Confidence, credit and college readiness at Robichaud High School

Melanie Depray Learst knew the students in her school district could benefit from dual enrollment. But finding a program that fit students’ needs posed a challenge.

Depray Learst serves as Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum, Instruction and Accountability for Westwood Community School District in Dearborn Heights, Michigan. 

She initially hoped to find an off-campus program, as her high school students tend to have higher persistence rates in college courses when receiving in-person support. But for many of the students in the district, a lack of transportation options made commuting off-campus unrealistic. 

While attending the ASU + GSV Summit, a collaboration between Arizona State University and Global Silicon Valley, Depray Learst realized that a blended program, both online and in-person, could be a perfect fit for her students seeking college credit.

In the fall of 2025, Westwood Community School District partnered with ASU to create a pilot dual enrollment program at Robichaud High School. The pilot program allows students to access ASU’s rigorous college courses online while receiving in-person support from teachers in their high school classrooms.

Dual enrollment for student success

With just over 360 students, Robichaud is a small public high school in a suburb of Detroit. For Depray Learst, setting the pilot program in motion at Robichaud took focused collaboration with the district’s teachers union and other stakeholders. 

Ultimately, Depray Learst was able to convey that dual enrollment could best serve her students’ needs.

“We haven’t had great success in our [student] population with AP [Advanced Placement courses],” she says. “I was an AP teacher, but I never loved the fact that you earned college credit based on a single test. Because that’s not college, right? In college, you’re doing the work along the way and earning the grade like you always have. …So I’ve always been a big advocate for dual enrollment, especially in populations like the ones that we serve, because I want them to see success. That success helps with persistence beyond high school.”

After gaining support from parents, Depray Learst spoke to students at Robichaud, many of whom were excited about the opportunity to take affordable college classes while still in high school.

Through Accelerate ASU, one of the nation’s largest university-provided dual enrollment programs, partner schools and organizations can access college-level courses across a multitude of disciplines in a flexible, online format. With no GPA or standardized testing requirements, ASU removes enrollment barriers that students typically face.

A boost in confidence and motivation

As part of the pilot program, Robichaud has incorporated ASU’s Universal Learner Courses [ULCs] into its honors English and math classes. Taking advantage of the flexible nature of ULCs, Robichaud teachers have blended the online courses into their weekly curriculum, with students focusing on ASU coursework two days per week. Teachers on any campus are able to facilitate and guide students through ASU ULC courses without the typical dual enrollment restrictions that often limit teachers from teaching college courses on a high school campus.

20 English honors students are taking ASU’s First Year Composition: English 101 course, and 15 students have enrolled in ASU’s Math 117: College Algebra.

Depray Learst states that Robichaud students are not only succeeding academically in these courses — they’re gaining confidence in their ability to succeed in college coursework. She gives the example of one English honors student who is also in special education. This student’s motivation to do well in her ASU coursework has prompted her to learn to self-advocate with teachers and professors, a vital skill for college students to develop.  

“The teachers’ feedback [is] that it’s going well, better than they expected,” Depray Learst says.  “There are a few students that they have to push along harder, more than others, but that reinforces the idea of why we’re doing this in high school: so that they can see that they can do this and be successful.”

College credit for all learners

At the end of the school year, Robichaud and the school district will assess next steps for the pilot program. Eventually, Depray Learst hopes to add ASU’s English 102 course into the program and create a pathway that will expand access to ASU coursework for a greater number of Robichaud students.

To Depray Learst, Robichaud’s partnership with ASU has already led to positive outcomes.

“I appreciate the flexibility, I appreciate the low cost, and [I appreciate] that this helps overcome a barrier for at-risk students who get the opportunity to earn college credit in a different way,” she says.

Todd Oldford, Robichaud High School’s principal, points to accessibility as a key strength of ASU’s program.

“The availability for Robichaud students to take ASU classes is just one more opportunity that they have to be successful, and earn college credit,” he says.  “It provides our students with an experience that they would otherwise not have if ASU classes weren’t offered at Robichaud High School.  Our intent at Robichaud is to give all of our students such opportunities, and ASU classes make that a real possibility.”

Westwood Community School District is one of Accelerate ASU’s 550+ partners from across the globe. Dr. Audrey Moreno, Senior Director of Accelerate ASU, prioritizes creating personalized programs for each partner organization.

“Our partnership with Westwood Community School District reflects Accelerate ASU’s mission to create dual enrollment programs that fit every school’s specific needs,” she says. “We strive to create programs that are easy for our partners to implement and flexible in format and pacing. It’s about empowering all learners to see themselves as students capable of success in college.”

To learn more about dual-enrollment opportunities for your students or child, visit accelerate.asu.edu.