Beginning in the fall, Gorham High School (GHS) students can embark on a course of study leading to 30 hours of college credit that can be transferred to any institution in the University of Maine system. These University of Southern Maine (USM) credits can be earned by following one of three pathways: law and liberal arts, engineering, or nursing and medical occupations.
According to Superintendent Heather Perry, the new GHS-USM initiative folds all existing courses that offer college credit into one pathway program. Students now take some credit courses on the USM campus. They also earn college credit by scoring high enough on Advance Placement (AP) tests; they can take College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) tests for college credit.
The new opportunity offers students college credit through dual enrollment in both USM and GHS. This means students are taught by GHS teachers with Masters degrees who have developed courses in cooperation with USM professors.
GHS guidance counselors will work with students and parents to determine what path and to what extent a student wants to participate in the college credit program. Students with dual enrollment would not pay USM tuition and would be responsible only for purchasing books and perhaps an activity fee.
There is no criteria for enrollment beyond normal prerequisites. Students may chose a pathway as freshmen but do not need to follow a pathway through to GHS graduation. Students who do, however, can earn a full 30 hours of credit and will be accepted into the appropriate USM program.
Some national and state ratings criteria are based on the number of students taking AP courses. Perry responded to a concern that GHS ratings might be affected because dual enrollment courses might cause GHS to offer fewer AP courses.
“These ratings will not be affected because GHS teachers will continue to offer the same number of AP courses as they do now,” Perry said.
This new initiative is a response to both the high cost of college which can leave graduates with thousands of dollars of debt and to a commitment to post-secondary education. As USM charges $330 a credit hour, students who earn 30 hours through this program could potentially save $8,500, GHS principal Brian Jandreau explained to parents of students entering high school in the fall.
The school district encourages GHS graduates to earn “certificates of value,” whether it is through college courses, the military, or other vocational programs.