Senior Year Plus (SYP) serves as an umbrella for a variety of programs designed to provide high school students access to courses that have the potential to generate college credit. The following documents provide an overview of requirements:
Senior Year Plus Guide
- Senior Year Plus Guide for Educators and Educational Administrators
- Senior Year Plus Guide for Educators and Educational Administrators (booklet printer friendly version)
- Senior Year Plus Guide – Frequently Asked Questions Addendum (March 2010)
- Senior Year Plus Guide - FAQs Addendum 2 (May 2011)
Additional Guidance
- Memo Regarding Changes to Student Proficiency Requirements (August 2012)
- Memo Regarding Iowa Assessments and Student Proficiency Requirements
- Memo Regarding Student Proficiency Requirements and Dropping Concurrent Enrollment Courses
- Guidance Regarding Concurrent Enrollment Withdrawals and CPI Student Proficiency Requirements
- Memo and Guidance Regarding Alternative Measures of Student Proficiency
- Memo Regarding Alternative Measures of Proficiency and CTE Courses for AY 2010-2011
- Guidance Regarding Concurrent Enrollement Courses and Advanced Placement Designation®
- Additional Guidance on District Textbook Fees for Concurrent Enrollment Courses
- Clarifying Participation of Youth in IEPs in Community College Programming
- Sample Notification of Student PSEO Registration Form
Code and Adminstrative Rule
- Administrative Rules (Chapter 22)
- Statutory Requirements (Chapter 261E)
- Legislative Briefing (2009)
- Initial Guidance on House File 2679 (2008)
Senior Year Plus Programs
Advanced Placement (AP®)
Advanced Placement (AP®) courses are college-level courses offered by high schools. The courses, curriculum requirements, and optional tests are provided by The College Board. Based on the examination score and the postsecondary institution's policies, students may be eligible for college credit or advanced standing at the college or university they later matriculate.
Post Secondary Enrollment Options (PSEO)
The Postsecondary Enrollment Options Act was enacted in 1987 to promote rigorous academic pursuits by providing high school students access to enroll part-time in nonsectarian courses in eligible postsecondary institutions. Now offered through Senior Year Plus, the program is available to eligible juniors and seniors as well as freshmen and sophomores who are identified as gifted and talented according to the school district’s criteria and procedures.
Concurrent Enrollment
The concurrent enrollment program, also known as district-to-community college sharing, promotes rigorous academic or career and technical pursuits by providing opportunities for high school students to enroll part-time in eligible nonsectarian courses at or through community colleges. Per Senior Year Plus, concurrent enrollment courses are offered through contractual agreements between community colleges and school districts within their service area.
Career Academies
Career academies are programs of study offered to high school students through an agreement or contract between their high school and a community college. They bridge high school and community college CTE programs.
Iowa defines career academies differently than national models which often involve small learning communities. In Iowa, career academies are programs of study that combine a minimum of two years of secondary education with an associate degree in a career preparatory program. The career academy is a program of study that is non-duplicative, sequential, and ensures that the course of study is skill standards-based, integrates academic and technical instruction, utilizes work based and work site learning where appropriate and available, utilizes an individual career planning process with parent involvement, and prepares an individual for entry and advancement in a high-skill and rewarding career field.
SYP Postsecondary Course Audit Committee
The Senior Year Plus Postsecondary Course Audit Committee is charged with reviewing samples of postsecondary courses delivered through Senior Year Plus Programs.
SYP Program Data
The Department of Education issues several reports with data on Senior Year Plus programs including the Annual Condition of Education Report, the Condition of Iowa Community Colleges Report, and the Iowa Community Colleges Joint Enrollment Report.
Iowa Community Colleges Joint Enrollment Report - The Iowa Community College Joint Enrollment Report contains detailed fiscal year and longitudinal data on joint enrollment. The report is based primarily on data collected through the Community College Management Information System (MIS).
Condition of Community Colleges - The Condition of Iowa Community Colleges Report, released annually, contains fiscal year and trend information on joint enrollment. The report is primarily based on data collected through the Community College Management Information System (MIS).
Condition of Education Report - Released annually, the Condition of Education Report provides detailed fiscal year and longitudinal data on high school student enrollment in AP® courses and PSEO enrollment. The data is collected through a variety of sources including the Project EASIER data collection system and the Basic Educational Data Survey (BEDS).
Supplementary Weighting - Certified Enrollment Page
The Department of Education provides instructions for school districts seeking supplementary weighted funding. This page includes resources related to certified enrollment including supplementary weighting information and a summary of the prior year's assignment of weighted funding by district. Since October 2010, supplementary weighting is no longer a standalone data collection and is inlcuded as part of the EASIER data collection.
Supplementary Weighting - Student Reporting in Iowa (Formerly EASIER) Page
The Department of Education provides instructions for school districts seeking supplementary weighed funding. This page includes resources related to the calculation of supplementary weighting, SCED Codes for community college courses, contact minutes for community college courses, supplementary weighting frequently asked questions, and other department guidance. This information is located under the "Course Coding and Supplementary Weighting" heading.