Supporting Effective Teaching in Tennessee: Executive Summary | Page 34

Another path to taking college-level classes as a high school
To further expand these types of options, Governor Bredesen
student is dual enrollment. Dual enrollment allows students
recently launched the RAMP-UP task force. RAMP-UP
to concurrently enroll in high school and college courses.
is currently examining several options for improving the
The courses can be taught at either the high school facility or
transition from high school to higher education including
college campus and be led by either an adequately certified
undertaking high-school redesigns, expanding early college
high school teacher or regular college faculty member. In Fall
high schools, expanding dual enrollment programs, and
2008, approximately 7,300 high school students were enrolled
increasing the number of online college courses available to
in dual enrollment courses at Tennessee Board of Regents
high school students. RAMP-UP is expected to release its final
institutions, and 985 students were enrolled at University of
report later this summer.
Tennessee institutions, (847 of which were at UT-Martin).65
This represents a 38 percent increase over the past three years
In addition to taking college-level courses, high school
in dual enrollment at community colleges and an over 200
students also need to be encouraged and understand how to
percent increase in dual enrollment at University of Tennessee
apply to higher education institutions. Although there are a
institutions. On average, dual enrollment
number of local college access programs,
students annually take between 3.5 and
the only program with statewide reach
4.5 credit hours.66 Students’ ability to take
is GEAR UP, which is funded through
dual enrollment classes has been greatly
a $3.5 million federal gra nt. GEAR
enhanced by the Tennessee Education
UP serves students in nine rural, highFa r too m a n y co l l e g e Lottery Scholarship Dual Enrollment
poverty counties: Campbell, Cocke,
Grant, which provides eleventh and
Grundy, Hardeman, Johnson, Lake,
b o u n d T e n n esse a n s
twelfth grade students $100 per credit
Meigs, Union and Wayne.69 GEAR
hour to take up to six credit hours of dual
UP provides a number of services to
enrollment courses per academic year.
high school students including summer
g r a d uate h i g h
enrichment academies, college tours,
High school students can also earn college
admissions counseling, and financial
sc h oo l wit h o u t t h e
credit through dual credit programs in
aid workshops. Additionally, GEAR UP
which a local higher education institution
provides college tours and financial aid
s k i l l s n ee d e d to exce l
agrees to give high school students college
workshops to parents and curriculum
credit for taking a specific course at a
alignment workshops for teachers and
i n h i g h er e d u c atio n .
specific high school if the student does
other school district personnel.70
well on an end-of-course exam. These
arrangements are logistically complicated
Even if students are accepted into a
as students only receive college credit
higher education institution, they still
for a course if they attend the higher education institution that
face the challenge of paying for it. While an entire report
negotiated the dual credit agreement. Currently, only four dual
could be written on college financing, it’s enough to note here
credit programs exist in the state.67
that the largest college scholarship program in Tennessee is the
Tennessee Education Lottery Scholarship (TELS). Created in
Yet another option for making college-level classes accessible to
2004, TELS includes five separate scholarship programs, the
high school students is early college high schools. Early college
largest of which is the HOPE Scholarship, which is awarded to
high schools, commonly referred to as middle colleges, are
Tennessee high school students that achieve at least a 3.0 GPA
collaborations between a school district and a community college.
or score at least a 21 on the ACT. Of the freshmen entering
These partnerships specifically target high school students
Tennessee’s public colleges and universities in Fall 2007, 65
from disadvantaged backgrounds that are at risk of dropping
percent received some form of TELS financial assistance.
out of school. Students take a combination of high school and
Research is inconclusive on the extent to which this assistance
college courses, allowing them to fulfill their core academic
actually increases college matriculation and retention rates,
requirements through a wider array of courses. Courses count
although there is some evidence it has a statistically significant
both toward a student’s high school diploma and for college
effect for certain student populations.71 However, it is clear
credit, at times resulting in the student earning an associate’s
many students fail to maintain their scholarship. For first-time
degree or substantial credit towards a bachelor’s degree during
freshmen in Fall 2004, only 32 percent of TELS recipients
their time in high school. There are currently five early college
retained their award into their fourth year.72
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high schools in Tennessee, enrolling a total 734 students.
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