A Matter Of Degrees
HHS Students To Shoot For Associate Diploma
Posted: December 10, 2012
HARRISONBURG — Select area students can complete an associate degree before they even don a cap and gown for their high school graduation through a new Harrisonburg High School program.
HHS, in partnership with Blue Ridge Community College, has created a program that could become a blueprint for other divisions in the area looking to graduate students who have both an advanced studies high school diploma and an associate degree.
The initiative, dubbed the Blue Ridge Scholars Program, has several benefits, officials say. For one, students would pay about $7,500 less for an associate degree than if they started at BRCC after high school. Over two years, the program will cost $1,860 per student, though at least some of the 25 pupils the school will select for the program will pay less than that as tuition will be assessed on a sliding scale. But even at full price, students in the program and their parents would see a substantial savings. The cost for a traditional college student to attend BRCC for the same associate degree is $9,396. All of the degrees would be a general associate degree in arts and sciences.
“We just think that this is a great opportunity for our students and our parents and our school and our community,” HHS Principal Tracy Shaver said. “[The program is] open to all students, but we are very much excited to see more of your high school students who will be first generation college students.”
Shaver said first-generation college students, especially, could benefit from the support provided to navigate getting a degree.
The two-year program gives students two pathways to getting the degree.
On one path, students would still take a majority of classes at HHS through the school’s dual enrollment program, but would also take a few on BRCC’s campus. Dual enrollment classes are college-level classes that HHS students are already taking to earn transferable college credits.
Prior to the scholars program being introduced, however, dual enrollment students could not obtain the associate degree.
The other path would land students an associate degree through advanced placement and dual enrollment courses, and qualifying scores on AP tests.
The first juniors to start the program will begin in 2013-14.
“We thought since we already had a very robust dual enrollment program occurring here at [HHS], it wouldn’t be a whole lot more work to make it so that students can receive an associate degree,” Shaver said.
Plans for the program, which will have a startup cost to the division of about $30,000 for the first year, have been under way for more than a year, according to city schools Superintendent Scott Kizner.
In that time, the law caught up with the school’s plans — similar programs are now a requirement under law for Virginia high schools.
Under a new item in the standards of quality, school boards are now required to provide an opportunity for high school students to earn an associate degree or general studies certificate from a community college while also earning a high school diploma.
Standards of Quality are created by the Virginia Board of Education and lay out staffing and program requirements all public schools must meet.
“We’re excited about the partnership, I’m thinking it will spread very quickly to other school divisions,” Downey said.
According to Rockingham County Schools Superintendent Carol Fenn, a meeting took place between her, Downey and the superintendents of Augusta County and Staunton City schools to discuss an associate program.
“We have not worked through specific details,” Fenn said, “but we very much want to look into this as a possibility for students.”
Contact Emily Sharrer at 574-6286 or esharrer@dnronline.com
HHS, in partnership with Blue Ridge Community College, has created a program that could become a blueprint for other divisions in the area looking to graduate students who have both an advanced studies high school diploma and an associate degree.
The initiative, dubbed the Blue Ridge Scholars Program, has several benefits, officials say. For one, students would pay about $7,500 less for an associate degree than if they started at BRCC after high school. Over two years, the program will cost $1,860 per student, though at least some of the 25 pupils the school will select for the program will pay less than that as tuition will be assessed on a sliding scale. But even at full price, students in the program and their parents would see a substantial savings. The cost for a traditional college student to attend BRCC for the same associate degree is $9,396. All of the degrees would be a general associate degree in arts and sciences.
“We just think that this is a great opportunity for our students and our parents and our school and our community,” HHS Principal Tracy Shaver said. “[The program is] open to all students, but we are very much excited to see more of your high school students who will be first generation college students.”
Shaver said first-generation college students, especially, could benefit from the support provided to navigate getting a degree.
The two-year program gives students two pathways to getting the degree.
On one path, students would still take a majority of classes at HHS through the school’s dual enrollment program, but would also take a few on BRCC’s campus. Dual enrollment classes are college-level classes that HHS students are already taking to earn transferable college credits.
Prior to the scholars program being introduced, however, dual enrollment students could not obtain the associate degree.
The other path would land students an associate degree through advanced placement and dual enrollment courses, and qualifying scores on AP tests.
The first juniors to start the program will begin in 2013-14.
“We thought since we already had a very robust dual enrollment program occurring here at [HHS], it wouldn’t be a whole lot more work to make it so that students can receive an associate degree,” Shaver said.
Plans for the program, which will have a startup cost to the division of about $30,000 for the first year, have been under way for more than a year, according to city schools Superintendent Scott Kizner.
In that time, the law caught up with the school’s plans — similar programs are now a requirement under law for Virginia high schools.
Under a new item in the standards of quality, school boards are now required to provide an opportunity for high school students to earn an associate degree or general studies certificate from a community college while also earning a high school diploma.
Standards of Quality are created by the Virginia Board of Education and lay out staffing and program requirements all public schools must meet.
“We’re excited about the partnership, I’m thinking it will spread very quickly to other school divisions,” Downey said.
According to Rockingham County Schools Superintendent Carol Fenn, a meeting took place between her, Downey and the superintendents of Augusta County and Staunton City schools to discuss an associate program.
“We have not worked through specific details,” Fenn said, “but we very much want to look into this as a possibility for students.”
Contact Emily Sharrer at 574-6286 or esharrer@dnronline.com