Mr. Pack’s Dual Enrollment class is a pretty cool deal for high school students who want to get a jump on college. It’s a way for them to earn college credits while still in high school, which is awesome. Ashlyn Mitchell, one of the students in the class, thinks it’s a great way to learn new material and get ahead. The class has a tough curriculum, but it’s a unique chance for students to push themselves and prepare for the future.

Pack says, “The Dual Credit U.S. History program is actually split into 2 sections, History 101 and History 102. History 101 is in the first semester and covers American history up to the Civil War. History 102 starts with the Reconstruction era and ends in the present day. By passing both sections students can earn 6 college credits, 3 per section.”

College expectations are very different from the high school expectations of CCSD. Students do not receive full credit for late work, do not have the option of retaking quizzes, and do not receive a minimum grade for incomplete work. However, most students adapt to these expectations and end up receiving college credit. In fact, less than 10 students out of 350 ended up not earning college credit since Pack took over the program.

“The Dual Credit U.S. History is a survey course. We have much material to cover, so we do not have the time to do projects. Assignments are varied, we do focus on skills such as reading comprehension and argumentative writing, but we also have time to do simulations and other types of activities,” says Pack.

Of course there is a syllabus and the grading criteria is different. For example, classwork is worth a higher percentage than 20%.  Many students are able to complete all the work in class, with the exception of the three page research paper for each semester. 

Pack says, “There are many different ways to participate, not just verbally. However, it is a very interactive class. Students improve their skills over time as we practice reading and writing fairly often, if not daily.”

The workload compared to regular high school classes is definitely a lot heavier, as well as the assignments and exams but Pack makes sure his classes are thoroughly prepared enough for everything.

Mitchell says, “Shadow Ridge’s Dual Enrollment HST 101/102 classes are very interesting and engaging. Our teacher makes sure we always do interactive activities to let us grasp a full understanding of what we are learning.”