NEWS RELEASE

Contact: David West (west@nsula.edu )
News Bureau
Northwestern State University
Natchitoches, LA 71497
(318) 357-6466

8/22/2006

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NATCHITOCHES -Northwestern State University has received a grant from the Louisiana Board of Regents to begin a pilot program to help high school students who need to take developmental college courses.

The pilot program is an expansion of STEP UP (Success Through Early Preparation for Undergraduate Programs), a dual enrollment program for high school students. Enrollment would begin in November for the spring 2007 semester.

For the past five years, Northwestern has offered college classes in English, math and fine arts to high school seniors who meet certain requirements. Under the pilot program, high school juniors or seniors who scored below an 18 in English or math or below a 21 in reading and are on track to complete the Regents (TOPS) core would be able to take developmental classes during the day at their high school.

Completing the classes would not ensure admission to a four-year university in Louisiana.

"We anticipate that those students in the program would improve their skills and make a higher score on the ACT which would make them eligible for admission to a four-year university," said NSU Director of Electronic and Continuing Education Darlene Williams. "The dual enrollment program gives high school students a chance to get a head start on earning college credit. As a result of the relationship developed with the university and the confidence gained by the successful completion of a college course, the students may be more likely to continue to college."

Instructors for the courses will be high school teachers, who meet requirements to teach at Northwestern. Over the past five years, an average of 90 students per semester have participated in the dual enrollment program.

"This project allows us to expand opportunities to students who may not otherwise be able to afford tuition for the program," said Williams. "We would like to expand the program to include additional courses, have more schools participate and increase the number of students who participate."

School superintendents from Natchitoches, Red River, Sabine, Vernon, Catahoula, Concordia, DeSoto, Grant and LaSalle parishes have expressed an interest in participating in the program.

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