Representatives from local school districts and Harper College shared information about earning college credits in high school at a summit in Washington, D.C., last week.
Superintendent Dr. Dan Cates of District 211, Superintendent Dr. David Schuler of District 214, Harper College president Dr. Ken Ender and District 220 Superintendent Dr. Brian Harris participated in the summit attended by President Barack Obama, Michelle Obama and Vice President Joe Biden.
The high school representatives discussed the Power of 15 Program that aims to have students graduate with 15 college credit hours and expanded scholarship opportunities.
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Cates said the students that begin at Harper in Palatine with 15 college credits are twice as likely to graduate from a four-year college or university.
“We are seeing more students earn more dual credits,” he said, adding that District 211 offers more than 40 courses with dual credit. “We continually look at expanding that list.”
More dual credit courses that are college-ready, in addition to their career-ready courses, such as English and math, also are in the offing.
Last year, Cates said 20 percent of graduates earned at least three dual credits for courses at Harper College and he would like to see that grow.
“We aspire to create 15 for each student,” he said. “In the future, that will become more prominent in our discussions and planning.”
The high school districts and Harper College are part of a partnership called the Northwest Educational Council for Student Success. It’s part of the national effort to encourage more minorities, first-generation and low-income students to attend and graduate from college.
Schuler said District 214 has been offering some career-ready dual credit courses for more than 10 years, but like the other districts in the partnership, wants to include more core subject courses.
Next year, Schuler said dual credit courses in math, English and speech will be available and he said hopes more juniors will pick up some dual credit courses. In general, he’d like to see more students come closer to graduating with 15 college credits.
“We, as school leaders, do all we can to allow more of our students to have access to college,” Cates said.
That point was driven home in Washington when the Obamas and Biden all said that none of what they were doing would have been possible if they didn’t have the opportunity to go to college, Cates said.
Schuler added that schools must make sure students find the best possible pathways to be successful in college and beyond.
“Anything we can do to help our students be prepared and succeed, we have an obligation to do that,” he said.