More Than 17% of Acceleration Courses and Exams Do Not Result in College Credit, Which Costs State Almost $6 Million, Report No. 09-21, March 2009
 

Approximately 17.5% of the acceleration courses and exams successfully completed by Florida high school students do not result in college credit to a state university or college, with Advanced Placement exams the least likely to transfer. This occurs for four reasons:

• some students complete multiple exams that result in the same college credit;
• some students do not submit documentation of exam scores or dual enrollment grades to their university or college;
• state and institutional rules limit the number of high school acceleration credit hours for which students can receive college credit; and
• some state universities and colleges fail to award appropriate college credit.

The state spent approximately $5.8 million on high school acceleration courses that did not transfer for college credit for students who entered college in 2005-06. If these students retook these courses at universities and colleges the state would have incurred an additional $2.3 million in costs. The Legislature could consider options to reduce these costs.

Which Government Program Summaries contain related information?

Acceleration Programs

What other OPPAGA-related materials are available?

• Report No. 09-30 University Students Benefit from Acceleration Courses, But Often Retake Math and Science Courses,published in June 2009.
• Report No. 09-12 Modifying Advanced Placement Program Incentive Funding Could Produce Significant Cost Savings,published in February 2009.
• Report No. 08-70 Student Participation in Acceleration Programs Has Increased; Legislature Has Taken Steps to Reduce Program Costs,published in December 2008.
• Report No. 06-27 State’s High School Acceleration Programs Are Funded Through a Variety of Sources,published in March 2006.
• Report No. 06-26 Most Students Receive College Credit for Accelerated Courses; Programs Reduce University Class Time,published in March 2006.
• Report No. 06-25 Most Acceleration Students Perform Well, But Outcomes Vary by Program Type,published in March 2006.
• Report No. 06-24 Acceleration Programs Provide Benefits But the Costs Are Relatively Expensive,published in March 2006.

Copies of this report in print or alternate accessible format may be obtained by telephone (850/488-0021), by FAX (850/487-9213), in person, or by mail (OPPAGA Report Production, Claude Pepper Building, Room 312, 111 W. Madison St., Tallahassee, FL 32399-1475).
e-mail address: oppaga@oppaga.fl.gov