District Expanded Dual Credit Access to High School Sophomores in ‘23-’24 School Year

Disponible en: Español

Fifty-one sophomores are currently participating, with an average success rate of 92% in earning college credit.

Aldine High and Davis High School students are pictured on the first day of Accelerated College Academy classes with Lone Star College-Houston North President Dr. Quentin Wright.

While the end of the school year is about a month away for students on the traditional calendar, current ninth-graders might still be contemplating what they intend to enroll in or participate in in the tenth grade.

Accelerated College Academy

Rising 10th-graders considering college should consider dual credit (DC) courses. Aldine ISD and its partner Lone Star College expanded access to high school sophomores this school year via the Accelerated College Academy (ACA); students at all comprehensive high schools have access to it. That is a year earlier than previously offered. In its inaugural year, 51 sophomores are currently participating, with an average success rate of 92% in earning college credit.

According to Dr. Susan Pelezo, executive director of advanced academics and gifted and talented programs in AISD, the move was based on student feedback and course completion data.

Overall Figures for All AISD Students (Grades 10-12) Taking Dual Credit Courses

- Fall 2023: 1,776 students enrolled in 4,408 classes with a 92% success rate
- Spring 2024: 2,099 students enrolled in 4,004 classes (waiting on completion data).

The benefits of dual credit are well-documented. Compared to their peers, dual credit students are more likely to earn a high school diploma, enroll in college, hold higher grade point averages, and complete a college degree on time.

“Beginning in the 10th grade has given our students the opportunity to complete, at a minimum, the 42 semester credit hours required by the Texas core curriculum,” said Pelezo. “Students who wish to further their studies may complete an additional 18 semester credit hours toward an associate degree designed for transfer to a four-year university. The ACA program allows students to develop the essential College, Career, and Military Readiness (CCMR) skills necessary to improve their chances for postsecondary success.

Students participating in ACA can earn their CCMR credit earlier through dual credit enrollment. Regardless of whether a student wishes to pursue college, a career, or serve in the military after graduation.

What Are Students Saying About It?

Priscilla Luna, a sophomore at Davis High School, is one of many success stories this year in the Accelerated College Academy. Priscilla stands out because she has already earned 21 college credit hours this school year; at the end of the 2024 spring semester, she will have earned 24 hours and is scheduled to earn another six (6) hours this summer.

Priscilla shared that this is an excellent opportunity for “students who value their education and want to get the most out of their time in high school.” She encourages any rising sophomores to consider this option. Her advice to others considering taking part in ACA is to learn how to manage time, allowing ample time to do assignments, school activities, and free time.

Things that motivate Priscilla to continue in ACA are getting ahead on her college credits, saving money, and learning about the topics that go toward her degree. The over-achiever aspires to earn an associate degree before or at the same time she graduates from high school.

What are Priscilla’s plans after high school graduation? She wants to pursue music or theatre in college. As focused as she already is in high school, without a doubt, she will achieve her dreams.

Start Dual Enrollment Classes Now. Finish College Early.

Your freshman year at Lone Star College or any Texas college or university could start as early as your sophomore year of high school. The dual enrollment program gives you the chance to earn university credits in courses like math and English while completing your sophomore, junior, and senior years of high school. That means you can shorten the time it takes to get your degree and learn what college is like before you graduate high school.

How does the Accelerate College Academy dual credit enrollment program work?

When you enroll in the Accelerated College Academy, affiliated with Lone Star College, you’ll choose from a wide range of courses to simultaneously receive high school and college credit. These courses can satisfy Lone Star College’s general education requirements and are designed to transfer to any college or university in Texas. You can complete classes online or on campus, making it easier to fit into your class schedule.

Students can choose four (4) program options: liberal arts, business, STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics), and health science. These program options are aligned with high school endorsements and are distinguished from one another in the mathematics and science courses specific to that program plan.

If you meet the prerequisite requirements, you can take any 1,000-level- or 2,000-level course in the dual credit program.

Can students earn their two-year degree?

Students who wish to further their studies may complete an additional 18 college semester credit hours toward an associate degree designed for transfer to a four-year university.

Who is the Ideal Student Candidate for the Accelerated College Academy?

ACA is open to any student with the drive and desire to take college courses in high school. ACA students demonstrate a strong work ethic, are self-motivated, are goal-oriented, and exhibit effective time management. Parents and students who are interested should communicate with their high school counselor. Students must demonstrate they are college-ready by taking and earning “Met” target scores on the Texas Success Initiative Assessment or TSIA2 exam. The met scores are:

Mathematics: a score in the range of 350–390 in the multiple-choice section.
Reading: a score of 351–390 in the multiple-choice section.
Writing: Two ways — (1) a score of 340–390 in the multiple-choice section and a score of 4 on the essay, OR (2) a score of 310–339 in the multiple-choice section and a score of 4, 5, or 6 on the ABE Diagnostic section, and an essay score of 5 (you must meet all three).
Students can begin ACA with courses that don’t require a TSIA “Met” score as they work toward mastery on the TSIA exam. AISD has programs to assist students in preparing for the TSIA exam.

What is the program’s cost?

LSC dual credit tuition rates are $43/semester hour, so a 3-hour course costs $129. However, the Texas State Legislature established the Financial Aid for Swift Transfer or FAST Program in 2023. It is designed to eliminate financial barriers preventing some students from enrolling in dual credit courses.

Under the FAST Program, eligible students pay zero dollars for dual credit courses. That means dual credit can be 100% free. “Three (3) requirements define eligible students” under the FAST program:

They are enrolled in an eligible dual credit course at a public school district or charter school and
They were qualified for free and reduced-price lunch in any of the four school years before enrolling in the dual credit course and
They can provide a verified financial status by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.

How does this positively impact Aldine ISD students? The FAST program requires that eligible students at participating institutions incur no cost (free of charge) for their dual credit coursework. As an eligible student, you will not pay tuition and fees for eligible dual credit courses. All courses in the Accelerated College Academy degree plans are eligible for FAST.

What about transportation from the high school to Lone Star College?

Students in the ACA program take Aldine ISD transportation to a Lone Star College campus to take their courses. This allows the students to feel like they are part of the LSC family, gain first-hand knowledge of college life, and create bonds with their ACA peers.

Process to Participate in Aldine’s Accelerated College Academy

Apply to Lone Star College through www.applytexas.org,
Meet bacterial meningitis vaccination requirements for the college,
Complete and submit the Course Approval and FERPA Forms to your high school counselor,
Attend the Accelerated College Academy’s Student Development Day (details to come)
Complete Pre-Program Advising to determine your pathway