Local schools offer early college degree for extra year

IRONWOOD — Beginning in the fall of 2016, every school district in the Gogebic-Ontonagon Intermediate School District has agreed to apply to offer an Early College Career and Technical Education program.

Gogebic Community College staff member James Halverson said the Early College CTE program expands on dual enrollment and builds from the current CTE programs the college offers.

By participating in the program, GCC President Jim Lorenson said students can transition easier from high school into college.

“For a lot of students, it’s very beneficial,” he said.

When the program begins next fall, Halverson said students participating will agree to delay high school graduation one year.

During their sophomore years of high school, Halverson said participating students will take a college success strategies course at their high school. In their junior year and senior years, participating students can take college classes at GCC, or specific CTE courses that offer college credit through the GOISD.

For their fifth year of high school, participating students will then complete their program at GCC.

GCC will offer 18 programs in business and applied technology to choose from. Halverson said each program is chosen based on specific needs of the local and regional economy.

“Early college is customized to fit the needs of each local district,” he said.

But Halverson said CTE courses aren’t for everyone.

“We’re looking for solid students who would really benefit from this career path and who say, ‘I’m not going to be a mechanical engineer, I’m going to be an engineering technologist.’”

According to GCC, the early college program is funded by the local school districts through state aid for each student. Halverson said the grant amount is $7,391 per student.

“During the student’s fifth year of high school, the school district counts them as a full-time student, so the district is going to get an extra year of funding for that student to pay for early college,” Halverson said.

Halverson saidthe school districts are going to have access revenue to pay for the dual enrollment classes during the student’s 11th and 12th years.

Lorenson said the program benefits both students and GCC.

“It will help us keep on top of our game,” he said. “It will help us develop additional programming. It will provide impetus to develop programs we already have.”

In addition, Halverson said the program will further strengthen the college’s ties with the participating school districts.

Fore more information, contact GCC at 906-932-423, or at gogebic.edu.