Boscobel High School offers course options for college-bound students

From swnews4u.com: “Boscobel High School offers course options for college-bound students” — By Tricia Hill – Boscobel High School faculty have been working on helping their students in grades 9-12 prepare for college by giving students the opportunity to participate in transcripted, articulated and Advance Placement (AP) courses. Currently, they are offering 14 credits of transcripted courses, which means they can be added to their college transcripts; six credits of college board-certified courses and three credits of articulated courses.

“We encourage our students to take these courses,” said guidance counselor Rhonda Scallon.

The transcripted courses include Accounting, Computer Applications, Speech, Vocational English, and Theme Writing. This is the first year that Theme Writing and Speech have been an option for seniors to take as transcripted courses. The students are encouraged to take these courses not only by the faculty, but also by some of the Southwest Wisconsin Technical College faculty.

“When a student decides to take the course, faculty from Southwest Tech come and talk to the students so they have an idea on what to expect,” Scallon said.

Once a student enters into the transcripted courses, they will be taking a course that they can add to their college transcripts. However, if a student starts taking a transcripted course and their grade seems to be dropping, they have the opportunity to not continue it as a transcripted course, but they must remain taking the course at the high school.

There is currently only one option available to students interested in taking an articulated course, which is a Southwest Tech math course. Students can only use the credits earned by taking this class if they plan to attend Southwest Tech. When taking an articulated course, the student earns a certificate of completion instead of credits added to their college transcript. However, in order to earn the certificate, the student has to earn a B or higher at the completion of the course.

Boscobel also offers some AP courses to their students, such as AP Biology and Advanced Urban History. Boscobel hopes to some day add AP Psychology to the list. Come this May, Boscobel will have nine of their students partaking in the AP exam so see what they have learned.

“The students in AP classes are working during the summer on course work,” Scallon said.

Having these options for Boscobel High School students is a great asset if students take advantage of the situation, according to Scallon. If the students participate and work hard in these programs, they will be given a head start at courses that will be expected of them in college, get a taste of college AP work, see how rigorous the class work can be, and best of all, the classes are free for the students if they take them while in high school.

“As of right now there are no disadvantages to the programs,” Scallon said. “I feel we are setting up the ground work with other colleges by having our students take part in these programs.”

Some students may have concerns if the college they plan to attend will accept credits from Southwest Tech. So the teachers have introduced them to a website called Transfer Wizard, where the students are able to go and see if their college accepts credits from Southwest Tech.

Getting a jump on college

From htrnews.com: “Getting a jump on college” — MISHICOT — When Gabriella Cisneros, a junior at Mishicot High School, found out she could earn college credit in the pre-calculus class she already was taking at the high school, she decided to pay the reduced tuition and take advantage of that opportunity.

“It’s a lot cheaper than if I waited until college,” said Cisneros, who is earning three college credits for $300.

“You’re almost killing two birds with one stone ’cause you get college and high school credit for it,” said Quenten Haack, also a junior in the pre-calculus class.

They are among numerous students earning college credits as part of a dual enrollment program in place at Mishicot High School.

Dual enrollment is different than other programs that allow students to earn college credit in high school, such as Youth Options and Youth Apprenticeship. With Youth Options, students apply to the school board to have the district pay for a college class that is not available at the high school, and Youth Apprenticeship involves coursework at a technical college and work experience at a participating business.

The dual enrollment program offers the opportunity to earn college credit by taking high school classes – at the high school, taught by high school teachers. It differs from the traditional Advanced Placement program in that students taking AP high school classes have to achieve a designated score on the AP exam in that subject in order to receive college credit. The rest of the work they do in the class doesn’t count for college purposes, and in fact, students can take the exam without even taking the class.

Program expanding

While Mishicot High School has offered a couple of dual enrollment courses through Silver Lake College for many years, the program has expanded dramatically in recent years. The number of dual enrollment classes available at Mishicot High School has increased from four classes that could be taken for a total of 12 college credits in 2010-11 to 10 classes for 33 credits this year, according to Marci Waldron-Kuhn, academic adviser and psychology teacher. Another three credits will be added for 2013-14.

Students who enroll in the classes can take them just for high school credit but most opt to pay tuition and earn college credit as well. They pay around $400 or less for each three-credit course, as opposed to about $1,000 if they took it at college, she said.

Mishicot has agreements with four four-year colleges. The school is offering Advanced Chemistry and Honors English through an agreement with Silver Lake College; business management and AP Psychology through UW-Green Bay; pre-calculus and AP Calculus through Lakeland College; and Spanish and sociology through UW-Oshkosh. The credits transfer to other colleges, but whether they transfer and how they transfer – in that subject or just as an elective – varies among the institutions so students are advised to check with the school they’re planning to attend.

LTC

Mishicot High School also has arrangements with Lakeshore Technical College whereby students can earn LTC credits without paying tuition. Two classes – marketing and medical terminology – are available at MHS as transcripted courses. Students who earn at least a C in the class receive LTC credits, and the course and grade are recorded on a transcript at LTC. The credits can be transferred to other technical colleges and four-year universities that choose to accept them.

Advanced Standing courses allow students who earn at least a B to avoid taking the same class at LTC, but the classes aren’t recorded on an official LTC transcript. Other technical colleges may accept the classes, but four-year colleges do not. Mishicot offers 11 Advanced Standing classes through LTC.

Glimpse of college

Senior Shelby DeRoche is paying $700 to earn six credits through Silver Lake College for Honors English. She’s planning to attend Madison Area Technical College so she’s not saving as much as students going to a four-year school, but “it’s easier just to get it done right away,” she said.

Her classmate, senior Dalton Derenne, said he would have to pay $1,800 to get the same six credits at UW-Whitewater. And there’s a benefit beyond the cost savings, according to Derenne.

“They try and prepare you the best they can for college,” he said, referring to the high school, “and offering these college courses really gives you a perspective of what it’s going to be like.”

“It gives the kids a glance at the curriculum that they will see in college so it prepares them for that,” said Honors English teacher Jessica Brossard.

The amount of content differs slightly from the equivalent class at Silver Lake College because of time constraints with Mishicot’s block schedule, but “the skills are essentially the same,” she said. “The curriculum keeps changing to keep up with Silver Lake.”

The students “definitely take it more seriously” because they know they need to get at least a C in order to earn college credit, Brossard said. “And they know that it’s the same work that’s being done in college so they know it’s going to be much more rigorous, so they go into it with that mindset and that prepares them then to be successful.”

And there’s another advantage: “I’m in communication with the colleges so I know what my students need,” Brossard said.

Each post-secondary institution has its own criteria for approving teachers to instruct dual enrollment classes, according to Waldron-Kuhn. For instance, UW-Green Bay requires all teachers to have a master’s degree in the subject they’re teaching or in a related field.

Preparing for college

About half of the dual enrollment classes are taught in a blended format, meaning they include an online component along with traditional instruction, Waldron-Kuhn said. When students get to college, they’re going to have online assignments, such as class discussions on message boards.

“We want to expose our kids to that before they get to the university level,” she said.

Expanding the opportunities for earning college credit while in high school is one piece of the puzzle when it comes to Mishicot’s efforts to prepare students for life beyond high school, according to Waldron-Kuhn. Other initiatives in recent years are group advisement sessions, requiring students to complete a career portfolio to be used when applying for college or jobs, and an increase in credits needed for graduation.

Transcripted credit gives students jump star on college

From wausaudailyherald.com: “Transcripted credit gives students jump start on college” — With the start of another school year, students are back to class and hitting the books, but some of those books are actually doing double duty.

Merrill High School and Northcentral Technical College have partnered again this year to offer transcripted credit classes, an opportunity for high school juniors and seniors to enroll in and complete associate degree and technical diploma course work while fulfilling high school graduation requirements.

Courses are taught at the high school by certified high school instructors who follow NTC’s curriculum and competencies in their classrooms and have no tuition cost for the student or the school district. That means students can earn both high school and college credit without ever leaving their high school classroom.

Last year, 239 Merrill students enrolled in NTC’s transcripted credit program, saving the students and their families more than $26,732 in tuition costs. Students are able to apply the credit they earned to one of NTC’s 150-plus program options or transfer their credit to another college or university where NTC has an existing articulation agreement.

Dawn Jameson, business and information technology instructor, sees the value of transcripted credit for her students.

“Giving students the opportunity to start their post-secondary education while in high school just makes sense. Not only does it save the students money and time, but it also provides them curriculum that is relevant and rigorous to their potential career choice. Many colleges want to see students taking classes that are challenging in high school,” Jameson said.

“(Because I’m) certified to teach seven different transcripted credit classes through NTC, my students have the opportunity to earn 22 credits in the business and information technology department alone. This doesn’t include the seven other instructors who offer transcripted credit classes at Merrill High School. What a great opportunity for the students and a great savings to the parents.”

Transcripted credit is a wonderful opportunity for high school students to experience college level coursework at their high school. These courses offer a cost-effective way for students to get a jump-start on earning a college credential, and provide them with skills and knowledge that will lead to employment.

NTC, along with Wisconsin’s other 15 technical colleges, has offered dual enrollment opportunities, free of charge, for high school students for more than 30 years. Merrill High School is one of the many high schools in NTC’s district participating in the transcripted credit program. NTC continues to look for opportunities to expand and partner with area school districts to ensure that local students have the ability to excel no matter what their future may hold.

High schools team with NTC to offer college credits

From wsaw.com: “Area high schools team up with NTC to offer college credits” — Area high school students have another opportunity to earn free college credits this school year. The school districts of Abbotsford, Athens, Colby, Loyal, Spencer and Stratford have joined forces with Northcentral Technical College (NTC) to offer the Health Academy. The Health Academy consists of classes that will give students a jump start on a career in the health field.

The Health Academy is an addition to a group of already existing Academies these districts provide to their students. The other Academies high school students in Abbotsford, Athens, Colby, Loyal, Spencer and Stratford can attend are Manufacturing, Marketing and Early Childhood.

The school districts pool their resources to provide the teachers for the courses while NTC provides the curriculum and space to hold the classes if needed.

“Working with other area school districts allows us to provide viable educational opportunities for students to launch their careers,” said Reed Welsh, Superintendent, Abbotsford School District. “As rural school districts we need to work together to help our students. We wouldn’t be able to offer the Academies on our own.”

Each Academy includes 14-16 transcripted NTC credits. The credits can go towards an associate degree at NTC or can transfer to any of the 4-year colleges or universities where NTC has an existing articulation agreement. Since the fall of 2009, students enrolled in the Academies have earned almost 1,400 NTC credits absolutely free of charge, saving them and their families more than $155,000.

Column: High schoolers able to double dip at MSTC (& all Wis. technical colleges)

From marshfieldnewsherald.com:  Column:  High schoolers able to double dip at MSTC — Technical colleges are specialists in transitioning students from kindergarten through 12th grade into higher education.

Mid-State Technical College’s, or MSTC, dual credit program allows high school students to “double-dip” by earning college credits while in high school and applying these same credits toward their high school graduation.

When cost is an issue, dual credit is a great way to stretch dollars and reduce the cost of a college education. High school juniors and seniors all across the MSTC district already are enthusiastically taking advantage of the program to jumpstart their college careers. Dual credit courses offered in high schools use MSTC’s college curriculum and are taught by Wisconsin Technical College System certified high school faculty. Since participants are exposed to higher education at an earlier age, the path to a degree and a good-paying career is put on the fast-track.

Technical college dual credit has a proven track record for more than 20 years. We know that more than 20,000 high school students a year receive such credit from technical colleges. This model has thrived in Wisconsin and is considered a gold standard in higher education across the United States.

MSTC employees help ease the transition to college by helping individual high school students with student services such as career planning and financial aid. Dual credit students are more likely to enroll in college and more likely to complete an MSTC degree or certificate. Education doesn’t have to end with a technical college degree; many MSTC students extend their education at a four-year institution.

Our relationships with high schools throughout the MSTC district remain strong. This past academic year, nearly 400 students earned more than 1,000 credits through MSTC’s dual credit program. For these students, dual-credit means a top-quality education in less time for less money. For local businesses, dual credit is another source of well-trained graduates entering the local workforce.

If we are to continue fostering economic development and job creation in our state, we must take the necessary steps to prepare students for college and the world of work. This flexible degree option is an important and effective tool for giving students the skill set and hands-on experience they need to succeed in postsecondary education and the local workforce.

I encourage high school students and parents to investigate the many benefits of dual credit. For more information about MSTC’s dual credit program or any of MSTC’s many other programs and services, call 888-575-6782.

Sue Budjac is president of Mid-State Technical College.