Warsaw Community High School Planning College Courses For Students
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By David [email protected]
Warsaw Community High School's first concurrent course will be calculus this fall.[[In-content Ad]]A dual credit course is a college course taken by a high school student for which the student earns both college and high school credit at the same time, according to Jennifer Mayhall, IPFW. With a dual credit course, a student must pay the full cost of tuition.
Bill Kovatch, Warsaw Area Career Center director of career and technical education, said some of the dual credit courses currently offered at WCHS include EMT, health careers, building trades, welding and machine tools with Ivy Tech. Next year, Kovatch said they hope to offer more opportunities like early childhood development.
"We're just working with Ivy Tech to provide more credit courses while kids are in high school," he said.
WCHS also offers courses through Indiana University which allows students to receive credit for a composition or literature course they can take while in high school. Students must pass a test to receive that college credit.
In a concurrent course, a high school student takes a course at their high school, is taught by a high school teacher, and earns a college credit. The course must be approved by IPFW, and it takes "some time" for a course to be approved, said Mayhall.
For the calculus course that will be offered at WCHS, Mayhall said the cost to students will be only $85 per credit hour. Leslie Raymer, director of the program for IPFW, said the course will be the equivalent to an IPFW course. It's a great way for students to get an advance on their college career, she said.
The student's contact person to get enrolled in the course will be their guidance counselor. At IPFW, Ann Brown will be the contact person for families and students. Students eligible for the course will be determined by their teacher.
The concurrent courses slowly being offered by IPFW to high schools came about from new legislation. To earn an honor diploma in high school, a student must earn a high level on their SAT and takes two Advanced Placement or concurrent courses. The graduating class of 2010 is the first class that will be held to the new Indiana Department of Education requirements for the honor diploma, Raymer said.
Students who can not afford the $85 per credit hour tuition can still enroll in the course. Raymer said students on free or reduced lunch will have the balance of their fee picked up by IPFW.
Kovatch said for some families, $85 per credit hour is still a lot of money. He said he is hoping to partner up with a Foundation or other organization to help students at certain financial levels pay for the tuition.
High school teachers who will teach the concurrent courses need to be highly qualified, said Mayhall. Before they are approved to teach the course, the teachers must submit their syllabus and resume to the course department at IPFW. The course must be taught the way IPFW wants it to be taught. Raymer said it's up to the academic department whether or not it's approved. The departments are the ones who determine if the course at the high school meets the requirements or not.
Teaching the calculus course this fall will be Sarah Wappes.
This is the first academic year IPFW has offered the concurrent courses, with a pilot program at Leo High School, to iron it out. They also are offering an English course at Wayne High School, and physics and English at West Noble.
Raymer said there are a number of things IPFW is working on, but it's too early to tell too much. If the program at Warsaw is a success, she said they would absolutely offer more at WCHS.
Kovatch said he is willing to partner with any of the state schools to offer the opportunity for students to earn college credit while still in high school.
Warsaw Community High School's first concurrent course will be calculus this fall.[[In-content Ad]]A dual credit course is a college course taken by a high school student for which the student earns both college and high school credit at the same time, according to Jennifer Mayhall, IPFW. With a dual credit course, a student must pay the full cost of tuition.
Bill Kovatch, Warsaw Area Career Center director of career and technical education, said some of the dual credit courses currently offered at WCHS include EMT, health careers, building trades, welding and machine tools with Ivy Tech. Next year, Kovatch said they hope to offer more opportunities like early childhood development.
"We're just working with Ivy Tech to provide more credit courses while kids are in high school," he said.
WCHS also offers courses through Indiana University which allows students to receive credit for a composition or literature course they can take while in high school. Students must pass a test to receive that college credit.
In a concurrent course, a high school student takes a course at their high school, is taught by a high school teacher, and earns a college credit. The course must be approved by IPFW, and it takes "some time" for a course to be approved, said Mayhall.
For the calculus course that will be offered at WCHS, Mayhall said the cost to students will be only $85 per credit hour. Leslie Raymer, director of the program for IPFW, said the course will be the equivalent to an IPFW course. It's a great way for students to get an advance on their college career, she said.
The student's contact person to get enrolled in the course will be their guidance counselor. At IPFW, Ann Brown will be the contact person for families and students. Students eligible for the course will be determined by their teacher.
The concurrent courses slowly being offered by IPFW to high schools came about from new legislation. To earn an honor diploma in high school, a student must earn a high level on their SAT and takes two Advanced Placement or concurrent courses. The graduating class of 2010 is the first class that will be held to the new Indiana Department of Education requirements for the honor diploma, Raymer said.
Students who can not afford the $85 per credit hour tuition can still enroll in the course. Raymer said students on free or reduced lunch will have the balance of their fee picked up by IPFW.
Kovatch said for some families, $85 per credit hour is still a lot of money. He said he is hoping to partner up with a Foundation or other organization to help students at certain financial levels pay for the tuition.
High school teachers who will teach the concurrent courses need to be highly qualified, said Mayhall. Before they are approved to teach the course, the teachers must submit their syllabus and resume to the course department at IPFW. The course must be taught the way IPFW wants it to be taught. Raymer said it's up to the academic department whether or not it's approved. The departments are the ones who determine if the course at the high school meets the requirements or not.
Teaching the calculus course this fall will be Sarah Wappes.
This is the first academic year IPFW has offered the concurrent courses, with a pilot program at Leo High School, to iron it out. They also are offering an English course at Wayne High School, and physics and English at West Noble.
Raymer said there are a number of things IPFW is working on, but it's too early to tell too much. If the program at Warsaw is a success, she said they would absolutely offer more at WCHS.
Kovatch said he is willing to partner with any of the state schools to offer the opportunity for students to earn college credit while still in high school.
Have a news tip? Email [email protected] or Call/Text 360-922-3092