The Florida Legislature

Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability
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
Full report in PDF format
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
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