Fort Collins High School senior Bennett Ramirez will earn 6 hours of college credit at Colorado State University at the same time he earns 10 hours of high school credit towards graduation this year. He will earn those college credits without leaving the FCHS campus or paying college tuition out of his own pocket.

Ramirez is one of 147 Poudre School District students taking advantage of concurrent enrollment, a new PSD pilot that allows high school students to enroll in college courses and high school classes simultaneously. The opportunity for concurrent enrollment was created in response to Colorado Legislature House Bill 1319, which was passed last year. Students at FCHS, Poudre High School and Polaris Expeditionary Learning School are enrolled in the pilot program.

“We have the chance to be the first students in PSD to take advantage of concurrent enrollment, and not leave the high school campus in order to earn college credit,” Ramirez explained. “The most important thing is that I can spend my day at FCHS and take advantage of the opportunity to build on my future at the same time. Staying on campus means I can enroll in A cappella choir and participate in after school activities.”

The objective of HB 1319 (pdf) and concurrent enrollment is to give students an opportunity to graduate from high school with college credits and accelerate their progress toward earning advanced degrees and the working world. Preparing high school graduates to attend secondary school after graduation is one of PSD’s four learning goals.

“The concurrent enrollment pilot allows PSD to partner with institutions of higher education for students who want to earn both college and high school credit while they are still in high school,” explained Diedre Cook, Ph.D., director of concurrent enrollment and principal of Fossil Ridge High School.

Joe Ahlbrandt, FCHS assistant principal, said concurrent enrollment allows students to earn college credit without losing class time driving to CSU or Front Range Community College.

“Students who may not be planning to go on to college now have the chance to experience a college level course on their high school campus.” Ahlbrandt said. “If they pass the class they get the credit and it could become a springboard that leads a student to make the decision to attend a college, university or other post-secondary program after they graduate.”

The concurrent enrollment pilot is being offered in addition to PSD’s post-secondary education program, which allows students to take college courses on Front Range or Aims community colleges or CSU campuses. The post-secondary education offerings will be phased out in 2012, once the concurrent enrollment program is in place in all schools.

Learn more about one opportunity for concurrent enrollment students by watching the following PSD video: