Indiana’s Dual Credit Advisory Council will convene on dual credit teacher preparation

In response to concerns expressed by education leaders across the state regarding new requirements affecting Indiana’s dual credit teachers, the Indiana Dual Credit Advisory Council will convene to examine the issue and determine possible next steps.

The council will be co-chaired by Indiana’s Commissioner for Higher Education Teresa Lubbers and Superintendent of Public Instruction Glenda Ritz, and it will bring together K-12, higher education, legislative and other education leaders.

The new requirements come from policy clarifications issued by the regional college accrediting body for Indiana and 18 other states, which accredits all Indiana public and not-for-profit private colleges. The clarifications call for educators who teach dual credit courses to have a master’s degree with at least 18 credit hours in the subject-area they teach—qualifications many of Indiana’s dual credit teachers do not currently have.

The following higher education, K-12 education, government and other leaders will serve on the council:

Higher Education

• Mike Beam, Director of Advance College Project, Indiana University
• Paul McGuinness, Vice Chancellor, Purdue University North Central
• Heather Moffat, Director of Project EXCEL, Vincennes University
• John Newby, Assistant Vice President of K-12 Initiatives, Ivy Tech Community College
• Mary Ellen Hamer, Vice President, Independent Colleges of Indiana

K-12 Education

• Vince Bertram, President and CEO, Project Lead The Way & State Board of Education Member
• Marcus Robinson, Chancellor and CEO of Tindley Accelerated Schools
• Jason Callahan, Superintendent, Wabash City Schools
• Dena Cushenberry, Superintendent, MSD Warren Township
• John Elcesser, Executive Director of Indiana Non-Public Education Association
• Wendy McNamara, Director of Early College High School & State Representative
• Todd Bess, ‎Executive Director, Indiana Association of School Principals
• Janet Boyle, Executive Director, Center of Excellence in Leadership of Learning (CELL), University of Indianapolis

General Assembly

• Robert Behning, House Education Committee Chair
• Dennis Kruse, Senate Education Committee Chair
• Greg Porter, House Ways & Means Committee Member
• Earline Rogers, Senate Education Committee Member

Other Organizations

• Gail Zeheralis, Government Relations Director, Indiana State Teachers Association
• Chad Timmerman, Director of Education Policy, Governor’s Office
• P.J. McGrew, Director of Special Projects, Department of Workforce Development

The Indiana Dual Credit Advisory Council was created in 2009 to develop policies that ensure quality for dual credit courses offered to Indiana’s high school students. Policies developed by this council and later approved by the Indiana Commission for Higher Education call for dual credit courses to match the quality and rigor of actual college courses.

Click here to read the Policy on Dual Credit Opportunities in Indiana.