Stamford Public Schools To Receive Funds For Dual Credit Expansion

STAMFORD, CT — Gov. Ned Lamont and CT Education Commissioner Charlene M. Russell-Tucker on Tuesday announced that the Connecticut State Department of Education is awarding $3.8 million to 83 applicants representing 89 school districts across the state to expand dual credit offerings in high schools.

One of the recipients is the Stamford Public Schools District (SPS), which will receive $87,775.

The primary objective of the state’s Dual Credit Expansion Grant Program is to enable more high school students to earn college credits prior to graduation through partnerships formed between high schools and public and private colleges and universities.

Dual credit courses offer a rigorous alternative to traditional test-based measures — like the SAT, ACT, Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate — for students to demonstrate their postsecondary readiness.

The courses have been found in research to have positive effects on students’ college access and enrollment, credit accumulation, and college degree attainment. Accumulating college credits in high school can help students get a jump start in their postsecondary program, while also saving money, a news release from the governor's office said.

In using the funds, SPS will enter into an agreement with The Workplace and Housatonic Community College (HCC) to allow students to earn college credits in advanced manufacturing courses through enrollment in the Introduction to Manufacturing course, and the Intermediate and Subtractive Manufacturing course, according to a summary of the grant funds.

The Manufacturing Pathway program will be available at Stamford High School and Westhill High School.

"Manufacturing is an identified area by the Governor's Workforce Council that is high-wage, high-growth, and in demand in Connecticut," the grant fund summary noted. "SPS has a long-term commitment to the development of career-connected learning through pathways that allow students to obtain real life skills in a particular career field with curriculum that is industry informed and vetted."

Parent engagement, communication and outreach will be used to recruit students from subgroups that historically do not participate in dual enrollment courses, the summary said.

"Dual credit courses enable students to earn college credits while still in high school, giving them a head start on their requirements to complete postsecondary education while also helping reduce the financial burden of higher education costs," Lamont added in a news release. "I am proud that we can support the expansion of these courses in our high schools and get students on the right track to begin successful, long-lasting careers."

Russell-Rucker spoke about the benefits of dual credits.

"Dual credit courses, with their rigorous approach, demonstrate clear benefits in terms of college access, credit accumulation, and degree or certificate attainment, ultimately empowering our students to embark on their postsecondary journeys with a head start and fiscal prudence," she said in a news release.

Dual credit courses can be part of traditional academic college pathways or career-oriented pathways that lead to industry-recognized credentials.

The plans of the 83 applicants demonstrate new partnerships with public and private institutions of higher education and innovative courses that are student-centered, equity-focused, and industry-aligned.

For more on Lamont's announcement and the Dual Credit Expansion Grant Program, click here.

Read more about how each recipient plans to use its grant funds.