Virginia high school seniors could have the opportunity to enter college with a semester's worth of credit or join the workforce with industry certification as part of Gov. Mark R. Warner's proposed "Senior Year Plus Program."
Under the plan, high school seniors would be encouraged to pursue either the "Early College Scholars" program by amassing college credits in high school through duel-enrollment and Advanced Placement classes, or a "Path to Industry Certification," involving technical training that could continue after graduation.
These programs will build on previously established relationships between government, schools and educators, said Kevin Hall, Warner's deputy press secretary.
"This opens up phenomenal opportunities," he said.
By taking advantage of this existing framework, Warner's plan would carry a relatively nominal annual cost of approximately $2.5 million, Hall said.
Currently, of the approximately 70,000 high school seniors in Virginia, 15,000 are engaged in duel-enrollment programs at community colleges and other institutions of higher education.
Second-year College student Kevin Maskell said the ability to apply advanced placement classes toward college credit was a deciding factor in his applying to the University. He said he plans to graduate early after coming in with 48 credits from a combination of AP classes and duel-enrollment at George Mason University.
By satisfying the College's core requirements with AP credit, Maskell said he was able to pursue courses for his intended major as a first year.
"It allowed me a lot more freedom in course selection," he said. "I didn't have to worry about fulfilling the requirements for graduation."
Prof. James Demas, head of undergraduate advising for the chemistry department, said he agreed that having AP classes available is important for high school students who intend on going to college.
"From our standpoint it's extremely useful," he said. "It sets students up to take higher level classes."
Hall added that coordination with Commonwealth universities will be essential for the program's success.
"The next step will be working with the four-year schools to make sure they are supportive in this initiative," he said.
Acknowledging that most students who advance with AP credit are well qualified, Demas said that AP classes are not generally as challenging as college-level courses.
"By and large, credits earned in high school aren't really equivalent to college courses," he said. "Frequently, they're not the same thing."
With enrollment in Virginia's public colleges expected to increase by 61,000 over the next seven years, Hall said earning a semester of college credit in high school could allow students to graduate early, possibly alleviating a potential strain on both university and individual resources.
"There's an obvious cost advantage to [students] and their families," he said.
Senior Year Plus is one part of Warner's larger Education for a Lifetime initiative which includes programs for child care, school accountability, teacher recruitment and retention, higher education and workforce development.
Warner, who has been releasing information about these individual programs piecemeal, is expected to outline more details of his higher education plan in Newport News Tuesday.
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