Monday, September 5, 2016

Transforming Student Learning w/ Dual Enrollment; a focus on Higher Education.

Transforming Student Learning w/ Dual Enrollment; a focus on Higher Education.

As we look more towards district level accountability in public education we also need to look internally to our high school programs and educational structures set to meet these outcomes. In my current education setting, we are offering a new concept which is dual enrollment. For the past two years we have aggressively pursued enrolling high school students in college courses both 2-year and 4-year colleges and universities.  In our attempts to prepare students for a professional life after graduation, we have postured our academic programs to meet this long-range goal in a short period of time. Students can now begin taking college classes as early as the ninth grade. In our district we have met this provision with success. Additionally this concept allows our school system to meet a new plan for district accountability. With this new initiative we have met many challenges as well as we have made many positive outcomes and advances. There is yet more development needed to synthesize this initiative which is the reason we must improve our transformation process.

Presently we have 85 students in dual enrollment with a post-secondary institution (2-year college). We have grown this number from fifteen from our first semester two years ago. We offer courses in: Health Sciences, Public Speaking, Automotive Manufacturing, Automotive Services, Business Administration, and Finance w/ Accounting. Yes, we have a strong STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) focus within our Career Technical division. With all of this, there is a need to improve and continue to advance our teaching methods in general education to better prepare students as they face dual enrollment. Dual enrollment at a 2-year college is just as important as dual enrollment at 4-year college/university. In fact, many of the core courses are the same (I.e.) Math, English, Science and Social Sciences to include some of the electives. Dual Enrollment hopefully will not vanish anytime soon; therefore, as a public educator I see the need to bridge a stronger connection between P-12 and Post Secondary learning environments regardless of their size, location, and historical background. Every institution of higher learning supports learning growth for all students. We must connect our students to these possibilities. To do so we must continue the following:

  • Develop cross-walks for similar content courses. This must co-exist with all secondary courses. This is currently in place but it needs more definition.
  • Improve career development within cooperative education programs. This will increase student' interest in high demand jobs and careers. We have improved this practice within our existing cooperative education program. Furthermore, we are now offering COOP to both of our high schools with more STEM related employment, job shadowing, and internship opportunities.
These are just a few of the ongoing improvement activities needed to further develop a transformation process. The need for students to matriculate through high school to college and from high school to career success is paramount. The outcomes are endless but it will only begin with planning and a strategic implementation of a unified plan. Student success is for every student; moreover there are many levels of successful methods. A school district must offer as many opportunities for success as there are students enrolled. The collaborations that we (Macon County Public Schools) has with post-secondary is a great start; however the greater challenges are in front of us. As a senior level district leader, I will continue to support the efforts of every student interfacing dual enrollment within their high school career. Additionally, that every child has a cooperative education experience to further place them in proximity of having a slice of the American dream. In my efforts of meeting these long and short terms goals, I will continue to explore higher education and its resources available to P-12 entities. Funding, authentic collaborations, student exposure, parental support, and internal structures will be the focus of my post. My goal is to improve the outcomes for student success by providing a healthy conversation per the need for college and career success. This post will be a series of improvement conversations needed to better support our students via Dual Enrollment and Higher Education.

Resources:

Newman, F., Couturier, L., & Scurry, J. (2004). The future of higher education: Rhetoric, reality, and the risks of the market. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Chapter 1, "Higher Education in the Grip of Transforming Change"

O'Banion, T. (2010). Focus on learning: The core mission of higher education. In T. O'Banion & C. Wilson (Eds.), Focus on learning: A Learning College Reader. Phoenix, AZ: League for Innovation in the Community College.


Posted by:
Melvin Alonza Lowe, III, EdD
Educational Director -
Career & Workforce Development
Macon County Public Schools
www.maconk12.org
lowema@maconk12.org
lowemelvin724@gmail.com