How to Weigh College Credit in High School
Students Have Multiple Options to Earn University Credits in HS
Nov 21, 2008
Providing high school students the opportunity to earn college credits while still in high school is a growing trend. Beyond Advanced Placement courses, which have been offered for decades and are still the most preferred way of getting college credit, many states have begun “Early Colleges” in partnership with community colleges and universities.
In North Carolina, Governor Mike Easley markets “Learn and Earn,” a broad expansion of both Early Colleges and internet courses offered to high school students. “Now in North Carolina, you can go to college,” Governor Easley states in a TV commercial, “No excuses.” But do all college credit programs in high school carry the same weight? Such questions should be asked before students enroll in courses that advertise college credit.
Evolution of the I-School Concept
Several years ago, the University of North Carolina at Greensboro marketed its “Fast Forward” program to area high schools. High school teachers with appropriate academic credentials (usually an MA degree with 18 credit hours in the field being taught) were hired as unpaid adjuncts and were university credentialed to teach UNC-G core courses on their high school campuses. The UNC-G staff facilitating the program was so convinced that most colleges and universities, both public and private, would accept the credits, given on a UNC-G transcript, that they offered tuition refunds if the credits were not accepted.
But by 2007 it became clear that the future of college courses in the high school rested with internet courses. “Fast Forward” became I-School, the state of North Carolina advanced grants to cover thousands of seats in the public schools, and the traditional face-to-face classes were eliminated. Significantly, refunds became redundant since the state was paying for the courses anyway and several private colleges and universities refused to honor college transfer credit if the courses were internet based and not taught directly on the college campus.
This represents a chief weakness of internet based courses. Wake Forest University, as an example, no longer honors college transfer credits if the representative courses are internet based. Other private schools are following suit. Public institutions like UNC Chapel Hill continue to honor internet courses, but prefer Advanced Placement courses.
Early Colleges
One of the reasons Early Colleges are partnered with universities or community colleges is to give credibility to the courses taught. Traditional, face-to-face classes meet the college criteria and credit for successful performance is listed on institutional transcripts that cannot be disputed or confused with I-courses. The Early College represents a good route for students in high school wishing to eliminate the first two years of college work before ever setting foot on a college campus.
Reliability of the AP
Despite the plethora of courses offered high school students seeking college credit, the Advanced Placement (AP) is still the most accepted, although not all AP scores are accepted by every university. College credit for the AP hinges on one final examination in May, unlike other courses mentioned above. The AP test is rigorous and thorough.
Critics of the AP point out that daily instruction can lack creativity, as the most successful AP instructors must tailor lesson plans toward the final test. This may involve the memorization of many facts, analysis of readings and documents in order to complete the Document Based Questions (DBQ), and writing exercises. Despite the rigidity and sterile nature of AP instruction, parents prefer the AP for their children because of its reputation and reception on college applications.
Plan of Action
High school students bound for college should endeavor to avail themselves of as many college credit courses as possible during their high school experience. Knowing which college represents a first and second admissions choice should dictate which types of college credit courses should be completed. It makes no sense to take an I-School course, for example, if the student plans to enroll at Duke University or Davidson College. In an ever growing market of college courses for high school students, it is important to weigh what courses will impact college admission and earn transcript credits.
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