Students at Ridgewood High School will have more opportunities to earn college credit from their courses this year without enrolling in traditional Advanced Placement classes that require rigorous end-of-the-year exams.
Ridgewood is looking to expand its dual credit program, offering more chances for students to take courses that earn them credit at colleges and universities for their high school course work. The high school already has courses through Triton College and Northeastern Illinois University and is adding a new partnership with Loyola University.
Unlike AP classes, these courses may have final exams or projects, but students don’t have to obtain a certain score on a single exam in order to receive college credit.
“With AP classes, you take one exam at the end of the course that is scored out of five points, and if you don’t perform at a three, four or five, you don’t get the credit,” said Eric Lasky, head of the science, technology, engineering and math department at Ridgewood.
“The AP test isn’t always a good assessment of where the kids are at,” said Lasky, who helps organize and plan the dual credit program. “Sometimes in those classes you’re preparing more for the test than actually learning the curriculum and preparing for what colleges want you to know.”
Junior Michael Strojek, who is enrolled in AP spanish and dual credit biology and pre-calculus through Triton this year, said he has experienced exactly that.
“In AP Spanish, we’ve already started talking about how the test is going to be laid out, as compared to biology, where we instantly started learning about the curriculum,” Strojek said.
Classmate Julia Opalka, also a junior, agreed.
“In our AP Spanish class we’re more focused on preparing for the test and practicing for the test rather than our other classes, where we’re really focusing on the material and learning the different topics and subjects,” Opalka said.
The school is in the beginning stages of planning for courses with Loyola that will be offered at Ridgewood next year, said Principal Chris Uhle. They haven’t yet decided on classes, but Uhle said recently Loyola is open to creating courses for Ridgewood’s needs.
Lasky said Ridgewood teachers and administrators try to assess what classes will put students on the most fruitful career paths.
“We want to make sure that they’re going into a field where they are going to get a job and where they can support a family and make a decent living,” he said.
AP class credits can typically transfer to course credit at most colleges and universities, if a student scores high enough on the exam. With dual credit courses, credit will definitely transfer to the school the course is offered through, such as Triton or Loyola, but students risk not receiving credit if they go to another school or attend college out of state.
Ridgewood teachers who teach at Triton are actually considered Triton staff, but the college does not pay them, so Triton doesn’t charge students, Lasky said.
“By offering classes that they would take in college while they’re here, we could really save our students a lot of money,” said Uhle.
Through Loyola, teachers will go through an application process and become part of Loyola staff and will be able to attend professional development opportunities at Loyola, Uhle said.
Hensi Dauti, a junior at Ridgewood enrolled in dual credit biology and pre-calculus, said he hasn’t quite decided where he wants to attend college, but would be more drawn to dual credit courses with Loyola.
Dauti said he thinks that Loyola credits would be more impressive to his future college or university.
“I think it’s definitely a more prestigious opportunity,” he said.
Opalka said that she and many students don’t just take the courses for the credit, but because of the challenge.
“These classes are going to prepare us for our future,” said Opalka, who hopes to attend the University of Michigan, “And having dual credits will also look better on a college application.”
For Opalka, the program is also appealing because of its convenience. Rather than traveling to Triton, she is able to take courses at Ridgewood and without worrying about transportation.
“Since I don’t have a license it’s a lot easier for me,” said Opalka.
Ridgewood also offers two cohorts that began last week, a bio-engineering program at Triton and a student-teaching program.
The cohorts, taught for three hours each day, specialize in criminal justice and automotive engineering repair, said Uhle. Students earn certifications in these areas at the end of the cohort.
Students studying in the bioengineering program at Triton have the potential to graduate high school with an associate’s degree, Lasky said.
Through Northeastern Illinois University, students interested in pursuing education can participate in a teacher preparation course at the Northeastern campus, where they take courses in educational methodology and middle level education, Lasky said.
Ridgewood now offers 14 dual credit classes, with plans to add a chemistry course and computer science classes, including a cyber security class, said Lasky.
