Dual Credit
December 17, 2018
Dual Credit is an interesting program that EPCC and EPISD created to help students to prepare for their university tenure.
Ms. Morales said, that a Dual credit is a class that students takes a college course and earn both college and high school credits, if they pass the class. To qualify for dual credit is to pass the TSI exams on both reading, writing and math, but you can enter a dual credit class by passing the STAAR EOC English 2 and Algebra 1 with a 4000 point score or higher.
“The advantage is that they leave high school with college credit and they go to college taking less classes and they spend less money,” Morales said.
Morales said, that there two types of a Dual credit class. One is called onsite course which a high school teach the class because they have a masters for the particular subject that they are teaching. The second type of dual credit class is support facilitated, which the EPCC instructor teach the course online.
In Bowie High School, they are 6 teachers that teach dual credit in their respective fields of teaching.
“They have to have certain college hours and they have to be vetted to be actually teaching college courses,” Morales said.
Morales said that sometimes students drop from dual credit because it challenging for them or they are not college ready.
“The English is very rigorous The teacher has very high expectation for students and the Education what I’ve seen is students are taking a lot of dual credit classes and that’s one class more that they can’t handle” Morales said.
Grace Vargas, 11, takes Dual credit classes. She consider on taking dual credit classes this year because she felt that it will benefit her future after high school.
“My favorite dual credit class is Art Appreciation because we only have to read the book and answers question for homework and I like doing that,” Vargas said.
Vargas said that taking dual credit classes will not make her do homework when she enters college.
“Yes I will recommend them to be part of a Dual credit class. Because it’s better for them to start earlier college and it’s easy here” Vargas said.
Vargas said that taking Dual Credit class requires to do college work to pass the course and get both college and high school credits.
Mr. Nail is one the 6 teachers that teach dual credit class, which will be English 3 DC.
“I acquired a master degree of American and British literature at UTEP and Mr. Ordaz offered me the job of the Dual Credit teacher. I accepted this position at Bowie High School,” Nail said.
Nail said that teaching a dual credit class has help him with his teaching skills.
“Dual Credit help me develop my College Prep class by applying the same objectives,” Vargas said.
Nail said that dual credit has created
Nail said being a dual credit help to cherish the good moments of being a teacher in general.
“My greatest experience of interacting with students in a Dual Credit environment is the fact that a student thank me for helping her to think when they are having a conversation with their parents. Moreover the students parents notice that her critical thinking skills develop greatly. Furthermore, my successful students in Dual Credit is with students are ELL due to them being motivated to learn regular English as well as Academic English,” Nail said.
Nails said that his reason why students drop from dual credit is because students don’t realize the realize the full meaning of Dual Credit, which is Dual credit is a college course in high school.
“Students drop from a Dual Credit class due to them having the perception that college is easy, which is not the case. Moreover, they are intimidated of learning Academic Language in a Dual Credit Course. Furthermore, students do not take the advantage of going to office hours to develop their essays,” Nail said.
