Senior Year Plus offers a variety of programs designed to provide high school students access to courses with the potential to generate college credit. These programs include:

• Advanced Placement [AP] college-level courses with credit based on exam scores and college policies.
• Post Secondary Enrollment Options [PSEO] direct, nonsectarian college and university courses for eligible juniors and seniors, as well as gifted freshmen and sophomores.
• Concurrent Enrollment dual-credit courses offered to 9th-12th grade students through contracts between local school districts and community colleges.
• Career Academies, secondary education programs integrated with associate degree and career-preparatory coursework.
• Summer College Credit Program (SCCP) career and technical education courses aligned with in-demand jobs under the Future Ready Iowa Act.

Concurrent Enrollment courses are probably the most popular SYP program option among Iowa homeschooled students.

All students under private instruction (IPI or any type of CPI) may access SYP concurrent enrollment courses without regard to any course limit in the Chapter 31 Private Instruction Administrative Rules [See 281--Chapter 22.7(4)]

Students under private instruction who want to access any other SYP options must do so via dual enrollment, filing CPI Form A, and meeting accompanying CPI option requirements. Once the student is over 16, the CPI Form A can be submitted with only minimal information — and no teacher supervision or annual assessment results submissions are required.[See 281--Chapter 31.5(4).] A parent may not use dual enrollment to enroll a child in all courses but one [See 281--Chapter 31.5(4).]

Under the Iowa Code, SYP concurrent enrollment courses are to made available to all resident students in grades 9-12.

Local school district approval is needed for access to other SYP options, and the student must meet minimal proficiency requirements listed below.

Homeschooled students accessing SYP concurrent enrollment courses are not subject to eligibility requirements, but they may need to submit to an initial evaluation by the community college to determine readiness for the coursework. [See Iowa Code 261E.8(7).]

Homeschooled students accessing any other SYP option (except concurrent enrollment) must meet all Senior Year Plus eligibility requirements stipulated in Iowa Code 261E.3 and 281—IAC 22.2, which include demonstrating proficiency in reading, mathematics, and science as evidenced by the student’s performance on the Iowa Assessments. In lieu of Iowa Assessment achievement scores, a school district must allow a student under private instruction to demonstrate proficiency in reading, mathematics, and science by any one of the following means:

• testing at or above the proficiency cut score on the Iowa Assessments, or other annual achievement evaluation approved for students under Competent Private Instruction (CPI)
• submitting a written recommendation of the licensed teacher who supervises the student's instruction
• achieving an ACT composite score of at least 21
• achieving a total combined PSAT score of at least 141 in critical reading, mathematics, and writing skills
• achieving a total combined SAT score of at least 990 in critical reading and mathematics
• meeting any other proficiency standard approved by the local school board for all regularly enrolled students.