Wealth of Dual Credit Programs Serve High School Students

By MISD Post | Sep 17, 2020

Marshall ISD’s dual credit programs got a boost several years ago with the implementation of the district’s “MavU” agreement with East Texas Baptist University. Since that time Marshall High School seniors have seen a wealth of opportunities when it comes to earning college credit while still in high school.

MavU, implemented in the fall of 2016 as a dual credit program of MISD and ETBU, allows MHS juniors and seniors the opportunity to take up to 27 college hours in the familiar surroundings of classrooms at MHS with ETBU professors. The tuition rates are discounted to just $50 per semester hour, with textbooks provided to MISD students at no cost to students.

Since the fall of 2016, when MavU began, MHS students have earned a total of 2,374 college credit hours while still a high school student through the dual credit program with ETBU. During the 2019-2020 school year, MavU students earned 663 credits toward their college degree.

MISD also has a dual credit agreement with Panola College, with students earning a cumulative total of 351 credit hours through the program. Of those, 72 were earned in the 2019-2020 school year.

Students have also earned credit through Advanced Placement courses, with 564 total credit hours earned through the MHS AP program. Students earned a total of 138 credits during the most recent school year in 2019-2020.

Another dual credit program was implemented at MHS in 2019, OnRamps. OnRamps is a program from the University of Texas but MHS Go Center Director, Heather Hill, said that she is still waiting on the initial data figures from UT for the first year.

Specifically, fifty MHS students were enrolled in the first OnRamps Math class last year, with a maximum potential of 150 credit hours (three for each student in the class) to be earned. But until the data is released, MHS does not know how many students achieved their credit.

Jennifer Truelove, whose daughter Cate was the 2020 Valedictorian and who is now a freshman at UT-Austin, gave credit to several of the dual programs Cate took advantage of while at MHS.

“The only dual credit course Cate took while at Marshall was Calculus, from Dr. Robin Rudd (through MavU),” Truelove said. “She received six hours but was told by UT they would only count as electives. Dr. Rudd reached out to UT on Cade’s behalf and now she is actually receiving Calculus I and II credit at UT, which is awesome.”

Truelove added that other than a Speech class Cate took at Panola, all her other credits have been AP course credits. In total, Cate received 27 hours of AP credit for Government, English 3 and 4, American History, World Geography and World History while at MHS.

But the work of Dr. Rudd through the MavU program, and especially for her willingness to go the extra mile in working with Cate and UT, has made a huge difference.

“She thoroughly enjoyed Dr. Rudd’s dual credit Calculus course,” Jennifer said. “I think Cate would tell you that Dr. Rudd goes above and beyond to ensure her students are engaged and learn the material.  Dr. Rudd truly enjoys her profession and wants to see her students succeed.  We are very fortunate that she is a part of the Maverick family.”

Truelove’s classmate at MHS and the Class of 2020 Salutatorian, Elizabeth Palmer, is now a freshman at Baylor University. Her mother, Sarah, also says the dual credit experience was invaluable for her daughter during her time in high school.

“The rigor and teaching in (Elizabeth’s) AP classes gave her knowledge and confidence,” said Sarah Palmer. “The experience of true college classes through Maverick University is a foundation she is building on now at Baylor. More than anything, she was blessed by relationships she built with her teachers and professors. The life lessons of diligence and hard work will carry her through the next four years and beyond.”