The vast majority of good-paying jobs require education or training beyond high school. So we must take note of clear evidence showing that students who take a college course in high school have more success in post-secondary education. It’s why we are working with our school districts and colleges to make more of these classes available and, earlier this year, we committed to ensuring no student will be denied the chance to take a college course because of the cost.
We’re seeing great progress. More than 1,500 high school students are taking classes that can count toward high school graduation and college credits, either at their high school or on a college campus. That’s up from about 600 in the last school year. Twenty-five high schools across the state are offering more than 100 dual-enrollment courses - like a Wilmington University English class here at Howard, a Del State writing course at Lake Forest, and Del Tech’s statistics class at Dickinson. The total number of courses and schools has doubled from just a year ago.
Dual enrollment, along with more Advanced Placement class offerings, is one important part of preparing students for life after graduation. We must also remove financial and other barriers to continuing their education. Last year, every college-ready senior in Delaware applied to college following an intensive outreach campaign that included help filling out applications and assistance with financial aid.
By challenging our students in the classroom and removing obstacles to educational opportunities, we’ll ensure they’re ready to thrive in today’s economy. And that will keep Delaware moving forward.
Gov. Jack Markell
State of Delaware
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