Smackover High School students take over 250 college hours
Lee: Concurrent program ‘an amazing opportunity’
Smackover High School students are taking hundreds of hours worth of college coursework, but new opportunities are on the horizon for the Buckaroos.
District Curriculum Director Jennifer Lee said that students are taking college classes, which are transferable to any in-state public college or university, through South Arkansas Community College and Virtual Arkansas. This fall, SouthArk will send an instructor to teach Principles of Speech and General Psychology.
“As of right now, our students can earn up to 45 hours of college credit … To give you an idea of how many students are taking advantage of this, this school year we’ve had 273 concurrent credit courses taken,” she said. “I would say most of them have taken four — two in the fall and two in the spring — but there’s many options and ways they can do that.”
Some of the classes are administered online while others are taught in classrooms at SHS and SouthArk. The out-of-pocket cost ranges from $75–125 per course. Students also have to pay to take the Accuplacer Exam in Technology.
“There (is) some new legislation out there. Students who are (receiving) free or reduced lunch, they can receive up to six credit hours completely free … When you look at the savings of what this has to offer for our students, it’s an amazing opportunity,” Lee said.
Three options available to SHS students next school year include a certificate of general studies, technical certificate and other concurrent credit.
“One of our first options for students is they can obtain a certificate of general studies from SouthArk Community College, which is basically … getting 34 hours of gen ed requirements that are pretty much going to be for any degree that you go for,” the curriculum director said.
While several students take advantage of SouthArk’s Secondary Technical Center, SHS students will be eligible to get technical certificates in automotive technology and welding, beginning in the 2018-2019 school year.
“Dr. (Barbara) Jones has been talking to me for a couple of years and we finally figured out how to do this … All of our students doing auto technology and welding, all that they need to get that technical certificate is that technical math,” Lee said. “ADE (has) given us a course code number that we can use and now that will count as their fourth-year math option.”
A SouthArk instructor will teach the course during students’ first period class. Cosmetology students will also be able to take the technical math course, though they still would have to work toward their certification after high school, she said.
The college reviewed the syllabus for the high school’s pre-engineering program and concluded that course taught at SHS are similar enough to those in its mechatronics program.
“If our students took technical math or college algebra, with them sending an instructor to us, and then they would also send an instructor the second semester to teach industrial safety, our students will be able to graduate with a certificate of proficiency and be able to go right into work in industry.”
Lee said that she hopes to have that industry-ready track available for students next school year.
For more information about the district’s concurrent credit plan, contact high school counselor Cheryl Corley at 870-725-1226 or cheryl.corley@smackover.net.