COMMUNITY COLLEGES — Inside California Education Episode 506: A Head Start on College
Meet students in Bakersfield who are saving time and money by starting on their college careers while still in high school, thanks to a partnership with the community college. Many students will graduate high school with both a high school diploma and an associate’s degree.
Visit McFarland High School, which works with Kern Community College District to place all incoming ninth grade students on pathways to earn between 12 to 60 college units at Bakersfield College. Those units will count towards career and technical education certificates, general education certificates and associate degrees by the time they graduate from high school.
“What better way to knock out two years of college credit, with no cost, while you’re in high school?” says Romeo Agbalog, member of the Kern CCD Board of Trustees.
A 2021 Report by the Public Policy Institute of California noted that dual enrollment “is an important way to expand educational opportunities, improve economic mobility, and meet California’s workforce needs.”
TV Series: Inside California Education Community Colleges
Published Date: 01/17/2024
Season: 5
Episode: 506
Watch the full episode
Inside California Education Full Episode 506 Community College Bachelor’s Degrees 26:46
Related Inside California Education episodes:
- Redesigning High School: Rethinking the Factory Model — See why education experts are rethinking the traditional high school model.
What is Dual Enrollment?
Also known as concurrent enrollment or early college, dual enrollment enables high school students to take college courses, taught by college professors, at their high school campus to earn college credit.
Learn more through these resources:
- Dual Enrollment — California Community Colleges Website
- McFarland High School — Early College
- EdSource — Dual Enrollment Roundtable: How to Increase Access for All Students
- “Why enrollment is rebounding at California’s community colleges,” EdSource
- “Dual Enrollment in California,” Public Policy Institute of California
- “A Jumpstart on College: Dual Enrollment Resources,” Ed Trust-West
