Correction April 24, 2:10 p.m.: The bar chart graphic above which were originally posted April 19 at 3:05 p.m. indicate that they represent Advanced Placement enrollment numbers. They actually represent enrollment and performance in KISD's Dual Credit program. 

Preparing for college can be an expensive and difficult road.  Katy area residents with students attending Katy ISD high schools can utilize two programs that can help them get ahead and save money.

Alene Lindley, Director of the Secondary Curriculum, Gifted and Talented and Advanced Academics programs for KISD, said both the advanced placement and dual credit programs offered by KISD help students in multiple ways. Two benefits are ensuring students have a head start on college courses and know what to expect from a college-level class.

This better prepares them to complete degree plans in college, Lindley said. Additionally there can be significant cost savings for students.

“Well it’s free college credit, so they can get a really good head start on their degree plan,” Lindley said.

It is important to note the two programs are separate entities, Lindley said.

Advanced Placement

The AP program is a course provided by a high school and approved by The College Board, a nonprofit entity known for administering the Scholastic Aptitude Test, Lindley said.

The AP program allows students to take intensive classes while in high school, she said. Students in AP classes only need to pay for the final exam, which vary by course. Students who pass the final assessment receive college credit, and those credits may be applied under the subject studied or as an elective, depending on the college or university attended as well as the student’s degree plan.

“When students take the test at the end of the [AP] course and they score a 3, 4 or 5 [5 being the highest score], that’s generally accepted for college credit,” Lindley said.

Dual Credit

Dual credit classes are the second program offered by KISD in partnership with Houston Community College, Lindley said.

Dual credit classes allow students to take college courses administered by an HCC instructor or certified KISD teacher. Students attend courses at their high school and grades are tracked by HCC and the teacher. Students still must pass the course to get college credit.

Dual credit coursework can save students’ families money, Lindley said.

“They used to have to pay the fees, which was about $150 per course,” Lindley said. “They don’t have to do that anymore because HCC has waived the out-of-district fees as well as the tuition.”

The college receives state funding similar to that received by the district for offering the courses, she said.

Good for all

HCC also benefits by getting future students familiar with their curriculum, Lindley said. The community college is not the only beneficiary of students that are more likely to finish their degrees, though.

State law requires that public colleges and universities accept credits from other public colleges, so those credits also transfer to public four-year institutions when the student moves forward with a bachelor’s or master’s degree. This makes them more likely to graduate, Lindley said.

KISD has policies in place to ensure that students taking advanced courses can still enjoy the rest of their school-related activities. For regular classes, students must be passing to participate in extracurricular activities, Lindley said.

With dual credit courses, that pressure is off. In an effort to encourage students to participate in the advanced coursework, that restriction was removed to keep fear of losing access to those activities from holding students back.

“So there’s an incentive for those students who are involved in those sports to at least attempt these courses, because they’re not going to be penalized for that,” Lindley said. “These are more advanced courses, so you want to encourage kids to be able to participate.”