Stockton, Greater Egg School District Team Up to Bring College Courses to High School Classrooms

students are currently enrolled in a program that will allow them to earn college credits that can be transferred to the , and possibly other colleges, Stockton announced on Thursday, in conjunction with the Greater Egg Harbor Regional School District.

The pilot program applies at all three Greater Egg Harbor high schools, which includes Absegami, Oakcrest and Cedar Creek.

Stockton Dean of Natural Sciences and Mathematics Dr. Dennis Weiss said district high school students will now have the opportunity to take college level pre-calculus courses at all three schools, while students at Cedar Creek will be able to take environmental science.

Course content, textbooks and tests will be the same for the pilot program as it is at the college level, but it will be taught by high school teachers, who underwent a weeklong training program under the guidance of Stockton faculty at the college over the summer.

Students who complete the courses successfully will receive four college credits, which will be waived if they attend Stockton and the credits apply to their major. Those who attend other colleges may be eligible to transfer credits to those colleges. The courses also count toward high school graduation.

The courses are already under way, according to Stockton’s Office of Public Relations representative, Tim Kelly. He said they began with this marking period.

According to Weiss, Stockton faculty members will mentor the teachers and students, and will guest lecture in the classes.

Stockton Provost and Executive Vice President Dr. Harvey Kesselman said the program benefits parents and students looking to save time and money in procuring college degrees. It also advances the college’s relationship with the community and the district’s high schools.

“This is one of the most innovative programs we have engaged in during our long and fruitful history of collaboration with the Greater Egg Harbor District,” Kesselman said. “Thanks to the extraordinary vision of (Greater Egg Harbor Regional School District) Superintendent Dr. Steve Ciccariello and the hard work of Stockton, Absegami, Cedar Creek and Oakcrest faculty, students will have a chance for an early exposure to college coursework and parents will save on their higher education expenses.”  

"This exciting new program offers a tremendous opportunity for our students to ‘jump-start’ their college careers while still attending high school,” Ciccariello said. “I would like to personally thank Dr. Kesselman, Dr. Weiss and the Stockton faculty for their commitment to enhancing academic outcomes for Greater Egg Harbor Regional High School District students."

The schools are encouraging parents to contact the guidance departments at the high schools for additional information about the program.

“We expect this program to be embraced by everyone involved and for it to be expanded to include a wider range of course offerings,” said Kesselman, who credited the program to the cooperation of Weiss, Ciccariello, Stockton President Herman J. Saatkamp, several members of Stockton’s faculty and the teachers in the school district. “It could well serve as a statewide and national model for higher education. I can’t think of a better example of sharing human and educational resources for the good of the community.”

Kelly said it was made possible because of the schools “incredible network with South Jersey superintendents,” which includes training of teachers in instructional technology, including at the technology center at the Southern Regional Institute.

“This is a great start to your college career,” Kelly said.