TCCTA Forum: Maintaining High Standards and Quality in Dual Credit Courses

1
TCCTA Forum Maintaining High Standards and
Quality in Dual Credit Courses

• January 30, 2007

2
My Perspectives As A President

• Dual Credit, and other ISD/Community College
  initiatives, are essential resources for Closing
  the Gaps
• Research suggests that even one college-level
  experience while still in high school doubles the
  likelihood of enrolling in college after
  graduation

3
My Perspectives As A President

• Quality should be a guiding principle not just
  for dual credit, but for all programs and
  services offered by the community college
• Extensive and multiple forms of communication,
  aimed at multiple constituencies, are necessary
  to maximize the success of dual credit initiatives

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My Experiences With ISD Partnerships And
Initiatives

• Initially, many high school faculty are resistant
• (may fear losing honors or AP classes negative
  stereotypes about community colleges fear of
  imposed participation)
• Initially, many community college faculty and
  staff are resistant
• (fears of immature, intellectually unprepared
  students resistance to association with K-12
  helicopter parents increased outreach to
  off-campus locations resentment of imposed
  participation)

5
My Experiences With ISD Partnerships And
Initiatives

• Anecdotal experiences are often blown out of
  perspective, and require a reliance and sharing
  of data to guide discussions of dual credit
• Best Practices commitment can eliminate some of
  the bumps along the way

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Whats Happening At The State Level?

• P-16 Initiatives Are Not Going Away
• Increasing and becoming stronger
• More focus and from multiple constituencies
• Systemic alignment efforts will increase
• Dual Credit will grow
• Dual Credit will be only one menu option in a
  range of P-16 efforts to create and sustain a
  college-going culture

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Whats Happening At The State Level?

• HB1 mandates (a sampling, only)
• P-16 Councils
• Course Redesign
• Vertical Articulation
• Middle Colleges/High School Redesign
• College Readiness programs increase, with
  emphasis in STEM areas
• Student Success programs required of higher ed
  institutions
• High school students afforded opportunity to earn
  a MINIMUM of 12 college credits (includes AP and
  IB) directs higher ed institutions to assist
  public schools if requested

8
Whats Happening At The State Level?

• Collaborative effort underway to create a
  clearinghouse of P-16 initiatives and support
  resources
• ACC, TACC, THECB, TEA, UT System

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Best Practices Summary

• Handouts available for more comprehensive
  suggested best practices
• Brief Summary
• Dont create secondary internal systems for
  curriculum, hiring, and evaluation
• Curriculum and standards must remain with the
  faculty in the departments offering dual credit
  courses
• Faculty hiring credentials must be the same and
  hiring/evaluation must reside within the teaching
  discipline
• Dont create high school versions of college
  courses
• (curriculum, texts, supplemental resources,
  student expectations must be the same as any
  other section of the same course)

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Best Practices Summary

• Structure more collaboration with college staff
  involved in outreach and partnership initiatives
• Agreements with school districts must be in
  writing
• Must designate single points of contact to
  facilitate communication
• Must be reviewed and revised annually.
• Communication of processes and expectations must
  be targeted to multiple constituencies.
• Use data, research as requested, and minimize the
  exaggeration of anecdotes