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More High-Schoolers Go To College For Credit

Posted on: Wednesday, 17 May 2006, 06:07 CDT

By Robert A. Frahm, The Hartford Courant, Conn.

May 17--Thousands of Connecticut high school students are tackling college courses in a trend that educators hope will open more doors to higher education, a new state report says.

About 11,000 students, more than 5 percent of the state's public and private high school enrollment, are taking courses for credit at two- and four-year colleges, according to estimates in a report to be issued to higher education officials today.

The report to the Board of Governors for Higher Education recommends several steps, including scholarships and academic advising services that would make it easier for high school students of various backgrounds and abilities to enroll in college courses.

The report is believed to be the first such effort in Connecticut to collect data on students who get a jump start on college. Until recently, information on those students was sketchy, but today's study says the number of high school students earning credits at colleges is rising.

"I wanted more of a challenge," said Jason Rome, 18, a senior at Glastonbury High School who took a course in differential equations at the University of Hartford last semester. The most advanced math in his high school curriculum is a calculus class, "and I took that last year," said Rome, who is headed for the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Many of Rome's classmates are taking college courses under the University of Connecticut's long-running Early College Experience program, which offers a wide range of courses at $25 a credit under the supervision of high school teachers certified by the university. The program has grown steadily over the past three years, reaching about 3,800 students statewide this semester.

Aside from providing high-achieving students a chance to get a head start, early college enrollment also can be a strategy to attract disadvantaged students to higher education, experts say.

"We hope it encourages students who haven't thought about college to consider what college can do for them," said Valerie F. Lewis, the state commissioner of higher education.

A report five years ago by the National Commission on the High School Senior Year, sponsored in part by the U.S. Department of Education, suggested alternative possibilities for seniors, such as allowing them to start college early or enroll in courses at technical colleges.

Early enrollment also helps bridge the gap between high schools and colleges, educators say. "It sends clear signals to students about college readiness and the skills you need to succeed," said Michael Kirst, a Stanford University professor who believes colleges rarely let high school students know what is expected of them.

Although such programs are springing up around the nation, Kirst said he worries that some are limited only to the most talented honors students and do not reach others.

Among the recommendations in today's state report is an effort to target disadvantaged students.

In Connecticut, one of the most popular dual enrollment programs - the Tech Prep program operated by two-year community colleges in cooperation with high schools - appeals to students with a wide range of abilities, including special education students, said Douglas Packard, an assistant principal at New Milford High School. Under a partnership with Naugatuck Valley Community College, New Milford students get college credit for courses such as business law, accounting, child development and graphic design. New Milford had only one student in the program in 2001-02 but had 178 by 2003-04, according to today's report.

At two-year community colleges across the state, about 13 percent of recent high school graduates arrived last fall with some previous college credits, the report said. Four-year colleges also reported that large numbers of new freshmen had already earned some college credits by the time they arrived on campus, including 18 percent of new freshmen last fall at UConn and 26 percent at Quinnipiac University in Hamden.

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Copyright (c) 2006, The Hartford Courant, Conn.

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Source: The Hartford Courant, Connecticut

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