The number of students taking Advanced Placement courses has increased 123% from the 2018-19 school year, said Seth Rutledge, PISD’s director of advanced academics, during an Oct. 16 board meeting. For dual credit courses, enrollment has grown 140% since the 2019-20 school year, he said.
“The growth in AP and dual credit is tremendous,” Rutledge said.
Diving in deeper
For advanced academic courses, Rutledge said the district offers:
- 32 advanced placement courses
- 19 core dual credit courses
- 27 career and technical courses
“Our students are seeking out those opportunities, and our teachers are getting them in and keeping them in,” Rutledge said. “Not only are we getting more kids in, they’re getting more opportunities for college credit.”
For dual credit courses, PISD works with Collin College. Students are able to take college courses with the college’s professors and graduate with a high school and college transcript, he said.
In the 2019-20 school year, there were 439 students in dual credit classes. By the beginning of the 2023-24 school year, this has grown to over 1,000 students, Rutledge said.
“Our students really have the opportunity to get ahead here,” he said.
Check this out
For the past two summers, any students from schools that Collin College partners with for dual credit courses have had the opportunity to take two college courses—equivalent to six credit hours—for free, Rutledge said. This is not limited to students who have taken dual credit, but any graduating senior has been eligible, he said.
“It’s been a great program,” Rutledge said. “As long as they have [the funds], they will continue to offer it to our students.”
