Dual-credit programs have been hailed as a way to challenge high school students and boost their chances of finishing college. But a critical stumbling block—finding qualified teachers—threatens to shutter programs in 19 states.
A ruling made official last week by the Higher Learning Commission, which accredits colleges and universities across a big swath of the West and the Midwest, requires teachers in dual-credit programs to hold master’s degrees in the subject they’re teaching.
The ruling gives school officials until September 2017 to comply. If teachers don’t have a master’s degree in the subjects they’re teaching, they can clear the bar by showing they have 18 graduate credit hours in that subject.
