4 - Dual Credit Strategy

If you are still new to teaching an haven't yet realized - schools are businesses and our finances govern our decisions. Boundary exemptions, credit recovery, student release forms - even the competition for students itself adds pressure on a system that I still hope has student's best interests at its core. Some days the politics get taxing.

I've already come to understand that credits are not as simple as "x" number of dollars for each credit a student earns. I understand that CTS and special education may receive a different dollar value that an academic course - understandable. In elementary, it is day 1 that starts the funding model.

As a reminder about High School Redesign....It's funding model, I have been told, has also changed from the current system. I will have the opportunity to explore this further, but it also intends to offer students the chance at "recovering credits" in courses that they may have barely failed (instead of redoing an entire semester). BUT, the Dual Credit Strategy is different.

The Dual Credit Strategy is partnering with many facets to given students credit or hours towards post-secondary (not just college/univ.) . I currently hold the title of Advanced Placement Coordinator, which at its core, is doing university in high school. It is quite a process to build the program, but students at my school can get credit in university Calculus/Biology/Physics/Comp Sci/English/Stats/History/Chemistry. Imagine the cost-savings and lessened-workload.

The idea the Alberta Education seems to be working on is bigger than just some specific university courses. It sounds like we are talking about the trades/industry/business AS WELL AS post-secondary.

It is supposed to:

- engage students in their learning through pathways that open their possible futures;- motivate students to finish high school;- inspire students to learn, work and live in the local community; and- give students the confidence to transition from high school to post-secondary and/or the workplace

I could imagine this is a large undertaking because the opportunities after high school are not a concise list. BUT (as of February 26):

"The first application intake for the Strategy is now complete. To date, nine applications have been approved for funding. These successful applications are allowing for dual credit opportunities across the province in the areas of agriculture, business and entrepreneurship, computing science, esthetics, tourism and hospitality, natural resources and environmental science, oil and gas, and tourism and hospitality. Another 18 applications have been conditionally approved. "

It sounds like industry and business are starting to sign up. There's a VERY specific and lengthy document for these partners to look at, but for the most part, I think I have explained the core idea behind the Dual Credit Strategy.

If nothing else, it is patting my school on the back for its continued work in Advanced Placement since 1991.