The first option involves dual credit courses delivered in secondary schools and offered during the regular school day. The second option proivdes courses offered at the college or at other off-campus sites during the day or evening. The third and most popular option is the participation in Tech Prep articulated programs offered at the high schools. The dual credit agreement provides secondary school administrators, teachers and counselors an option to challenge students during their junior and senior years.

Quality safeguards have been implemented in dual credit courses, including points approved by the Illinois Community College Board (ICCB) in 1996:

• College courses offered at off-campus sites, including high schools, are of the same quality, cover the same content, and have the same rigor as courses at John A. Logan College.
  
  
• All state policies specified by the Illinois Community College Board, accreditation standards specified by the North Central Association, and John A. Logan College policies that apply to courses, instructional procedures and academic standards at the college apply to college-level courses offered by the college on campus, at off-campus sites, and at secondary schools.
  
  
• The instructors for these courses are selected from full-time faculty and/or from adjunct/part-time faculty with appropriate credentials and demonstrated teaching competencies at the college level.
  
  
• Courses are selected from transfer courses that have been previously articulated with senior institutions in Illinois or from the first-year courses in ICCB-approved Associate in Applied Science degree programs.
  
  
• The outlines and materials utilized for courses offered at secondary schools are the same as for courses offered on campus, and at other off-campus sites, and contain the content previously outlined in articulation agreements with colleges and universities in the state of Illinois and outside the state.
  
  
• The determination for whether a college course is offered for concurrent credit is made jointly between the secondary level and John A. Logan College according to the policies and practices of the school district and College.

This program has resulted in a number of benefits to students and the educational community. We have seen increased enrollment on campus of students committed to obtaining an Associate Degree. College completion rates are expected to improve over the next few years. Relationships between the College and the high schools have improved. Increased visitations have occurred by faculty and administration on both the College campus and at the individual high schools. There is also a greater number of students from the high schools visiting John A. Logan College.

However, the collaborative effort between the College and the high schools has met some resistance. This resistance has been present on both the College and high school campuses. The respective teachers' unions were quite involved in trying to resolve and, at times, to block this effort. Concerns were expressed about the qualifications, compensation, and possible penalties for teachers of these classes. Issues related to quality of teaching, academic freedom, and possible loss of students also came up. Open lines of communication between teachers, administrators, students, parents, board members and community members have been an important factor to help resolve the issues and to implement the dual credit program.

Dual credit programs are not designed to replace a substantial segment of the academic experience on the college campus, but rather the programs are created to provide high-achieving high school students with opportunities for acceleration. The transition from high school to college is eased by dual credit programs, giving students time to adjust to rigorous academic expectations while remaining in a more comfortable setting, often with smaller classes and more opportunity to ask questions. Dual credit saves students time and money on their journey to earning a degree in higher education, and supports the P-16 (Pre-kindergarten through higher education) movement that is emerging as a priority throughout the nation.