|Photo by Emma Delk| Marshall County Schools Superintendent Shelby Haines said “many” Marshall County Schools students are taking advantage of the opportunity to take dual credit courses through the school board’s partnership with WVNCC.
The Marshall County School Board unanimously approved renewing its agreement with West Virginia Northern Community College during its meeting Tuesday night, which allows students at their high school to earn dual credits in five career pathways.
The agreement allows students at John Marshall High School, Cameron High School, Gateway Achievement Center and Marshall County Career Technical Education to take college credit courses in the dual credit programs of Early Childhood Care, Patient Care, Welding, Human Services and Business Administration.
Superintendent Shelby Haines said each educational pathway includes high school courses available to students that are “equivalent to college courses.”
“The program offers many great opportunities for students and many students take advantage of them,” Haines noted.
Board Chairman John Miller said the partnership between Marshall County Schools and WVNCC is “good” and WVNCC President Daniel Mosser has attended previous Marshall County school assemblies to explain the program.
The Board also unanimously approved the renewal of an articulation agreement with WVNCC for college credit, dual credit and early entry courses.
Haines pointed out that the college and dual-credit agreement extension was from last year and that Marshall County Schools has partnered with WVNCC for many years. She added that many students also take advantage of the early enrollment opportunity.
Miller noted that a recent board meeting suggested that offering dual-credit courses could reduce the number of students taking Advanced Placement courses, which, Haines confirmed, “sometimes actually happens.”
“It’s really not a decrease in the number of students accelerating,” Miller said in response to Haines. “It’s just a different type of acceleration.”
Board member Brenda Coffield said the college and the dual credit program have helped “many students” graduate from college early.
Board Vice Chair Christie Robison added that she knows a Waynesburg University student who graduated a year and a half early because of college credits he earned in AP and dual college credit courses at the Marshall County high school.
Robison said she initially had “concerns” about whether the student had “learned anything” since she graduated from college early, but then she noticed that the student was “bubbling with joy about what she had learned.”
“They had a wonderful internship experience all summer and are going strong,” Robison added.
Board members also completed their Local School Improvement Council training during yesterday’s meeting. State code requires an LSIC at every West Virginia public school, with the school board consisting of teachers, service personnel, bus drivers, parents, business and community representatives.
LSICs review disciplinary data and procedures annually. They also encourage community involvement in school operations through regular meetings and collaboration with the school system.
“LSICs have a mix of service staff, professional staff, parents, community members and students discussing what is happening at a school and how the school can be improved,” Haines said. “They consider whether there are grants they want to apply for or whether they have innovative ideas they can bring to the schools.”
Haines said Marshall County Schools would make an effort this year to “educate the public about LSICs.” She added that “letters would be sent home to parents” and that there would be increased advertising for each school’s LSICs this year.
“We’re really making a conscious effort this year to open up the election process to interested people,” Haines added. “I think so often you can find people who fit the criteria of a parent, bus driver or service worker who could serve on a council. So it will be nice to see some new people in our schools.”
Haines noted that the new legislation requires all schools’ LSICs to post their meeting minutes on their website.
“We want to make sure they have the right people and that they know their purpose,” Haines said.
The Marshall County School LSIC Fair will be held on October 15th at the Moundsville Center. All Marshall County School LSICs will be present at the fair, where board members and the community can learn more about each council’s involvement with their school.
