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Dual Enrollment Program

About Dual Enrollment

The Dual Enrollment (DE) Program at the Â鶹´«Ã½â€™s School of Education provides 12³Ù³óÌýgrade students in District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) and charter schoolsÌýwith an opportunity to gain six college credits in education courses. It is the only DE program in DC with an emphasis on education coursework. As part of the Teacher Pipeline Project (TPP), the DE program is designed with the intent of exposing high school students to both university-level coursework and the possibility of a career in education.Ìý

Selected
A Unique Program
Criteria
Courses
Team

AU’s Dual Enrollment (DE) program provides high school students with access to six credits of college-level courseworkÌýandÌýoffers wrap-around supports to help them adapt to the college environment. These supports includeÌýan early warning system to monitor students’ behavior (e.g., absences, tardiness) and academic progress. Additional mentoring and counseling are also made available at students’ respective schools and at AU.

The only dual enrollment program in the Washington, DC, region with an education/teacher preparationÌýfocus, the AU DE program faculty coordinator, works one-on-one with students on course scheduling and educational planning linked to long-term career and/or education goals. AU DE also introduces students to an array of services on the AU campus, particularly academic advisors, who can provide both an overview of coursework students can anticipate at the postsecondary level and an actual introduction to college campus life.Ìý

Dual Enrollment Icebreaker - Fall 2024

The DE experience introduces 12³Ù³óÌýgrade students to college life, while supporting their plans to apply and enroll in an institution of higher education. The DE students are welcomed and celebrated throughout AU, and at all levels beginning with the Office of the President and ending with their classmates in their classes. DE is now a core part of AU’s Strategic Plan, and it is the first step of recruitment inÌýthe School of Education’s AU Teacher Pipeline.

15 DCPSÌýand charter school students will be selected for the program each academic year. Student selection is based on individual university application processes, recognizing that this is a dual-credit program. All grades/credits will be reflected on students’ high schoolÌýand Â鶹´«Ã½ (if attending) transcripts. The AU Admissions Office and the Dual Enrollment Committee review applications.

Criteria for selection include:

  • A complete Â鶹´«Ã½ Dual Enrollment Application through OSSE or DCPS
  • Optional test submission (e.g.:ÌýPSAT)
  • Official high school transcripts (minimum GPA of 3.0, un-weighted on a 4-point scale)
  • Education-focused essay/personal statement
  • Letter of recommendation from high school counselor/principal/teacher
  • Letter of permission from participant’s parents/legal guardian

Email any questions about enrollment/participation to Dr. Toks Fashola atÌýfashola@american.edu.

Students are enrolled in classes in-person as a cohort, and they learn alongside AU students on Mondays and Wednesdays from 4:05pm-5:20pm. DE Fellows receive the same work as the AU students enrolled in their classes. The courses are taught in an interactive manner, that involves multiple pedagogies, critical thinking, the Socratic method, and individual contributions to knowledge in the classroom setting. The class formats include readings, small groups, large groups, group presentations, and debates, among many other interactive styles of class participation.

Fall Semester

Education (EDU) 205: Schools and Society
Course Level: Undergraduate
Credits: 3
Course Description: A multidimensional view of schools, teachers, and students. This social and intellectual foundation course serves as a basis for studying contemporary education and the issues of racism, sexism, finance, governance, innovations, and the social context of Â鶹´«Ã½ education. The course includes lectures, discussion groups, cooperative learning, Internet activities, and independent projects.

Spring Semester

EDU 280: Social Justice in Urban Education
Course Level: Undergraduate
Credits: 3
Course Description: An analysis of race and class on social justice issues in urban education. Emphasis is placed on how urban schools have served as vehicles of both oppression and opportunity for social groups in our society. Students also consider the political ideologies, theories, classroom properties and structures within race and class. The courseÌýuses a critical pedagogy framework to analyze the relationship between education and social justice and to critique the theories and practices within urban education.

Dr. Toks Fashola
Faculty Coordinator
202) 885-3716Ìý
fashola@american.edu

Dr. Cheryl Holcomb-McCoy
Dean, School of EducationÌý
cholcomb@american.edu

Emily HueyÌý
District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) Coordinator
(202) 535-1636Ìý
emily.huey@k12.dc.gov

Kalecia BaityÌý
Program Manager,ÌýCollege and Career Readiness,ÌýPostsecondary & Career Education in theÌýOffice of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE)
(202) 727-6436
Kalecia.Baity1@dc.gov

For questions about the Â鶹´«Ã½/DCPS Dual Enrollment Program, send an email to Toks Fashola atÌýfashola@american.edu.

News

• NBC4, a television station in Washington, DC, spotlighted our Dual Enrollment program as part of their Black History Month programming. Watch it here.

NBC4 teacher pipeline screenshot

• Washington, DC, television station WJLA produced aÌýÌýsegment about the AU/DCPS Dual Enrollment program.

• SOE's Dual EnrollmentÌýprogram, the first program of the school’sÌýTeacher Pipeline ProjectÌýis celebrating its five-year anniversary.

• SOE Dean Cheryl Holcomb-McCoy writes a Washington PostÌýÌýdetailing the importanceÌýof AU’s Dual Enrollment program.

• Read theÌýÌýon Dual Enrollment in AU’s Online Newspaper, The Eagle.

• AU School of Education launches theÌýDual Enrollment ProgramÌýfor DC students.

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