Small school. Big opportunities.
Cory-Rawson High School over the past three years has expanded opportunities for students to complete dual credit coursework offered here on our campus. Dual credit courses, made available through the state’s College Credit Plus Program, simultaneously award transcript credits for both high school and college. College Credit Plus (CCP) requires that public schools allow for students who meet certain criteria to take college courses at no cost to the family. CCP requires most high school students to schedule college courses with an area college and either travel to that campus for the classes or attend online. We wanted to do better for our students here at Cory-Rawson.
Four different college credit courses are offered this year at Cory-Rawson, including English Composition, Composition and Literature, Computer Applications and Personal Finance. The district identified courses that would appeal to students who will have various paths once they graduate. We then focused on ensuring our teachers had the credentials to teach the college courses. The tuition burden for students and their families is reduced by taking general coursework through the CCP program.
Students are supported as they begin building their college transcript in high school by offering these dual credit courses on our campus with our teachers.
“I wouldn’t have taken CCP if it were just online because it would feel like a class on top of school instead of in school,” said Lillian Peterman. “I feel like I know how to do a lot of what we are doing but hadn’t done it before, and I feel like it’s been helpful for anyone who hasn’t been in a college class before.”
The district partnered in 2022 with Rhodes State College in Lima to make this a reality. Ensuring that the courses are accepted at state schools is important in the design of the program. This is especially true for our English composition courses, which are required no matter what area of study a student pursues. These classes are a part of a statewide transfer program, guaranteeing transferability between state schools.
Cory-Rawson High School students earned 110 college credits in 2021-2022. Our students are on track to earn three times that number this school year - well over 300 college credits! This saves Cory-Rawson students and their families more than $131,000 in future tuition, considering the average state university fees.