Bridging the Gaps High School English, Dual-Credit Instruction, and First-Year Composition in Rural Community Colleges and Schools Kristen Weinzapfel, North Central Texas College

Dual Credit in Rural Texas Rural students make up only 13.8% of high school graduates in Texas. 20.7% of dual credit students come from rural schools. More even distribution of males/females, economically disadvantaged in DC students from rural schools (Eklund, 2009)

Factors Affecting Rural Schools Access to technology Funding Legislation Partnerships

Why dual credit? Socioeconomic Social reasons Family expectations Save money (Johnson and Brophy, 2006)

The Students AP Option HS Seniors 57 Surveys Approximately 10 brief interviews All students currently enrolled in 2 nd semester of FYC. No AP Option HS Juniors and Seniors 18 Surveys Approximately 5 brief interviews All students currently enrolled in 2 nd semester of FYC.

“What were your reasons for choosing to take a dual-credit course instead of an AP course?” 1. “Guaranteed” college credit – 32% 2. Parent(s) wanted you to take dual-credit – 18% 3. Didn’t want to take the AP exam – 12%

Student Comments “You get the credit whether you make a 70 or a 90, so it’s more of a sure thing.” “I didn’t want to work all year only to fail a test.” “AP is definitely harder since there is a test involved.”

“What were your reasons for choosing a dual-credit course instead of your high school English course?” 1. Desired to get a “jump start” on college – 56% 2. Desired to take a more challenging course – 33% 3. High school counselor advised you to take a dual-credit English class – 11%

Student Comments “I have to take English anyway, so I might as well get it out of the way.” “I like being away from the high school for part of my day.” “Since tuition is free, why not?” “I like working on papers and projects instead of filling out worksheets.”

Most important writing assignments of your high school career: Students w/ AP OptionStudents w/ no AP Option research papers w/ citations – 45% argumentative/persuasive essays w/ citations – 26% test preparation writing exercises – 21% research papers w/ citations – 22% argumentative/persuasive essays w/ citations – 17% test preparation writing exercises – 10% compare/contrast essays – 10% literary responses- 10%

What do you feel were/are your biggest “gaps” in your preparation for college- level composition coursework? Students w/ AP OptionStudents w/ no AP Option Not enough experience with writing tasks that demand higher level critical thinking skills – 15% Not enough experience w/ a wider variety of writing assignments – 12% Not enough preparation in time management skills – 11% Not enough experience with writing tasks that demand higher level critical thinking skills – 22% Not enough experience w/ a wider variety of writing assignments – 19% Not enough experience w/ citation styles & documentation – 11%

Observations When asked what advice they would give next year’s dual-credit students, the responses were overwhelmingly focused on issues related to time management and organization. Even though students listed research papers as their most important writing assignments, few students could tell me what citation styles their teachers required or assigned.

The teachers’ responses: Seven middle and high school ELA teachers were interviewed. All teachers were voluntary participants in a professional development workshop. All teachers are employed by rural school districts.

“What are your ‘major’ writing assignments?” All assign some kind of persuasive writing. 4 of 7 assign some kind of research paper or project. 5 of 7 require students to use MLA style. 2 of 7 assign specific research topics. 6 of 7 assign narrative essays. 3 of 7 assign some kind of “major” creative writing assignment.

“What do you think is the most important learning objective that your students need to succeed in FYC?” “following directions” “more work on grammar” “understanding directions” “writing clarity” “manage time” “critical thinking” “grammar mastery”

Student/Teacher Dialogue Rural = “less rigor” Perception of university population/experiences Perception of technology access at larger universities

Other observations 2 of 7 do not have any access to a computer lab. All teachers stated that their teaching loads/duties prevent them from assigning longer writing assignments. 4 of 7 teachers penalize students for plagiarism. None of the teachers have access to turnitin.com. 3 of 7 teachers offer guided instruction on use of library databases. ALL teachers report that internet/network access is not always reliable.

Conclusions A clearer understanding of outcomes and expectations must occur between high school and college level instruction. Students must be informed of the level of rigor expected of them prior to enrolling in a dual-credit composition course. Students must be shown the value of “non-test” writing. Collaborative professional development opportunities have proven to be a critical first step. Get faculty involved when making partnership agreements. Collaborations with rural schools should remain a priority for higher ed institutions.

Works Cited Appleby, James, et al. “A Study of Dual Credit Access and Effectiveness in the State of Texas.” College Station: The Bush School of Government and Public Service, Print. Hansen, Kristine and Christine R. Farris, eds. College Credit for Writing in High School: “The Taking Care of” Business. Urbana: NCTE, Print. Sehulster, Patricia J. “Forums: Bridging the Gap between High School and College Writing.” Teaching English in the Two-Year College 39.4 (2012): Print. Taczak, Kara, and William H. Thelin. “(Re)Envisioning the Divide: The Impact of College Courses on High School Students.” Teaching English in the Two-Year College 37.1 (2009): 7–23. Print. Tinberg, Howard, and Jean-Paul Nadeau. “Contesting the Space between High School and College in the Era of Dual-Enrollment.” CCC 62.4 (2011): Print.