Galena High School

Galena High School is proud to offer our students a variety of Dual Credit opportunities. GHS Students are able to enroll in both Seated AND/OR Online courses beginning their 10^th grade year. These classes present very rigorous but also very rewarding classes that will provide the opportunity to earn college credit while in high school.

Here are a few facts that we would like you to be aware of as you begin your journey through the dual credit program:

• Dual Credit/Dual Enrollment are advanced courses and therefore will present your child with a more rigorous curriculum than what they have previously been accustomed to. You will also find that as these are college-level courses the grading is also going to be more strenuous than what is typical for a high school course. It is not uncommon for students to be discouraged in the early stages of dual credit courses and it is important that we encourage them and remind them of the benefits of these courses.
• Dual credit/Dual Enrollment courses will be guided by the individual course syllabi. In some cases the grading policies may be slightly different from the policies of Galena High School. It is imperative that students in the Dual Credit program pay close attention to the syllabus for information pertaining to exams, assignments, etc.
• Being prepared for classes is always important but even moreso when enrolling in Dual Credit/Dual Enrollment courses as there is often more material that needs to be covered in the time given.
• All students enrolled in Dual Credit/Dual Enrollment courses are highly encouraged to work towards the development of a strong working relationship with their instructors. Students in Dual Credit/Dual Enrollment courses are expected to be advocates for themselves and be in regular communication with their instructors.
• Students in Dual Credit/Dual Enrollment courses will be expected to complete periods of “independent research” for their classes. Students will be expected to gather information from varied sources and be able to process, analyze and evaluate that information.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT DUAL CREDIT/DUAL ENROLLMENT

Dual Credit vs. Dual Enrollment:

Students in Missouri schools may be provided the opportunity to earn both high school and college credit through dual credit or dual enrollment. Dual Credit classes are taught by high school teachers that have been approved by a college or university to be adjunct professors and are usually taught at the high school or in the district. 

Dual enrollment classes are taught by college or university professors, and the school district has arranged to award high school credit for the classes. Dual enrollment classes may be taught at the college/university site or offered online.

Grading for Dual Credit/Dual Enrollment Courses:

Grades earned for completion of Dual Credit/Dual Enrollment courses will be weighted towards calculation of Grade Point Average (GPA). The grade points earned for Dual Credit/Dual Enrollment courses will be based on a 5-point scale as is the case with all Advanced/Honors courses at Galena High School.

Grades in Dual Enrollment courses will be provided in accordance with the academic calendar of the College/University issuing the classes. The majority of the courses our students will be enrolled in will have grades posted at the mid-term and the end of each semester.

Dual Credit/Dual Enrollment courses qualify as high school courses as defined by the Missouri State High School Activities Association (MSHSAA) so enrolled students will not be negatively impacted in terms of athletic/activity eligibility.

Enrollment Limitations for Students in the Dual Credit/Dual Enrollment Program:

Dual Credit/Dual Enrollment courses will only be available to students entering their 11th and/or 12th grade in high school. Students completing their 10th grade year will eligible to take online dual enrollment courses the summer immediately following their 10th grade year.

Students will be able to enroll is as many dual enrollment courses as they feel they can academically handle. Those decisions will be discussed with parents, students and the counselor.

Costs of Dual Credit/Dual Enrollment Courses:

The Galena R-II School has graciously offered to pay all expenses for students in the Dual Credit/Dual Enrollment program for a maximum of TWO courses per academic year beginning in their 11th grade year. The District will also pay for all expenses related to Dual Credit/Dual Enrollment courses for up to ONE course taken during the summer session.

All additional costs associated with tuition, books and other materials for the courses will be the responsibility of the family of the student and may be paid directly to Galena High School. 

The costs of tuition and books are set by the cooperating university and are not determined by the Galena R-II School District.

Dropping or Withdrawing from a Dual Credit/Dual Enrollment Course:

The process for dropping or withdrawing from Dual Credit or Dual Enrollment courses is established by the cooperating university. Students that drop or withdraw from a Dual Credit or Dual Enrollment course AFTER the deadline has passed for a refund on tuition will be responsible for the costs of that course or courses

DUAL CREDIT/DUAL ENROLLMENT ELIGIBILITY

Minimum Eligibility Requirements:

GHS Students must be considered to be in enrolled in good academic standing to be eligible for Dual Credit/Dual Enrollment courses. In order to qualify as being in good academic standing the following requirements must be attained:

• Student must be at or above the minimum credit requirements for their current grade level at the time of enrollment;
• Student must meet any prerequisites as established by the University for the individual course or courses selected;
• Student must receive approval from GHS teacher in the corresponding content area before being able to register for Dual Credit/Dual Enrollment courses.

Course Prerequisites & Eligibility:

To be eligible for enrollment in dual credit courses students must meet the minimum entry requirements established by the cooperating college or university. These may include GPA requirements, ACT test scores or any other requirement established by the institution.

Consequences of Failing or Dropping a Course:

Students that drop or withdraw from Dual Credit courses AFTER the deadline has passed will be responsible for paying any and all costs associated with the tuition for that particular course. Those costs will be paid to Galena High School. Grades for courses dropped AFTER the deadline will be reported on a student’s college transcript as a “W”. Although “W” grades do not affect a student’s GPA they could affect the ability of student’s when completing the admissions process for enrollment in College/University after high school.

It is the expectation of the Galena R-II School District that all students enrolled in Dual Credit courses will put forth a great effort to succeed in their respective courses. If it is determined that a student has earned a poor grade (D or F) in a dual credit course as a result of inappropriate level of effort on the part of the student than the District may choose to hold the student and their family responsible for payment of those tuition costs associated with that particular course. This decision will be made by the Dual Credit Committee at Galena High School with the approval of the Galena R-II School Board.