Virginia’s Early College Scholars program, a part of the Senior Year Plus Initiative, allows eligible high school seniors to complete their high school diploma while earning at least 15 hours of transferable credits toward a college degree. Students earn these credits through dual-enrollment programs, by taking Advanced Placement courses at their home high schools, or through Virtual Virginia. The online teaching tool, Virtual Virginia, enables students to earn college credit regardless of their high school's ability to offer college-level courses. Furthermore, the Commonwealth College Course Collaborative provides a set of academic courses that fully transfer as core requirements and degree credits at Virginia colleges and universities. These programs and initiatives, which provide students with the rigorous, transferable curriculum previously unavailable in all schools, should serve as models for other states.
Search
Background and Context
In many states, recent legislation or gubernatorial priorities have focused attention on increasing access for high school students to post-secondary options. Small learning communities, advisory systems, individual learning plans, AP and IB classes, dual enrollment programs, exit exams, and the push to increase rigor of high school classes and graduation requirements are approaches states use to guide students through graduation and help them make successful transitions into college.
