Educators duel on dual enrollment

Sunday, January 27, 2002

BY JUDY PUTNAM
GAZETTE LANSING BUREAU

Emily Mattes, 16, of Comstock is a high school junior, but she's already earned 30 tuition-free college credits, the equivalent of a year at a university. This semester, she's studying Russian composition and language at Western Michigan University. Mattes is one of more than 7,500 Michigan high school students who are "dually enrolled" in both high school and college.

"I was a little nervous that people might think I'm a total nerd, and I would be ostracized, but it was fine," she said. Advocates of Michigan's dual-enrollment system say it is a hidden gem, a little-known program that allows bright students such as Mattes to advance academically and gain college credits paid for by the school districts.

But those same advocates say they are alarmed by a recent Michigan State University policy that in effect says no "double dipping." MSU won't count the credits toward a degree if they were also used to satisfy a high school requirement, despite a 1991 law that says the credits can be used both ways.

The Michigan Community College Association, representing 28 presidents of the two-year institutions, complained to MSU President Peter McPherson in an October letter, and is still waiting for an answer. "Michigan State University appears to be putting up an artificial barrier," said Tom Bernthal, president of the association. "We've never had any previous problem with MSU, so this is surprising and alarming."

MSU's policy is similar to a longtime policy at the University of Michigan, and some fear others will follow, making dual enrollment less of a carrot for students and their families. Jackson Community College President Dan Phelan said dual enrollment is a "win-win-win" program, helping students stay challenged, helping high schools that can't afford to offer advanced courses, and helping families cut the cost of college. MSU's policy threatens that, he said. The community colleges are a major provider of dual enrollment classes.

"This matter needs to be addressed. It's an incredible disservice to students," Phelan said. He said he's urged local superintendents to protest MSU's policy. MSU and U-M officials say it's their call what they will accept or reject from other institutions.Both say they will likely count credits that are extra, above the needed requirements or credits for college, although U-M will not count college credits in classes taught exclusively to high school students.

At U-M, each of the 19 schools and colleges makes decisions on what prior credits to accept. "They do have and should have authority to make that decision," said Julie Peterson, university spokeswoman. But college credits will give students a competitive edge in the admissions process, she added.

MSU Assistant Provost Barbara Steidle said her university last fall began rejecting credits that are used to satisfy both a recommended college prep class -- four years of high school English, for example -- and a college credit. She said a growing number of students with dual enrollment credits were unprepared for more advanced MSU classes.

"Our critics are using the term 'double dip.' The fact of the matter is, the student hasn't done twice the amount of work," she said.

Universities have a complex set of "articulation agreements" spelling out which classes will be accepted from other universities. It's unfair to reject credits covered by the agreements simply because the student was still in high school, critics say.

"It sort of casts a new interpretation over the dual enrollment process which I don't think was intended," said Muskegon Community College President Frank Marczak.

Paul Bigford, a consultant for gifted and talented students in the Mecosta-Osceola Intermediate School District, said that saving on college is important to struggling families. "If you can save a year and a half of college, and you're going to University of Michigan or Michigan State, that's worth $17,000 and a year and a half of your life," said Bigford, the father of two recent college grads.

Bigford said it was illogical for universities to accept Advanced Placement credits from courses taught at high school when it rejects courses taught on college campuses by college instructors to high school students. AP courses are freshman-level college courses taught at high schools. Students must take an exam, at $77 for each course, to earn credits. The state has a grant to pay for exams of low-income students.

A growing number of students have been earning college credits through that route. In 2000, there were 21,406 Michigan students taking AP exams, up from 13,616 in 1995, according to the Michigan Department of Education. At the same time, the number of dual enrollment students jumped from 1,495 in 1995 to 7,195 in 2000. It jumped again to 7,583 last year.

Carol McCarthy, who heads the Academically Talented Youth Program, which offers advanced courses to secondary students in southwestern Michigan, said dual enrollment is useful when a student has taken all the AP courses offered, or in smaller schools without enough students to create AP classes.

When dual enrollments aren't accepted, taxpayers are hurt, McCarthy argued, because tax dollars pay for the class for the high school student and again when the course or credits are repeated at a public college. She said dual enrollment offers the best of both worlds to talented students. It challenges them academically, but allows them the support of living at home and socializing part of the day with other high school students, she said.

The 1991 law requires districts, at a minimum, to pay a portion of the state foundation grant to cover courses not offered at the high school. Students must have passed their MEAP tests and stay enrolled at the high school for at least one high school course, the law says.

Emily Mattes, who wants to be an astronaut, says she's enjoyed her college courses. She spends her first class of the day at Kalamazoo Central High School, then attends the Kalamazoo Area Math and Science Center before she heads to nearby Western for afternoon classes. She said dual enrollees should do the same work as older students, and should earn the credits.

"I think we should get credit," she said. "It'd be bad to take a course in college, and then have to take it over."

Judy Putnam can be reached at (517) 487-8888 or jputnam@

boothnewspapers.com.