“Changing the narrative” for high school students in rural Pennsylvania

Eric Gaydos set out to create a “one walk, two degree path” program for the students in his district. 

Hoping to make this program a reality, Gaydos, who is superintendent of Pennsylvania’s rural West Greene School District, looked to partner with local community colleges. But finding transportation to and from the college campuses posed a significant challenge to students, especially given the inflexible timing of college courses. On top of that, students found that their credits often failed to transfer, diminishing the program’s appeal and long-term impact. 

A breakthrough came at the Future of Education Technology Conference in New Orleans, where Gaydos heard about Accelerate ASU — a university-based dual enrollment program that offers flexible implementation options based on schools’ individual needs.

Through Accelerate ASU, students enroll in ASU Universal Learner Courses (ULCs) that span general education foundations to specialized program and career pathways, all taught by ASU faculty. Courses are low-risk, with students adding a course to their transcript only when they are satisfied with their final grade. ASU is one of the largest public universities in the country with articulation agreements at colleges and universities nationwide, making its courses widely transferable.  

For Gaydos, Accelerate ASU proved a great fit for the needs of his district. 

“Going with a university that had a world reach was a much better play for us,” he said. “When a student is transferring 20 or 30 credits entering their freshman year, it’s pretty amazing. Those are the types of stories that change the narrative very quickly. Now the students are graduating, seeing the transferability of credits and helping more students get involved [with dual enrollment].”

College credit accessible to all students

To Gaydos, the flexibility of Accelerate ASU’s implementation is a key driver of the program’s success for smaller school districts like West Greene with limited staffing. Schools have the option of offering courses to students to take independently, offering facilitation by a faculty member or using a course entirely facilitated by ASU. 

“That provided us with opportunities to look at,” says Gaydos. “We realized we could turn certain classes into a graduation credit here while the students can simultaneously earn college credit. We’ve seen a lot of success with that.”

West Greene has now adopted ASU’s HST 109: American History ULC as the district’s 10th grade United States history class, granting every student the opportunity to experience a college-level course. 

“It’s not an honors class, it’s an opportunity for everyone to try it out,” says Gaydos. “When students finish the class, they start to take other classes because they see that they can do it.  It’s been exciting to see that change.”

Additionally, students have the option to supplement their studies with Accelerate ASU courses that interest them during West Greene’s Online Academy Period, a daily time in the schedule devoted to online coursework. Students in the district can take courses free of charge thanks to funding from the Clark Opportunity Foundation, a local non-profit that provides scholarship funding. 

In West Greene’s second year of partnership with ASU, staff say providing in-person counseling has been a key part of the program’s success, along with data from ASU’s online Partner Portal. 

“Using the reporting that we get from ASU through the partner portal, our counselor is able to give gentle nudges,” says Gaydos. “It’s a reminder that we’re right here supporting them. What can we do to help?”

A starting place to consider future paths

Gaydos says Accelerate ASU’s program has helped increase the number of West Greene students interested in earning college credit.

“With the ASU courses, we’ve seen the number of students participating in dual enrollment explode. We’ve pretty much doubled the number of students who are earning college credit in high school,” he says. “We’re very proud of that and proud of the students that are taking that chance.”

The program has become a helpful starting place for students to consider their future paths, whether or not that involves a four-year degree.

“Some students are doing well, some students struggle, and that’s OK,” says Gaydos. “We can have that conversation with them and see where their struggles lie. Maybe their pathway isn’t a college pathway. We promote all pathways. We go by the mantra, ‘The Three E’s’: They’re either going to be enrolled, employed or enlisted by the time they leave us.”

Roberta Barr, West Greene’s school counselor, has seen the impact of the program first-hand. She gives the example of a West Greene student she worked with who was able to start college as a sophomore, with her many ASU credits transferring and counting towards her major. 

“[ASU’s program] allows students to experience the rigor of a college class, see what it looks like and see how they could handle that,” said Barr. “I think that’s very beneficial for students.”

A community of schools around the world

Looking ahead, Gaydos hopes to continue expanding West Greene’s partnership with ASU and offer students additional courses.

“I spread the word about ASU to everyone I talk to — at curriculum meetings with other local school districts and superintendent meetings,” says Gaydos. “The methods of facilitation make it easy to find what works best for you.”

West Greene School District is one of Accelerate ASU’s 550+ past and current partners from around the world. 

“What Superintendent Gaydos describes is exactly why we built Accelerate ASU the way we did,” said Sarah Bixler, senior director of Accelerate ASU. “A student’s zip code should not decide their opportunity. We are proud to partner with innovative schools like West Greene that are opening real college pathways for their students.” 

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