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YSU's College in High School to require more education for teachers
By Denise Dick
YOUNGSTOWN
Youngstown State University is expanding a program that allows high-school students to earn college credit, but there are some changes to the requirements for those teaching the courses.
YSU’s College in High School is changing to College Credit Plus, aligning with the state initiative.
Mahoning and Shenango principals and superintendents gathered Thursday morning in the McKay Auditorium in YSU’s Beeghly Hall to learn about the changes.
The program expands to allow seventh- and eighth-graders to earn both high-school and college credit by taking college-level courses at their schools, online or on the YSU campus. Previously, only high-school students were eligible.
“We’re not just looking to get students college credit,” said YSU President Jim Tressel. “We’re looking to raise their level of excellence.”
The program also helps students earn college credit at no charge to them before they graduate. That helps reduce their student-loan debt upon graduation, he said.
The change, however, also means more-stringent requirements for those teaching the courses.
The state requires those teaching a College Credit Plus course to have completed at least 18 hours of graduate coursework in the content area they’ll teach.
“There are teachers who teach for us doing an excellent job who don’t have that credential,” said Martin Abraham, YSU’s interim provost and vice president for academic affairs.
YSU has developed a scholarship to help those teachers earn that credential, he said.
The College Credit Plus Instructor Scholarship, which begins this summer, allows those instructors to take courses they need for $333 per credit hour for instructional fees, up to six semester hours. To be eligible, instructors must be current YSU graduate students or apply with all necessary materials by April 16.
The regular graduate fee is $386 per credit.
Scholarships will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis.
“Eighteen hours is not something you can get overnight,” Abraham said.
He said those who are working toward that credential will be accepted and certified to teach the courses as long as they’re qualified.
YSU began offering College in High School in 2006, and it’s grown from eight schools and nine instructors in one county to 44 schools and 140 instructors in four counties. In the past eight years, 2,132 College in High School students have earned more than 14,000 college credit hours.