College, school districts working to implement new concurrent enrollment program

Legislative changes open college-level courses to more high school students

Thanks to recent changes in Colorado law, high school students will soon have greater access to college classes. To that end, Colorado Mountain College is working with area K-12 district superintendents and high schools to figure out how to implement the new concurrent enrollment provisions by the 2010-11 academic year.

The state’s redesigned concurrent enrollment program will replace the existing post-secondary educational options, or PSEO, program that allows students to take college-level classes while still in high school. With the changes, the dual-credit high school and college classes will be open to ninth- and 10^th-graders in addition to 11^th- and 12^th-graders.

The new rules do not cap the number of courses students can take per semester and will allow students to take concurrent enrollment classes during the summer. This opens the door for more Colorado students to get a jump start on college while still in high school, said Dr. Deborah Schmitt, assistant vice president for academic affairs at Colorado Mountain College.

“The legislation is designed to provide more opportunities to more students, especially with groups that have been underrepresented in going to college, such as minorities,” Schmitt said. “One of the biggest changes is trying to provide college opportunities for students who traditionally were left out and were not encouraged as strongly to go to college, by encouraging them to take classes while under the support system of high school staff and counselors.”

As college administrators work with school districts to implement the new program by fall 2010, Schmitt also will advise on the process at the state level. This summer she was appointed by David Skaggs at the state Department of Higher Education to serve on the Concurrent Enrollment Advisory Board as a representative of a local district college.

Differences in how courses are paid for, levels of classes

The changes will alter the way classes are funded. Families previously paid for the college classes and received reimbursement from the school district if students completed the course with a grade of C or better. Now the school districts will pay for the classes through per-pupil funding from the state, and families will only reimburse the costs if students do not successfully complete the course.

The concurrent enrollment options will expand from allowing only college-level classes to also providing education at a basic skills level.

“This is huge. We can now help get those students ready for college if they are in the 12^th grade and testing below college-ready levels,” Schmitt said. “We can now remediate math, English and reading, and students will be more prepared and college-ready. More than 54 percent of the students who apply to CMC do not place at the college level in math, English and reading, which is very similar to other community college statistics in the state.”

Changes to help more students prepare for college

Schmitt said area school superintendents see the changes in the program “as a positive that more students will be ready and have the opportunity to prepare for college while still in high school.” In fact, motivated students with a good academic plan of study may earn an associate degree or career certificate while in high school.

Dr. Shalee Cunningham, superintendent of the Steamboat Springs School District and a trustee of Colorado Mountain College, said the updates lift some restrictions that will open more doors for students. Cunningham hopes the discussions will encourage greater concurrent enrollment participation by more students and districts.

Another change is that students will be required to have an academic plan of study and meet prerequisites before enrolling in college courses. Students can qualify to take the classes through traditional testing options such as ACT, SAT or ACCUPLACER and must have the approval of school officials. The program goal is to encourage more students toward a degree or certificate rather than just taking individual courses.

Area high school principals who have questions about the new program are welcome to contact Schmitt at (970) 947-8340 or dschmitt@coloradomtn.edu.