Technology lets students go to college while still in high school

GENTRY - Thanks to technology, it’s now possible for students at Gentry High School to take high school courses which otherwise would not be available to them and to get a jump start on their college education by completing a number of college courses while still in high school.

It began in the fall of 2006 when 11 students took college classes via distance learning at the high school through the Step Ahead program. But numbers have grown and so have offerings. The high school has gone from offering nine hours of college credit to 25 and currently offers English Composition I, English Composition II, U.S. History I, U.S. History II, Speech, Psychology, College Algebra, and Finite Math. All are three-hour classes except for Algebra, which is four.

And the classes - all of which are made available in Gentry through Northwest Arkansas Community College - are open to high school juniors and seniors, making it possible for them to graduate from high school with many of their college general education requirements already complete.

According to Joni Wilson, technology coordinator and distance learning coordinator for the Gentry School District, the distance learning lab was opened in the fall of 2006 after the school district received a $42,000 grant.

Classes were $135 for three hours of credit at that time and are now only $183 for three hours of college credit (except for the four-hour algebra class, which is $244) - still only about a third of the cost to take the classes at college.

High school courses are also offered through distance learning and, because of enrollment numbers, a second distance learning lab was added in the fall of 2010.

“We connected with Maumelle at their distance learning site and now also connect with Dawson Coop in Arkadelphia,” Wilson said. “We have a teacher offering classes from Walnut Ridge and even have teachers teaching from home.”

Classes offered this year include ACT Preparation, International Travel, Oral Communications, Fashion Merchandising, Physical Science, Introduction to Hospitality, Sports Marketing, and Civics/Economics.

Sheila Still is the facilitator for the college classes in the first distance learning lab. Janice Folker facilitates the second lab, offering high school classes.

“These labs have been a great opportunity for our kids to get a jump start on college by taking their basics at a reduced price,” Wilson said. “We have had several students who have entered college with their first semester done.”

“The high school classes have also been good as it allows our kids to have access to some classes for which we don't have teachers,” Wilson added.

According to Wilson, requirements to enroll in the college classes include being a junior or senior, having at least a 3.0 grade-point average and meeting test score requirements on the ACT or Compass test.

“I went to NWACC to get certified to give the Compass test,” Wilson said. “This has been awesome because it has allowed our kids to test here at GHS instead of driving to NWACC or another college to take this test. I have had some community members come take the test here, as well, instead of going to NWACC.”

The cost to take the Compass test is $10 wherever it is taken. Gentry High School offers it at cost as a service to students and the community.

“This year we had around 25 enrolled for the college classes. Most of these students took two and some even three college classes per semester. We had 17 in the English Comp I and II classes, eight in history, eight in algebra, nine in speech, five in psychology, and two in finite math,” she said.

Wilson meets with sophomores and juniors in March, prior to their career action plan conference, to discuss the classes and requirements. She also attends the sophomore and junior parent nights to answer questions of parents.

Wilson says the college credits have been accepted as transfer credits by most of the surrounding colleges - with the possible exception of finite math.

She tells students to check with the colleges they plan to attend to be sure the class credits will transfer.

Students are enrolling now for fall classes, Wilson said. She said this must be done before students leave for summer break.

For more information on the distance learning programs available at Gentry High School, contact Wilson at 736-5198 during school days.

News, Pages 1 on 05/08/2013