Concerns

Acceleration of course work for students has been well researched and is a desirable option that has been shown to improve achievement for gifted students (Benbow & Lupinski, 1996). However, acceleration was rarely a solution chosen by schools until recent years (Jones & Southern, 1989). It was often felt that students receiving advanced class work would quickly outpace the curricular offerings that the school could provide. Further, concerns were expressed about quality standards, including the acceptability of these courses to the colleges and universities to which the students might apply.

This state of affairs has dramatically changed during the last years of the 20th Century and leading into the 21st Century, with increasing numbers of states and schools offering accelerated course options. In the process, quality standards are also being addressed. Andrews (2001) identified 48 states in which state laws and administrative guidelines or local policies are helping to assure that programs are meeting the required standards for college transfer to colleges and universities. Many states are coming to realize the value of this new option and are being pressured by parents, students and secondary schools to make it more widely available.

One Campus: Various Options

Various options are utilized in the delivery of these dual-credit courses. While many are taught at the high school utilizing the college course syllabus, textbook, and grading standards, others may be offered on a community college campus, or at workplaces. While location at a high school increases accessibility for high school students, other locales offer situations in which students can take advantage of hands-on learning opportunities, or the more extensive resources of a college campus.

Olney Central College (OCC) and seven of its district high schools make up a service area in rural Southeastern Illinois which is highly committed to offering dual enrollment options to high school students. This program has become a major force in the education of local juniors and seniors over the past four years, providing them access to both academic and career and technical courses.

In recent years many area secondary schools had had to curtail their career and technical education offerings due to lack of available faculty or resources. The dual-credit option with the community college opens the door to over 100 students a year in six vocationally-oriented program options. The courses, type of delivery, location, and high schools are outlined in the Delivery Options.

Delivery Options

A. Career and Technical Classes: OCC On-campus Option
Course/Program: Collision Repair Technician, Automotive Service, Cisco Networking, Web Designer Certification, Woodworking

B. Career and Technical Classes: In-plant Option
Program: Industrial Maintenance

C. Transfer Option at East Richland High School
Course: Calculus I, US History I &II, World Literature, General Psychology, Business Law, General Biology I

D. Two-way Telecommunications Option
Course: Principles of Economics, English I and II, Fundamentals of Speech

Some students from East and West Richland High Schools are bussed to the college campus while enrolled in semester long career and technical education segments, taught by Olney Central College faculty. Students from five high schools attend Industrial Maintenance courses at the Hella Electronics plant in Flora, Illinois. They are given lecture time in the industry training room, followed by live observation and hands-on experiences using equipment on the plant floor. The industry sees this as a means of attracting and orienting potential future workers.

Transfer classes have also been developed to help local high schools offer a greater variety of classes, while also providing dual credit options. These classes address the general education requirements for most colleges and universities and are offered in the secondary school during the regular school day for dual credit. They are taught by high school teachers who are carefully selected and meet the employment qualification guidelines of the college district. In addition, college transfer courses are offered via telecommunications to Flora High School students at their school, located 25 miles from campus. The courses are offered over the college and high school distance learning system, and the classes contain a mix of college and secondary dual-credit students. Faculty chosen to teach these classes come from the full-time faculty on the OCC campus.

Summary

The dual-credit course option provides an exceptional marriage between secondary schools, community colleges and some universities. The growth over the last few years has been phenomenal. Andrews (2000-2001) found in Illinois a 240% increase in secondary schools coming into this program since 1996-1997.

The 21st Century is off to a great start in the area of innovative planning and delivery of services involving partnerships among secondary schools and community colleges and universities. Cooperative dual-credit programs meet the needs of high school juniors and seniors by jump-starting their college careers and providing a challenge.

References

AY. Andrews, H. A. (December, 2000/January, 2001). The dual-credit explosion at Illinois' community colleges. Community College Journal.

Andrews, H. A. (2001). The dual-credit phenomenon: Challenging secondary school students across 50 states. Stillwater, OK: New Forums Press.

Benbow, C., & Lupinski, D. (1996). Intellectual talent development. Baltimore, MD: John Hopkins University Press.

Botstein, L. (2001, Winter). The future of high school: A radical proposal. The Presidency,4(1), Washington, D.C.: American Council on Education.

Jones, E., & Southern, T. (1989). Acceleration of gifted children. New York: Teachers College Press.