Early Postsecondary Opportunities (EPSO)
Early Postsecondary Opportunities
Tennessee students have an unprecedented opportunity for education and training beyond high school through the TN Promise. To ensure students are ready to take full advantage of the TN Promise and succeed in postsecondary, all students should have access to rigorous and relevant early postsecondary opportunities (EPSOs). Research has shown that students who participate in early postsecondary courses are more likely to enroll and persist in postsecondary.
Early postsecondary opportunities allow students to:
- earn postsecondary credits while in high school.
- become familiar with postsecondary expectations.
- develop confidence and skills for success in postsecondary.
- make informed postsecondary and career decisions.
- decrease the time and cost of completing a certificate or degree.
Early Postsecondary Opportunities in Collierville Schools
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The College Board’s Advanced Placement (AP) Program provides an opportunity for high school students to experience postsecondary-level coursework across multiple subjects. Each course is aligned to a subject-specific AP exam, which provides students the potential to earn credit for postsecondary coursework in that subject.
Frequently Asked Questions:
What student feeds are involved with AP, and how can I get assistance with the cost?
- Exam fees
- College Board and state assistance is available for low-income students
Will this class still count for a high school credit and meet remaining graduation requirements?
- Yes, AP courses meet specific graduation requirements and/or elective credit
Will this class get recognized by my high school according to state policies?
- Yes, APs are recognized according to policy, and AP students are able to graduate with state distinction
- Qualifies for increased GPA weighting
What determines if I could receive any postsecondary credit?
- The student’s AP exam score
What determines if I will have any postsecondary credit awarded?
- Determined by individual postsecondary institutions
- Awarded upon matriculation
What is the structure of Advanced Placement?
- Course and exam
Who is the provider of Advanced Placement?
- The College Board -
Developed by the College Board, College Level Examination Program (CLEP) exams are used to assess mastery of postsecondary-level material acquired in a variety of ways—through general academic instructions, significant independent study or extracurricular work. Students can earn credit for postsecondary coursework in a specific subject.
College Level Examination Program Toolkit
Frequently Asked Questions:
What student fees are involved with CLEP?
- Exam fees
Will this class still count for a high school credit and meet remaining graduation requirements?
- CLEP is not a course; it does not meet high school graduation requirements
Will this class get recognized by my high school according to state policies?
- CLEP is not a course; it does not meet high school graduation requirements
What determines if I could receive any postsecondary credit?
- The student’s CLEP exam score
What determines if I will have any postsecondary credit awarded?
- Determined by individual postsecondary institutions
- Awarded upon matriculation
What is the structure of CLEP?
- Exam
Who is the provider of CLEP?
- The College Board -
Dual enrollment (DE) is a postsecondary course, taught either at the postsecondary institution or at the high school, by postsecondary faculty or credentialed adjunct faculty. Dual enrollment instructors must meet postsecondary requirements, but do not have to meet specific TN teacher licensure or endorsement requirements.
Dual enrollment courses can be taught at the postsecondary campus, the high school, or online. The location of the course does not affect its status as a dual enrollment course.
Students are enrolled at the postsecondary institution and earn postsecondary credit upon completion of the course. High school credit is awarded based on local policy.
Dual Enrollment Myths and Facts
Frequently Asked Questions:
What student fees are involved with dual enrollment, and how can I get assistance with the cost?
- Course tuition, fees, books
- Dual Enrollment Grant (a lottery scholarship)
Will this class still count for a high school credit and meet remaining graduation requirements?
- For dual enrollment courses, each district sets local policy on awarding high school credit and determining graduation requirements
Will this class get recognized by my high school according to state policies?
- Yes, dual enrollment courses are recognized according to policy, and dual enrollment students are able to graduate with state distinction
What determines if I could receive any postsecondary credit?
- The student’s course completion and/or passing grade as assigned by postsecondary instructor
What determines if I will have any postsecondary credit awarded?
- Credit awarded on postsecondary transcript and can be transferred to other postsecondary institutions
What is the structure of dual enrollment?
- Course
Who is the provider of dual enrollment?
- Individual Tennessee postsecondary institutions -
High school course aligned to a local postsecondary institution’s course and exam. Students who pass the exam earn credits that are accepted and/or recognized by the local postsecondary institution.
Local Dual Credit Myths and Facts
Frequently Asked Questions:
What student fees are involved with local dual credit?
- Exam fees
Will this class still count for a high school credit and meet remaining graduation requirements?
- Local dual credit courses fulfill the same requirements as the aligned high school course
What determines if I could receive any postsecondary credit?
- The student’s challenge exam score is at or above the established cut score
What determines if I will have any postsecondary credit awarded?
- Students will receive credit at the partnering postsecondary institution
- Students should notify registrar upon matriculation to receive credit
What is the structure of Local Dual Credit?
- Course and exam
Who is the provider of Local Dual Credit?
- Individual Tennessee postsecondary institutions -
Tennessee high school and college faculty worked together to develop the learning objectives and challenge exam for each course.
Students have the opportunity to earn credit that can be applied to any Tennessee public postsecondary institution.
Prior academic performance, ability, and interest should be used to inform student placement decisions.
The courses add to the portfolio of available early postsecondary credit opportunities, but do not replace local agreements.
High schools can offer early postsecondary credit courses regardless of their access to a local postsecondary partner or funding for other courses.
All students enrolled in a statewide dual credit course take the online challenge exam, which is used to assess mastery of the postsecondary-level learning objectives.
Exam scores are reported on the high school transcript to ensure postsecondary credit is accurately awarded but are not used in any state accountability measures.
All statewide dual credit courses are approved by the Consortium for Cooperative Innovative Education before they can be offered as a part of the state’s current pilot program (see Public Chapter 967 for more information).
Statewide Dual Credit Implementation Overview
Statewide Dual Credit Exam Overview
Statewide Dual Credit Myths and Facts
Statewide Dual Credit Key Facts
Frequently Asked Questions:
What student fees are involved with statewide dual credit, and how can I get assistance with the cost?
- No exam fees
Will this class still count for a high school credit and meet remaining graduation requirements?
- Yes, the statewide dual credit course fulfills the same requirements as aligned high school course
Will this class get recognized by my high school according to state policies?
- Yes, statewide dual credit courses are recognized according to policy, and statewide dual credit students are able to graduate with state distinction
- Qualifies for increased GPA weighting
What determines if I could receive any postsecondary credit?
- The student’s challenge exam score is at or above the established cut score
What determines if I will have any postsecondary credit awarded?
- Credit accepted at all Tennessee public postsecondary institutions
- Students should notify registrar upon matriculation to receive credit
What is the structure of SDC?
- Course and exam
Who is the provider of SDC?
- Tennessee Department of Education -
Industry certifications (IC) are earned through secondary and postsecondary career and technical education programs and courses. High school students are encouraged to focus their elective credits on robust, career-aligned learning pathways. Robust learning pathways should culminate with the achievement of nationally recognized industry certifications, meaningful work based learning experiences, and/or attainment of postsecondary credit hours through early postsecondary opportunities. As it pertains to industry certifications, all department-promoted certifications are aligned with postsecondary and employment opportunities and with the competencies and skills that students should have acquired through their chosen programs of study.