Panel: Let all Ore. HS students take college classes

Every Oregon high school student would have access to at least three college courses at no cost to the student under recommendations unanimously approved by a special state committee this week.

The recommendations from the Accelerated Learning Committee will be drafted into legislation for consideration by the state Legislature during the 2015 session. The committee was established in the 2013 legislative session and chaired by Oregon Chief Education Officer Nancy Golden.

“Earning college credits in high school is one of the best ways for our young people to get ahead,” said Senator Mark Hass (D-Beaverton), a member of the task force and also Chair of the Senate Education and Workforce Development Committee.

A full report of the recommendations was released Friday and is available at: http://education.oregon.gov/Pages/Accelerated-Learning-Committee.aspx

Among the proposed changes are new requirements that provide access at no cost to students and their families at every Oregon high school to at least three college-level courses that are transferable to Oregon community colleges and universities.

The goal of implementing the requirement is to create a seamless and equitable pathway between K-12 and higher education by providing readily accessible college-level coursework prior to the graduation transition. The Higher Education Coordinating Commission would collaborate with school districts and community colleges in creating these courses.

Research presented to the Accelerated Learning Committee documented that students who earn college credits in high school are statistically more likely to attend college and complete a degree than those who do not.

Costs for implementing the recommendations are estimated at approximately $15 million for the upcoming biennium.

For the first three courses or nine credits that a student takes, the state would pay a per credit allocation for textbooks, instructors, student supports/advising, course alignment to assure academic rigor, and outreach to reach students currently under-represented in postsecondary education.

For credits offered by postsecondary institutions to high school students, the high school will pay the partnering college between 15 – 90% of the per credit tuition cost depending on who teaches the courses and how it is offered.

“This gives students a head start toward a debt-free education and moves us closer to achieving Oregon’s 40-40-20 goal,” Hass said.

Oregon has established a statewide goal that 40 percent of the workforce will be comprised of people with a four-year degree, 40 percent with the equivalent of a two-year degree, and the remainder holding at least a high school diploma by 2025.

“The committee members worked hard to understand the barriers that still exist for students in accessing college credit while in high school,” noted Golden. “The recommendations are going to open doors for students and make college-going feel more attainable.”

The members of the Accelerated Learning Committee, besides Chief Education Officer Nancy Golden and Sen. Hass (D-Beaverton) were Sen. Bruce Starr (R-Hillsboro); Rep. John Huffman (R-The Dalles) and Rep. Lew Frederick (D-Portland); Peyton Chapman, Lincoln High School Principal, Portland; and Nori Juba, Managing Partner of Bend Capital Partners.