Dual Enrollment for High School Students Move On When Ready Program at ECCHS

What is Dual Enrollment? Dual Enrollment programs allow students to enroll in college courses while they are still in high school and receive high school credit and college credit simultaneously.

Move on When Ready In Georgia, ALL Dual Enrollment now falls under the “umbrella” of Move on When Ready (MOWR). In previous years, there were different programs, such as ACCEL, Dual Technical, and full-time MOWR. To simplify things, the GA DOE merged them all into one program, allowing a MOWR student to take classes on a part-time OR full-time basis and offering a wider variety of college courses.

MOWR at ECCHS In 2016-2017, ECCHS has 59 students participating in MOWR at four different colleges – Athens Technical College, Emmanuel College, University of North Georgia (Oconee), and the University of Georgia. The majority of our students participate during their senior year, but some start during their junior year.

MOWR at ECCHS – Who can participate? In order to participate in MOWR, high school students must meet the MOWR admission requirements for the school they wish to attend. Students must submit an application for admission, a transcript, and test scores for consideration. Students must also meet the minimum GPA requirement for admission to the school of their choice. Students must be able to provide their own transportation to and from the college.

MOWR at ECCHS – Who should participate? Enrollment in college courses through MOWR is a big decision that can have lasting consequences – both positive and negative – and should not be made without careful consideration of the pros and cons. It is important to remember that while a high school student might have test scores that make him or her eligible to participate in MOWR, he or she still might not be academically and emotionally ready for the rigors of college courses. Rule of thumb: Just because you CAN, doesn’t always mean you SHOULD!

What are the Pros of MOWR? For a student who is academically ready and emotionally mature, MOWR is a wonderful opportunity to get a jump start on college and earn transferable* credits while still in high school. College courses can meet freshman core requirements and high school diploma requirements at the same time. Can ease the transition from high school to college Can give students access to classes that might not be offered at the high school level Participation in MOWR can boost your high school overall weighted average. MOWR courses receive 6 bonus points when we calculate weighted average for class rank.

The Financial Advantage of MOWR MOWR provides a huge financial incentive to parents and students. MOWR funding covers tuition, most fees, and books. Out of pocket expenses include transportation and some class/lab fees.

What are the Cons of MOWR? The biggest challenge posed by MOWR relates directly to the students – are they actually ready to move on? College courses may be more challenging than students expect, resulting in lower grades than they are used to earning. Failure or withdrawal from a course can jeopardize high school graduation. College courses are not taught by ECCHS teachers, and the high school has no control over course content, course schedules, instructors, work load, grading procedures, etc. There are no “do overs” in college – “Rescue and Recovery” is only offered at ECCHS! Participation in MOWR can LOWER your high school GPA and overall weighted average, depending upon the grades you earn.

Other Considerations and Recommendations Tech devices: Students who participate in MOWR on a full-time basis cannot receive a tech device from ECCHS. Full-time MOWR students must provide their own laptop or computer for college courses. It is recommended that a student complete American Lit or AP Lang at the high school, as this has a required End of Course test. Students are required to have completed through Advanced Algebra or Accelerated Analytic Geometry/Advanced Algebra before taking a MOWR math course. Reminder that two units of the same foreign language are required for regular (not MOWR) admissions to most four-year colleges or universities. It is recommended that students complete these units at ECCHS. The ideal MOWR student should be highly motivated and very independent. Students should be able to respectfully advocate for themselves, without the assistance of parents.

What classes can I take? Approved courses for MOWR are listed in the Move On When Ready Approved Course Directory, which can be found on the GAFutures website. Approved classes may include degree level or non-degree level courses in the five main academic areas (English, math, science, social studies and foreign language), as well as electives, career, technical and agricultural offerings. The courses a student chooses each term must be approved by his or her high school and the postsecondary institution he or she will be attending. *Transferability: It is up to the receiving school to determine if credits will transfer from one college to another. Nearly all MOWR coursework should transfer within Georgia.

MOWR classes Some of the most popular classes are: ENG 1101 and ENG 1102 (can meet senior English requirement) MATH 1111 and MATH 1127 (can meet 4th math requirement) POLS 1101 (can meet American Government requirement) Electives PSYC 1101 SOCI 1101 SPCH 1101 Art Appreciation Music Appreciation Humanities Computer Applications

So how does scheduling work? Scheduling can be challenging if a student is trying to take classes at both the high school and the college, but it IS possible! Students must be flexible and may have to make a choice between a college class and a high school class if necessary. For pondering… Students who take classes on the Elbert Campus of Athens Tech can get back and forth between the two schools easily. Science classes are not offered on the Elbert Campus of Athens Tech; they are only offered in Athens. Students interested in Diploma or Certificate-level classes at ATC may have a difficult time scheduling within the high school’s block schedule. All current students at Emmanuel College are full-time MOWR. This is not required, but seems to be the easiest with Emmanuel’s class times and travel distance between the two schools.

Sample Schedule for Athens Tech (part-time MOWR student)

Sample Schedule for Athens Tech (Full-time MOWR Student)

Sample Schedule for Emmanuel College (Full-time MOWR Student)

Sample Schedule for Athens Tech (Diploma or Certificate-level Classes)

What about Grades? A – 95; B- 85; C- 75; D- 70; F – 69 The high school is REQUIRED to put final grades on the high school transcript for all MOWR courses taken. ECCHS receives grades from Athens Technical College and University System of Georgia schools in the form of an official final transcript. These college transcripts have letter grades, rather than numerical grades. ECCHS will use the following grading scale to convert letter grades to numerical grades, which are then entered into Infinite Campus. A – 95; B- 85; C- 75; D- 70; F – 69 ECCHS receives grades from Emmanuel College directly from the college registrar, in the form of numerical grades. These numerical grades are entered directly into Infinite Campus.

Grades Please note: all grades stored in Infinite Campus are unweighted, and no student can receive an unweighted grade higher than a 100. All MOWR courses receive 6 bonus points, which are calculated as part of the student’s weighted average. Weighted average is only used to determine Honor Graduate Status and Class Rank. Beginning with the 2016-2017 year, Honor Graduate status will be determined after the first semester. Second semester final grades will not be used in calculating Honor Graduate status.

How do I apply to Athens Tech for MOWR? - Students must pick up a paper MOWR application from the guidance office and return completed application to Mrs. Almond - Mrs. Almond will submit application, along with the student’s transcript, to ATC GPA Requirement – 3.0 overall GPA for degree-level classes; 2.0 overall GPA for diploma or certificate-level classes. Test Score Requirements – can meet requirements with three different tests: SAT – Math 490; Reading 24 ACT – English 16; Math 19; Reading 18 Accuplacer – For Degree – level courses: English/Writing 70; Reading 64; Arithmetic/Pre-Algebra 34; Algebra 57 For Diploma or Certificate-level courses: English/Writing 60; Reading 55; Arithmetic/Pre-Algebra 34; Algebra 57

Accuplacer Test The Accuplacer (formerly the COMPASS test) is the placement test for Athens Technical College. In order for a student to take the Accuplacer, they must submit an application to Athens Tech. ECCHS offers the Accuplacer several times a year at no cost to the student. Students can also take the test on the Elbert Campus of Athens Tech if needed. Accuplacer Dates for Spring at ECCHS are March 15 and April 19, so MOWR applications should be submitted by March 6 or April 10. If no space is available, the student can take the test at Athens Tech.

How do I apply to Emmanuel College for MOWR? Students must pick up a paper application for Emmanuel College from the guidance office. Applications must be returned to Mrs. Almond in B-1. Application Fee and Essay is waived for MOWR applicants GPA Requirement: 3.0 overall Test Scores: SAT or ACT scores: Minimum SAT of 980 (Critical Reading and Math); Minimum ACT of 19 (Composite). (*Required scores for placement into mathematics: SAT Math 500 or ACT of 18 or higher for College Algebra, Statistics, or Trigonometry; SAT Math of 550 or ACT of 21 or higher for Pre-Calculus.) Deadlines: Priority Deadline is May 1, 2017. Final Deadline is July 22, 2017, but courses cannot be guaranteed.

University of North Georgia/ University of Georgia UNG Admissions for MOWR: Student must submit a regular UNG application for admission online through GAFutures. GPA: 3.25 Core GPA SAT: Reading 26 and Math 480; or ACT Composite 20 UGA Admissions for MOWR Student must submit a regular application for admission through the UGA website GPA: 3.9 Core GPA SAT: Critical Reading and Math combined score 1400; ACT Composite 31.

MOWR Application Process Recap For Athens Tech and Emmanuel College Both require PAPER applications to be submitted through the school counselor. Do NOT apply online or submit your application to the admissions office. Applications should be picked up from and returned to Mrs. Almond in B-1. She will attach transcript and submit to the college. See handout for deadlines. For UNG or UGA Student must apply independently through the regular application process using the online application. For UNG, application is through the student’s GAFutures account. For UGA, application can be accessed through the UGA Admissions website. Student is responsible for requesting a transcript to be sent to UNG or UGA from our school registrar, Mrs. Burton.

What happens next? Once a student has submitted an application and meets admission requirements, they will receive a letter of acceptance from the college. All students who participate in MOWR are required to meet with the school counselor (with a parent) and sign a “MOWR Agreement to Participate” form. This meeting will either be individual or in a group. All students who participate in MOWR are required to complete the online MOWR Application through their GAFutures account. This is their financial aid application to receive MOWR funding for their college classes. Students must complete this application every semester that they participate. MOWR students do NOT have to complete the FAFSA.

What about High School Registration? Registration for the 2017-2018 school year will take place from February 23 – March 2, 2017. All students are required to register for their normal classes, as if they were going to be at the high school all year. If a student is planning to participate in MOWR in the fall semester, we will make adjustments to their high school schedule once they have registered for their fall college classes. This usually doesn’t happen until the summer. If a student is planning to apply to start MOWR in the spring semester, they will need to see Mrs. Almond during the summer to make adjustments to their fall schedule if needed.

Questions?