Amy Gabriel talks to a student during her dual enrollment English class at Riverbend High. REBECCA SELL/THE FREE LANCE-STAR

- REBECCA SELL/THE FREE LANCE-STAR

Stacy Griffith, 17, looks over a math problem with classmates during dual enrollment pre-calculus at Riverbend High. REBECCA SELL/THE FREE LANCE-STAR

Germanna's dual enrollment program gives high schoolers a head start on college

Date published: 9/19/2006

By MELISSA NIX

In Room 152 at Riverbend High School last week, 20 hands were busy writing away on 20 individual pieces of notebook paper.

As the high school seniors grappled with their college-level essay questions, teacher Amy Gabriel made the rounds.

"If this page is problematic," Gabriel said to a struggling student, "look at the next page and try it."

"I look at them both and cry," said Justin Hitchens, 18, tongue in cheek.

Hitchens and his classmates are among hundreds of local students participating in Germanna Community College's dual-enrollment program, which brings college-level courses to area high schools.

Juniors and seniors who score well on Germanna's placement test are eligible. If they sign up, they can earn college and high-school credit at the same time.

Some in Gabriel's class say they elected to take the course because they love English and heard Gabriel was a great teacher.

Others are less crazy about English, but pragmatic: They want to be well prepared for college-level writing.

And most say they prefer the dual-enrolled courses to Advanced Placement classes.

"With AP, you have to pass the test to get the credit, and if you don't, you do all the work for nothing," said Stacy Griffith, 17.

With dual-enrollment, if students maintain a C or better throughout the course, they are automatically awarded a number of college credits. Depending on the course, students can earn six, eight or 10 credits at year's end.

Some area students are walking out of high school and into their first year of college with 20 or more credits in their pocket. The credits transfer to all of Virginia's community colleges and to many colleges and universities across the country, said Canice Graziano, Germanna's dual-enrollment coordinator.

The 17-year-old program offers students college-level courses in biology, chemistry, calculus, business, English, history and psychology at high schools in Spotsylvania, Stafford, Caroline, Culpeper, Madison and Orange counties. Fredericksburg Christian High School joined the program last year.

Dual-enrollment teachers must meet Germanna's instruction standards--a master's degree and 18 credit hours in the content area they teach. Germanna reimburses school systems for their teachers' work according to enrollment numbers, Graziano said.

Date published: 9/19/2006