Dual Enrollment option offered to career and technical education students at CHS

Students following the Career/Technical Education (CTE) graduation track at Chinook High now have the option to earn college credit for classes they are taking in high school. CTE classes are designed to prepare students to move into the workforce after graduation from high school. The dual enrollment option allows students wishing to pursue career and technical education at the college level to begin a college program with credit already earned while in high school. The Chinook program is a collaborative effort with Montana State University-Northern in Havre.

According to CHS Principal Matt Molyneaux, the dual enrollment program for career and technical students was last available in 2006. Robin Allen, who was the AgEd teacher then, returned to CHS last year and has helped get the program going again. Molyneaux said, “We needed an alternative for students wishing to take work-related courses so they are better prepared to move into the workforce after graduation from high school. Dual enrollment gives students an opportunity to begin a college level technical program with some credits already earned while in high school.”

The Dual Enrollment Program

Robin Allen, the AgEd teacher at CHS, spent a few minutes explaining some of the details of the dual enrollment program. She explained that CHS students taking a year of high school welding and applied math now have the option to also receive college credit for those courses through MSU-Northern. Completing the combined technical and required classes for high school graduation in the dual enrollment program could earn several hours of college credit. Allen said, “A CHS student could take applied math and welding at CHS and have seven hours of college credit when they begin MSU-Northern—four hours of college credit for the welding class and three for the applied math class.”

There is a charge to earn the college credit available for the high school courses. Allen explained, “For a high school student to receive four hours of college credit for a dual credit class would cost about $200. Dual enrollment is a great opportunity for students to complete a course needed for high school graduation and potentially receive college credit at the same time.” There are different requirements that determine when students can make the decision to receive college credit before completing a CHS class.

Pre-Apprenticeship training while still at CHS

Another option for CHS students interested in a technical career is the pre-apprenticeship program now available. Allen said apprenticeship programs are a combination of on-the-job training and related classroom instruction required for people entering a highly skilled occupation. CHS is offering a pre-apprenticeship program for high school students. A typical pre-apprenticeship program requires the completion of about 15 books (mini-courses) that make up an apprentice program. The Montana Department of Labor, Montana State University-Northern and Chinook High are collaborating on the program available for high school students.

Allen explained that a student at CHS taking the year-long high school welding, construction and applied math can complete three of the pre-apprentice books. The material is incorporated into regular classroom instruction. Students could complete pre-apprentice topics including Safety and Health, Rigging and Technical Math. She added, “These same pre-apprentice topics could be incorporated into other career and technical classes here at CHS. Students moving into an apprentice program would already have some of their requirements completed.”

Other options for

CHS students to receive college credit

Students at CHS who are taking courses on the college prep track (plan to pursue a non-technical college degree) also have some options to earn college credit while still in high school. CHS offers three courses that fulfill a high school graduation requirement while preparing students to take tests under the College Board’s Advanced Placement (AP) program. American colleges and universities may grant placement and course credit to students who obtain qualifying scores on the examinations. CHS currently offers preparation courses for the AP tests in American Government, English Language and English Literature. There is a cost to take each Advanced Placement test. Students or parents can learn more about earning technical and career college credits by contacting CHS counselor Faye Friede.