To provide students with the opportunity to gain definite college credit and a feel for college-level work, the AP Biology course will offer a dual enrollment option for students beginning next school year.
Science teacher Patrick Murphy, who teaches AP Biology, said dual credit classes are considered “collegiate courses through whatever the overseeing college is.”
Starting next school year, Delaware Valley University (DelVal) will oversee the dual-enrollment AP Bio course.
“[Students] can choose to actually pay for credits at DelVal University,” science coordinator Christine Jackson said. “[Then] when they leave the class after [passing] it or whatever grade they get, they will have a transcript from DelVal University, and those credits can then transfer to other universities or be used at DelVal.”
Dual enrollment works differently than a standard AP class.
According to Jackson, in standard AP classes, the College Board verifies that the student will take the course through a college curriculum, and then they will provide them with an exam.
“Based on [the student’s] score on that exam,” Jackson said, “colleges and universities can choose to give [them] credit for that course.”
According to Murphy, the course will offer both the AP route and the dual enrollment route.
“A student will have the opportunity to choose if they are going to do dual enrollment or if they want to sign up for the AP exam,” Murphy said.
A dual enrollment course allows students to gain college credit more quickly and directly.
“Dual credit is a lot easier to gain college credit further down the road because you do not have to take that AP exam,” senior Anna Stratton said.
Many feel dual enrollment courses give students a leg up when they go to college.
“[It is a] great opportunity for students to get a head start in their college career,” DelVal Biological Sciences Department Chair Chris Tipping said.