Education double dip

As Orange County High School students gear up to register for next year's classes, they are faced with many choices including advanced placement and dual enrollment courses. While both options offer a student the chance to get a head start on life after high school, dual enrollment has a leg up over the competition.
Dual enrollment, like advanced placement courses, offers students the chance to accumulate college credit while also gaining the usual credits needed to graduate from high school. The main difference comes in that in order to receive college credits for advanced placement classes, the student must score well on the advanced placement test taken at the end of the course. If they don't meet the required score, the student will only receive high school credits. Should the student choose to take dual enrollment courses instead, they will receive college credit providing they pass the class with a grade of C or better.
"The greatest benefit of dual enrollment courses is that you are getting exposed to a college class and the rigor of a college class," Germanna Community College Coordinator of Dual Enrollment Canice Graziano said.
According to Graziano, this year, more than 60 Orange County students were enrolled in dual enrollment courses in the fall and spring semesters. In Orange County, dual enrollment students take courses through Germanna Community College that later transfer as general education credits, or the typical courses a first-year college student would take.
"Orange has a lot of offerings now and students are benefiting from them," she said. "Offered this year are Psychology which would be a social science or elective, Introduction to Business, Anatomy/Physiology 1 and 2, Biology 1 and 2, Pre-calculus 1 and 2 and Statistics."
According to Orange County Public Schools Assistant Superintendent of Instruction Gena Keller, the county tries to offer courses different from what is offered at the high school.
"Generally speaking, we look at dual enrollment as courses that aren't going to be offered at the high school," she said. "We work out agreements based on demand, what other schools are offering. We don't compete with what is already offered."
Enrollment is done through the high school during the registration period. Students must take a placement test to ensure that they are adequately prepared for college-level work. Providing they pass the test, they are enrolled in the class. Typically, only juniors and seniors are allowed to enroll in the classes. However, if a younger student does well enough on the placement test and gains special permission from the college dean, they are also allowed to take the dual enrollment classes.
"Occasionally, we will allow for sophomores to be in the classes if they score high enough but I've never placed a freshman before," Orange County High School guidance counselor Kim Harris said. "We're usually pretty open about allowing anyone to take those courses if they meet the requirements."
Payment for the classes is done at the school, which is then billed by the college. According to Graziano, dual enrollment courses cost $86.15 per credit with most classes being three credits. Lab science classes are four credits.
"It's a few dollars cheaper than what a usual student would pay [at Germanna] because they don't have to pay some of the fees," she said. "A three credit course will be $258.45 which is a lot cheaper than at a four-year school."
Students need not leave school for the classes as they are taught at the high school.
"It's all done at the high school," Graziano said. "The classes are taught by instructors who meet our requirements for teaching at Germanna which means they have a master's degree with 18 graduate credit hours in the subject area."
When it comes time to receive credit for the course, students receive college credit and an upper level high school credit.
"Someone taking dual enrollment Biology would [receive] a high school credit for an upper level Biology course like Biology 2," Harris said.
More students may choose to take the courses next year due to a newly proposed county policy allowing students monetary reimbursements for their courses.
According to Keller, starting next year, students in dual enrollment classes may apply for a $150 scholarship to apply to the cost of the class providing they pass the course with a grade of B, 3.0, or better.
Students may apply for up to three scholarships not exceeding $150 total. The budget may affect the number of scholarships available and the total amount allowed per person but nothing will be known until the budget is approved in February.
Course registration for Orange County High School students will begin in February. More information on dual enrollment can be obtained by visiting http://www.germanna.edu/de/index.asp?menuchoice=DE%20Home.