In his latest message, Gov. Jack Markell discussed the importance of making dual enrollment a priority in high school education.
“We know that good-paying jobs increasingly require education or training beyond high school, and evidence shows that students who take a college course in high school are more likely to complete their post-secondary education. That’s why we have worked with our school districts and colleges to make dual-enrollment courses a priority, to ensure that students have the opportunity to take college-level courses and earn college credit.”
Recently, Markell visited Polytech High School in Woodside. He announced that by the end of this academic year, Delaware should aim to have 2,700 students enrolled in 170 dual enrollment courses.
In the last year, Polytech has doubled its participation in dual enrollment to 150 students, in partnership with Delaware Tech and Wilmington University.
Full text of the message:
We know that good-paying jobs increasingly require education or training beyond high school, and evidence shows that students who take a college course in high school are more likely to complete their post-secondary education. That’s why we have worked with our school districts and colleges to make dual-enrollment courses a priority, to ensure that students have the opportunity to take college-level courses and earn college credit.
This past week, at POLYTECH High School, I announced that by the end of this academic year, we expect to have 2,700 students enrolled in 170 different dual enrollment courses. POLYTECH has doubled participation, to just about 150 just this past year and their partnerships with Delaware Tech and Wilmington University is enabling students to get a head start on their college careers. Students receive instruction either on a college campus or from a teacher who has received special accreditation. They’re students like Sean Roberts who plans to use the credits and knowledge he earns to pursue a degree in renewable energy.
Dual enrollment is one piece of what must be a larger effort to prepare students to succeed after they graduate. Through a partnership with the College Board, we send all college-ready seniors application and financial aid resources, including application fee waivers to eligible students. For the past two years, every college-ready senior has applied to college and nearly all enrolled.
By continuing to challenge our students in the classroom and remove obstacles to continuing their education and training beyond high school, we’ll ensure they are ready to thrive in today’s economy and pursue their dreams, and that will keep Delaware moving forward.
