All About Articulation

Articulation refers to aligning high school and postsecondary curricula to create sequences of courses offering progressive skill attainment, free of gaps or unnecessary duplication.  Achieving a logical, unbroken sequence of study that begins in high school and continues in college is a worthy and challenging goal in itself.  Often, however, and certainly in the context of education reform, articulation also focuses on providing opportunities for high school students to take college level course work and get a head start on accumulating college credits while fulfilling high school graduation requirements.  We refer to this as articulated credit.

Courses that provide articulated credit are of two types, advanced standing courses and transcripted credit courses.  These two articulated credit arrangements are summarized in the table below.  In order to provide such articulated credit opportunities, high schools and technical colleges must enter into articulation agreements.  A listing of all WTCS Advanced Standing and Transcripted Credit Agreements is available at http://systemattic.wtcsystem.edu/reports/STW/articulation_agreements.htm.

  Advanced Standing Transcripted Credit
Relationships Between High School and Technical College Courses The high school course or courses contain competencies that are recognized as equivalent to those in a technical college course.  STudents earn high school credit with potential to later apply credits to technical college. An actual technical college course, using college textbooks and materials, is taugnt to high school students.  Students simultaneously earn high school and technical college credit.
Teachers Taught by a high school teacher. Taught by a technical college instructor or a high school teacher who received articulation certification under TCS 2.02(9)(b).
College Credit Student is granted technical college credit only after enrolling at the college and providing documentation that articulation requirement were met. College credits are awarded and recorded on a technical college transcript immediately upon successful completion of the course.
Articulation Agreement Agreement spells out equivalencies between high school course(s) and technical college course(s) and conditions (e.g., grades and attendance) student must meet to qualify for college credits. Agreement spells out conditions (e.g., grade and attendance) student must meet to successfully complete course.  Plus, course is offered through 38.14(3) contract.
Grades High school grading policies/standards are followed.  Technical college grades are not given. Technical college grading policies/standards are followed.  Grades contribute to student's college GPA.
Documentation of Course Outcome High schools usually give the student a document that specifies the course title and number of credits for which advanced standing credit may be granted upon enrollment at the technical college.  (DPI administrative rule requires a notation on high school transcript.) High schools usually give the student a document that specifies the course title and number of credits for which transcripted credit was earned.  (DPI administrative rule requires a notation on high school transcript.)
Fees, Reporting and Aidability Students pay no fees.  AB 06-06 covers reporting requirements and aidability of courses. Technical colleges charge high schools for tuition and fees.  If a high school uses a high school teacher with articulation certification, the high school charges the technical school at the minimum contract amount.
Transfer to Another Technical College All colleges will honor advanced standing agreements made by another college when comparable courses are involved. Courses are technical college courses for transfer purposes.

NOTE:  Transcripted credit courses that are part of an articulation agreement are one avenue through which high school students may enroll in technical college courses.  Other options that allow high school students to attend technical colleges are: