Centennial Expands College Credit Program

WARMINSTER, PA —The Centennial School District is giving students more help and options when it comes to college consideration.

Dennis Best, the district's assistant to Schools Superintendent Dana Bedden, said at Tuesday's meeting that William Tennent High School students would have more college options with the expansion of the "2 x 2 x 2" program model.

Bedden, who did not attend the meeting, told Patch Friday that the model is for two years of technical school at MBIT, two years of community college, and two years of college.

The community college option provides career/industry certification and degree credit options. Students have the opportunity to acquire higher education credit while in attendance at high school with the dual enrollment and early college program.

And now Montgomery County Community College and Penn State University are part of the program, Bedden said.

Last year, Centennial signed agreements with Bucks County Community College and three Commonwealth University schools: Bloomsburg, Lock Haven, and Mansfield.

"The 2 x 2 x 2 program model directly supports our vision statement, which says, The Centennial School District will ensure students are prepared for post-secondary education, career, and life readiness. Our technical school program, community college partnerships, and dual enrollment options with 2- and 4-year higher education institutions provide our students with multiple pathway opportunities to get industry certifications, career skills, and college credit while attending high school in Centennial School District," Bedden said.

"It's a good deal," School Board Vice President Patti Crossan said. "Applying for college can be overwhelming for students. Not everyone has a parent or a guardian. This is one way to help them. This just gives our students more options, to make sure they can get to places and that they have stepping stones."

The summary of qualifications for the two new programs are as follows:

MCCC Early College Program

Dual Enrollment Student
An academically capable high school student who is at least fifteen years of age and meets the pre-requisites for Montco course(s) he/she wishes to take and uses these courses for both high school and college credit.

Student Eligibility
Students who meet all the following criteria are qualified to participate in the program: a) The student is making satisfactory progress toward fulfilling applicable secondary school graduation requirements, as determined by the District. The District will determine satisfactory progress-based criteria such as credits earned, attendance, and discipline record. b) The student has demonstrated readiness for college-level coursework in the intended subject of study, as determined by Montco. The student must meet course prerequisites, as required for each course.

Penn State Early College Program

Student Eligibility and Enrollment
Students who meet the following criteria are eligible to participate in the program:

1. Students who have completed their 11th-grade year or are currently in their 12th-grade year of high school are eligible to enroll in the program.
2. The student must submit an enrollment form, signed by the School District to the University campus where they plan to enroll, along with an official high school transcript.
3. Deadlines for Program applications are August 1 for the fall semester, December 1 for the spring semester, and June 1 for the summer session.
4. Students who have graduated from high school are not eligible for the program.
5. Any student enrolled in the program must be making satisfactory progress toward fulfilling secondary school graduation requirements and have been approved for university-level coursework as determined by the School District and approved by the university.
6. Students in the program must maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.0 in each university course in which the student is enrolled.
7. Exceptions for underclass students are considered on a case-by-case basis. These students must submit the enrollment application, signed by the School District, a high school transcript, and a letter or recommendation from the school district.