Subscribe to The Y’all. A weekly look at the people, places and policies that define Texas, produced by Texas Tribune journalists in communities across the state.
LIBERTY CITY — Zachary Kearns, a government professor at Kilgore College, says he feels like a “traveling preacher” these days.
When he first enrolled at a community college in East Texas, he stood in front of a wide range of adults, including recent high school graduates and those looking for a new direction in life. He now finds himself driving between high school campuses in his pickup truck and teaching government courses to teenagers.
He often teaches in multipurpose classrooms. At one high school, he always hurriedly rearranges the desks before the students arrive on Thursday afternoons.
“You adapt,” he said. “That’s what you do.”
An increasing number of high school students are aiming to attend college through dual credit classes, which allow them to earn high school and college credits at the same time. This is due to a new state program that provides funding to community colleges to offer these classes for free to low-income students.
At Kilgore College, the number of dual credit students increased by 36.5% in the last academic year alone. High school students from East Texas currently make up the majority of Kilgore College’s student body.
A surge in dual credit enrollment is changing the identity of community colleges across the state, leaving educators wondering how to effectively teach classes to meet the needs of teens and how to earn a high school diploma. There is a need to rethink how we encourage students to later go on to higher education.
Texas has long been a national leader in dual credit, with educators touting it as a way to get students into college sooner. Research shows that dual enrollment is associated with higher educational attainment and timely degree completion.
The most important Texas news is
I sent it on a weekday morning.
At a time when colleges were struggling to retain students during the coronavirus pandemic, the number of high school students participating in dual credit was so high that it supported enrollment across Texas.
Last year, the Texas Legislature changed the way community colleges are funded to recognize the work they already do to get high school students into college. Currently, colleges can receive funding from the state if high school students earn at least 15 college credits on campus.
The new funding system also included an optional program to make dual credit more accessible to low-income students. Participating community colleges were eligible to receive additional money if they allowed high school students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch to take classes for free. Other students received discounts for dual credit classes, with costs capped at about $55 per credit hour.
The program, known as Financial Aid for Swift Transfer, is “changing the demographics of dual credit. It’s giving an opportunity to many students who may not have been able to attend from a financial perspective,” Kilgore College said. Dual Credit Dean Brandon Walker said.
More than 250,000 students participated in dual credit through the program last year, and institutions received nearly $80 million in total funding, according to Sarah Keaton, interim chair of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Commission. That’s what it means.
As dual credit students become a larger part of community college life, university leaders are confronting how the student experience is changing.
Kilgore’s campus is quieter as more adult students take classes online and more instructors teach at the high school. Walker said the university is recognizing new needs to facilitate virtual experiences for students, such as Zoom social activities and connecting dual credit students with campus groups such as honor societies. .
Instructors are also increasingly considering how to best structure their classes to meet the needs of high school students, many of whom have not yet decided whether to pursue a degree.
“Teaching college courses really well to high school students requires what high school teachers know and practice every day: working with high school students to manage their classrooms, and what college instructors do every day. You have to blend what you know and what you do.’ That’s content expertise,” said John Fink of the Center for Community College Research.
Kearns, a government professor, likes the challenge of preparing students for the rigors of college-level coursework.
To break the ice with this younger generation of students, Kearns mentioned Brat Summer, named after British singer Charli XCX’s hit album. He doesn’t have Tik Tok, but his wife will keep him in the loop.
Kearns knows that high school students are still figuring out how to approach their professors and adjusting to how colleges can feel more independent. So he started devoting class time to exam review sessions with high school students and created a space where they could ask questions.
During a recent class in October, Kearns pulled out a midterm study guide on a projector and scanned the room for signs of disruption. When the students did not raise their hands, the professor came up with his own question. “Who can tell me the difference between confederation, federalism, and unitary system?” How do we distinguish between de jure and de facto segregation?”
He is waiting to talk to students about their plans after high school. At a time when young people are questioning the value of college, dual credit instructors like Kearns are in the perfect position to discuss what they can gain by earning a higher degree.
The university has also begun exploring ways to utilize dual credit classroom space to share information detailing how to pay for college tuition.
“As we work with more and more dual credit students, we definitely see a role for us…to let them know that it’s okay to go to community college for a few years,” Tyler Junior College said. said Kearns, who took some classes at and then attended his senior year. -University of the year. “That’s the message I’ve been trying to get across to my students.”
The Texas Tribune partners with Open Campus for higher education coverage.
Disclosure: Kilgore College has financially supported the Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization funded in part by contributions from members, foundations, and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune’s journalism. See the complete list of them here.