This is the second week of the school year for some students in the area and Copperas Cove ISD is putting their high school students on a fast track to success in college.
The new early college program allows students to get their college career started while they're still in high school, paid for by their school district.
This is the first year Copperas Cove has launched the program in partnership with Central Texas College. Students in the program are bused to and from CTC to take a variety of vocational and academic courses with professors at the college.
Russell Porterfield, Director of College and Career Readiness for CCISD, said this new program gives students the opportunity to graduate with college credits or an applied associates degree. However, the early college program is designed for them to complete the program without falling behind on their normal curriculum at the high school.
"A number of students are taking English 1301, they're earning their high school English three credits while earning college credit for English 1301," Porterfield said.
Organizers said the program offers more course options than the dual-credit classes. In the vocational portion, students have the option to take culinary, welding and automotive courses. Some students are taking classes towards an associates degree. In the spring, even more courses will be offered.
The college classes are paid for by CCISD and they have a little over thirty-five participants piloting the program this fall. officials say students must keep a 3.0 GPA to be eligible for the program.
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