, which means that they can earn credit without declaring a major.

Early College courses are offered online in every term (fall, spring and summer). In addition to online study, Early College offers its students the opportunity to take courses on campus during the summer. Early College students who complete a course with a passing grade earn the same academic credit as on-campus college students. Just like on-campus college students, Early College students earn their college credit in each term that they complete courses. Early College courses form part of a student’s permanent academic transcript.

The UAEC 200 Gateway course is a two-credit hour course. Most Early College courses are three credit hours, while some courses, such as those in the Natural Sciences (e.g. Biology) and Foreign Languages (e.g. Japanese) have additional lab work or practicum components that earn an additional hour of credit.

You do not have to attend The University of Alabama as a freshman. Your UA Early College credit goes on your permanent academic transcript in every term that you take a course. It is transcripted as University of Alabama credit, meeting SACS accreditation standards, and therefore transfers broadly to many institutions, both public and private, in and out of state. If you plan to take this credit with you to other institutions, you will simply need to order a transcript and have it sent to the receiving institution of your choice. We recommend that you check with any potential receiving institution to see how they will receive your UA Early College credit.