The 8 in 6 program allows students to take accredited online overload and online summer courses, paid for in part by the state, in order to complete their required high school courses at an accelerated rate and go on to earn college credit while still in high school. Students may begin the program in the seventh (7th) grade and must complete at least one (1) online summer or online overload course, in addition to their full course load, each school year.
DEFINITIONS
“8 in 6 Program” means the two (2) years of junior high, the four (4) years of high school and the first two (2) years of college or professional-technical preparation that normally take eight (8) years to complete are compressed into six (6) years by taking full course loads during the school year and one (1) or two (2) online courses during the summer or as online overload courses.
“Credit” means middle or high school credit.
“Full course load” means no fewer than twelve (12) credits per school year for grades seven (7) through eight (8), no fewer than fourteen (14) credits per school year for grades nine (9) through twelve (12) for summer online course eligibility purposes, and the maximum number of courses offered by the student’s school during the school day per school year from online overload course eligibility purposes.
“Overload course” means a course taken that is in excess of or more than the number of courses taken in the normal school day as a normal school day is defined for fractional average daily attendance purposes by the Idaho State Department of Education (SDE).
“School year” means the normal school year that begins upon the conclusion of the break between grades and ends upon the beginning of the same break of the following year.
PARTICIPATION
Prior to a student’s participation in the 8 in 6 Program, the district will make reasonable efforts to ensure that the student understands the program requirements and considers the challenges and time necessary to succeed in the program. The student and parent or guardian must sign the SDE assurance form agreeing the student will:
1. Complete at least one (1) dual credit or professional-technical course during the eleventh (11th) and/or twelfth (12th) grade years;
2. Complete at least one (1) online summer or online overload course per school year; and
3. Take a full course load as defined above.
Participation in this program will be limited to no more than ten percent (10%) of students in each grade seven (7) through twelve (12). If any grade does not fully utilize the available participation slots, the district will reallocate the participation slots to those grades in which more than ten percent (10%) of the students have applied for participation in the program. If the district does not fully utilize its available participation slots by July 1, the SDE will reallocate the participation slots to those districts in which more than ten percent (10%) of the students have applied for participation in the program.
Students accepted into the program will remain in the program from year to year unless they sign the SDE withdrawal form. If a participating student transfers from one school district to another, the student will remain enrolled in the program, notwithstanding the ten percent (10%) participation limitation of the student’s new school district.
If the number of students applying for participation in the 8 in 6 Program exceeds the number of participation slots available in the district, preference will be given to students who have successfully completed at least one (1) online course prior to participating in the program.Preference criteria may also include, but is not limited to, grade point average (GPA), state achievement test results, and other district administered student assessments.
The 8 in 6 program dovetails with the Dual Credit for Early Completers Program and Mastery Advancement Program (MAP) (see Policy No. 633, Dual Credit Programs, and Policy No. 632.50, Mastery Advancement Program (MAP)). Students who complete their high school graduation requirements early may choose to participate in the following:
1. Dual Credit for Early Completers Program – The student can take dual credit courses paid for by the state while still in high school.
2. Mastery Advancement Program (MAP) – The student can graduate early with a scholarship that may be used for tuition and fees at any publicly funded institution of higher education in Idaho.
FUNDING
The state will pay the lesser of the actual cost or two hundred twenty-five dollars ($225) per one (1) credit summer online course or one (1) credit online overload course taken in this program. If the cost of the online course exceeds two hundred twenty-five dollars ($225), the student will be responsible for paying the difference.
The state will pay for no more than two (2) credits of online overload courses per student per school year and no more than two (2) credits of online summer courses per student per summer. The state will pay for no more than a combined total of four (4) credits of online summer or online overload courses per student per year and no more than a combined total of eight (8) credits of online summer and online overload courses per student during the student’s participation in the program.
If a student participating in the program fails to complete one (1) or more summer online or online overload courses with a grade of “C” or better while in the program, the student must pay for and successfully complete a summer online or online overload course with a grade of “C” or better before continuing in the program.
Funding for dual credit or professional-technical education courses will not be provided by the 8 in 6 Program.
ELIGIBLE COURSES
To qualify as an eligible course for the program, the course must be: 1) one in which a majority of the instruction is provided electronically, and 2) offered by a provider who is accredited by the Northwest Accreditation Commission/AdvancED or other recognized entity.
Parents of participating students may enroll their child in any eligible course up to the course enrollment limits provided for above. District personnel will assist parents in the process of enrolling students in accredited courses. Each participating student’s transcript at the district will include the credits earned and grades received by the student for any online courses taken under the 8 in 6 Program.
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LEGAL REFERENCE:
Idaho Code Section 33-1628 – 8 in 6 Program
ADOPTED: January 21, 2015
AMENDED:
**The required 8 in 6 program forms are available on the Idaho State Department of Education (SDE) website. The assurance form can be found at http://www.sde.idaho.gov/site/advancedOpp/docs/Form.pdf and the withdrawal form can be found at http://www.sde.idaho.gov/site/advancedOpp/docs/8%20in%206.pdf.
Eligible program course providers can be identified in the accreditation registry at
http://www.advanc-ed.org/oasis2/u/par/search.
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