Number of Students in Dual Credit Courses on the Rise

By Andrew Wind, Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier, Iowa

Feb. 18–Dual credit course offerings have led to a rapid increase in the number of Waterloo Community Schools students taking advanced classes.

However, East High’s growth in the classes has lagged behind West High School during the last three years.

Dual credit courses allow students to earn both high school and Hawkeye Community College credit. The district has agreements with HCC that allow its instructors or district teachers with the proper certification to teach certain college-level courses to qualified high schoolers at no cost to the students.

The number of dual credit classes being taken in the district jumped from 243 in 2005-06 to 719 this year. The number of students taking the classes grew from 182 to 493. Some take more than one class in the course of a year, so there are fewer students than enrollments.

“We’re benefiting students greatly,” Russ Clark, the career and technical education coordinator, told the Board of Education last week. “I did not think that it would go this quick and have this many students.”

Officials noted, though, that the growth has occurred at different rates in the high schools. Enrollments at West High total 558 (or 377 students) compared to 150 (or 110 students) at East High this year. Expo High, a smaller alternative school, has 11 enrollments and six students.

“We recognize that we need to continue to work at East High School to have comparable options,” said Patrick Clancy, associate superintendent for educational and student services. “We need to build some capacity at East of teachers who are qualified to teach dual enrollment credits.”

“We are going to find a way to have East High students access this at a higher rate,” said Clark.

Teachers with at least a master’s degree who go through a professional development program on the content of a dual credit course are qualified to teach it.

“Right now, almost all are taught on our campuses by our teachers,” said Clancy. Dual credit classes could potentially be taught by HCC instructors or on the college’s campus.

The growth has occurred as the district and college worked together to create multiple career pathway programs that include dual credit classes. Pathways now available in the district include information technology, health/medical, teaching and liberal arts. The board last week approved amending agreements for all but the liberal arts pathway to expand the number of courses included in each.

Students learn what classes are appropriate for a particular type of career they are interested in pursuing. By their junior and senior years, students may have the opportunity to take the dual credit classes.

State financial aid provided to school districts in the form of supplementary per pupil funds has encouraged growth of dual credit courses. Waterloo Schools is receiving $177,250 this year, an increase from $50,979 in 2006-07.

Clancy said “a big part” of the program’s budget is transcription fees paid to Hawkeye. Funds are also used to purchase college-level curricular materials for the classes. When a Hawkeye instructor teaches a class, that has a cost as well.

“Generally speaking thus far, we’ve used our teachers,” said Clancy.

Enrollment in other types of advanced classes district students can take have remained steady since the explosion in dual credit courses.

“A lot of students are taking advantage of higher level courses at both of our schools,” said Clancy. “I could not say there’s a trend of a decrease in advanced classes.”

The post-secondary enrollment options program allows high school students to take regular college-only credit courses on college campuses. The district pays a tuition fee for the courses.

High schools also offer advanced placement classes which may earn students college credit if they get a high enough score on a test that they pay for. However, colleges don’t always accept credit for AP classes.

Susan Padget teaches both an AP and dual credit classes at West High. Padget told the board that AP classes are “wonderfully rigorous,” but she advises students to take the comparable dual credit class.

“It’s a sure thing,” she said. “Just kind of financially for kids it’s a no-brainer.”

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