Phoenix area students aim for college credit

by Mary Beth Faller - Dec. 27, 2011 12:00 AM
The Republic | azcentral.com

A growing number of Valley students are earning community-college credit for courses they take at their high schools through dual-enrollment classes.

Enrollment in high-school dual-enrollment courses increased nearly 7 percent in the 2010-11 school year compared with the year before, and was up nearly 15 percent from five years ago, according to statistics released this month by the Maricopa Community Colleges district office.

In dual enrollment, students take courses in their regular high school that also earn credits toward a community-college degree -- usually three credits per semester.

The key is that the high-school teacher must meet the qualifications of community-college faculty, usually requiring a master's degree and several years of work experience.

Students in district, charter and private high schools pay $76 per credit to one of the 10 community colleges, and the credits are transferable to all in-state universities.

"Dual enrollment is a win-win for so many reasons," said Daniel Corr, vice president of academic affairs at Scottsdale Community College. "It does away with the 'lost' senior year, where the student has enough credits and is waiting to graduate. It keeps them focused on academics, and they get an orientation to the rigors of college work.

"It saves money for them and their parents because the credits are transferable," Corr said. "And it allows high-school faculty to teach upper-level courses.

"Community college is not the 13th grade," he said. "There's a different mind-set and a different expectation of independence on the student's part."

As good as Advanced Placement

A recent study from the National Center for Postsecondary Research at Columbia University found that dual-enrollment participation has as much of a positive effect on college enrollment and completion as Advanced Placement coursework.

The study, which looked at high-school seniors in Florida, found that dual-enrolled students were more likely than AP students to enroll in a two-year college first, but both groups earned bachelor's degrees at similar rates.

Advanced Placement and dual-enrolled courses are typically higher-level classes. There are about 30 AP courses in high school, and students must pass an end-of-course exam.

Transferable credit depends on the score of the AP exam, typically three credits for a score of 3 or higher on a scale of 0-5. Students pay only for the exam, usually about $90.

The Maricopa Community Colleges offer more than 570 dual-enrolled courses -- both academic and occupational.

Credit is achieved by passing the course, and students usually earn six credits for a yearlong course, which costs $456.

The colleges tweaked the dual-enrollment catalog for this year, eliminating some courses and adding others, as well as streamlining the administrative process for high schools.

"Our goal is to make it easier for the high schools, the parents and the students," said Maria Harper-Marinick, vice chancellor for academic and student affairs for the college system.

Early College program

A second recent study from the National Center for Postsecondary Research found higher rates of university attendance and completion for students who took their dual-enrolled courses on the college campus, compared with students who took them at their high school.

In Maricopa County, few dual-enrolled courses are offered on the college campuses.

One exception is Early College. A few high schools in the Valley offer this two-year program, in which students spend half the day at their high schools, then go to a nearby community-college campus and take a set course of study, usually two classes per semester.

After high-school graduation, the students typically need only one more year of community college to earn a degree.

Cactus Shadows High School in the Cave Creek Unified School District offers Early College and will have its second group of graduates in May. The students attend the nearby Paradise Valley Community College Black Mountain campus.

Lauren Burcar, 16, a junior at Cactus Shadows, is in the Early College program and sees a big difference when she switches to PVCC Black Mountain after lunch.

"It's so much more professional than a high-school campus," she said. "The kids in my class are more advanced, and I feel like I get the information from my teachers better.

"It's pretty much all up to you. And the teacher has to get your permission to show your grades to your parents."

Cave Creek Superintendent Debbi Burdick said that in-state universities lock in their current tuition rate when the students begin Early College in his or her junior year of high school.

"It's a great advantage in a difficult economy for parents who want to give their kids a head start," she said.

Source: http://c.moreover.com/click/here.pl?r5666517660&f=378

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