SBCC Dual Enrollment Program Sponsors State-wide Conference
Local Educators Share Best Practices on Creating Successful College/High School Programs
One of the largest programs of its kind in the state, Dual Enrollment offers college-level classes for credit at high school sites and also at the SBCC main campus and online. In fall 2011, 2,001 high school students in 106 class sections were enrolled in SBCC courses at the high school campuses.
At the January 6 conference, the attendees represented deans, program directors, counselors, principals and teachers from secondary schools, community colleges, and districts throughout the state. SBCC administrators and staff shared an overview of the policies and logistics involved with creating a dual enrollment program and suggestions for how to build a successful program. They also discussed the SBCC Progression of Education Model (PEM) which creates pathways for students, as early as the summer before 9th grade, to research career choices, to develop a plan for achieving their goals, which in most cases includes preparing for college. PEM is designed to enable students to complete as much as a year of college general education requirements by the time they graduate from high school.
In the afternoon conference session, local educators from Santa Barbara and Carpinteria who partnered with SBCC in the Dual Enrollment Program held a panel discussion about how the partnership works at their various high schools and within the Carpinteria and Santa Barbara Unified School Districts.
“We are constantly asked how we run such a successful Dual Enrollment Program,” said Dr. Diane Hollems, SBCC Dean of Educational Programs. “The feedback from our conference was very positive and my staff and I will continue to share information about our program through presentations at other conferences throughout the state.”
“Dual Enrollment Programs make sense on so many levels, especially in these tight economic times,” said Dr Jack Friedlander, SBCC Acting Superintendent/President. “High school students get exposures to college-level courses and build confidence that they can indeed graduate from high school and attend and complete college.” He added, “By earning college credits while still in high school, these students are also able to save considerable time and money in pursuing their college degrees.”