Curriculum

Early College Brochure
Early College Spring Presentation

Articulation

Articulation is a process by which students may earn college credits for certain courses they take in high school after completing them at specific colleges where Rockford has established an Articulation Agreement. Rockford currently has agreements with Davenport, Central Michigan University, Ferris State University, Baker College and Grand Valley State University.

• Application is to be completed once student enrolls in the university. Students contact their counselor at Rockford High School to complete the Articulation Application.
• The college or university may require a 3.0 or higher in order for the student to earn the articulated class/credit.

Advanced Placement Classes

• While taking AP classes does not guarantee college credit at universities, students prepare through these year-long classes to take the AP exam in May. Typically, a score of 3, 4 or 5 earns the student college credit. These exams cost approximately $94 each.
• Each college is different in the amount of credit it awards. For this specific information, students should check the college/university website. Typically, this information can be found by searching “AP credit” on their websites.
• Details of AP courses at RHS: These classes are averaged out of 5.0, instead of 4.0, in student GPAs. We currently offer 19 AP courses: US History, Economics, US Government, Psychology, English Language and Composition, English Literature and Composition, Calculus AB, Calculus BC, Statistics, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Spanish, German, Computer Science Principles, Computer Science A, Physics C, Seminar and Art.

Dual Enrollment

• RHS students are enrolled as high school students while at the same time being enrolled at a local college taking a college course. These classes are taken in place of Rockford classes and are usually on the college campus.
• Students earn dual credit – they begin their permanent college transcript by earning a college grade and GPA. They also are awarded that same grade or given the option to earn credit (CR) on their high school transcript.
• Some guidelines for dual enrollment: Purpose is to provide an educational option that makes sense for the student, must be coursework we do not offer (including AP and online options), cannot be a hobby, craft, recreational, or religious course (often will be an area of career interest).
• Both the student and the class must meet eligibility criteria set by State of Michigan.

Addressing some confusing terminology

• Both Dual Enrollment and Early College opportunities result in college credit once the class is successfully completed.
• Early College classes are taught at RHS, usually by RHS staff, during the school day. Dual Enrollment classes are taught on the college campus and taught by college faculty.
• Early College is funded completely through RHS. Dual Enrollment is not always 100% funded. Many times, parents will be expected to pay a remaining balance for tuition, books, and fees.
• Dual Enrollment registration is facilitated by the parents and students and can be with numerous different institutions. Early College opportunities are offered through FSU and GVSU at this time, and the process is handled at RHS by counseling staff.

GVSU Offerings:

• Student eligibility criteria: Seniors only, GPA 3.0+, must meet standardized testing benchmarks, must have completed at least two trimesters of Honors Physiology, and have the recommendation of their RHS Honors Physiology instructor.
• AHS (Allied Health Sciences), 100 Medical Terminology (3 credits) and AHS 110 Introduction to Health Care (3 credits), EDF 115 and HST 209.

FSU Offerings:

• Student eligibility criteria: Seniors w/ GPA 3.0+, Sophomores and Juniors w/ GPA 3.25+, must meet standardized testing benchmarks. 
• FSU Courses run concurrently with these RHS Courses:
  ENGL 150 (AP Language, Senior Comp) (3 credits)
  LITR 150 (AP Literature) (3 credits)

To prepare our students with knowledge and skills for 21st century jobs, Rockford Public Schools has created a thorough set of graduation requirements. With these requirements, students will be well prepared for their future endeavors in both college and the workforce.

R = Local RHS Graduation Requirement
Please note: a course may fulfill both a State and a local graduation requirement.

Other Requirements

Dual enrollment is an opportunity for Rockford High School students to earn college credit at a post-secondary institution while still attending high school.

RHS Dual Enrollment Process & Guidelines

Dual Enrollment Process

1. The student should read through Dual Enrollment Guidelines that follow.
2. The student chooses a local college and explores the course descriptions and dual enrollment requirements of the college.
3. The student makes an appointment with the high school counselor to discuss eligibility and college course options. The student provides the course details that include course number, course name, description and any prerequisites.
4. The student is given the RHS Dual Enrollment Application to complete and then returns it to the RHS Counseling Office. The RHS Dual Enrollment Application must be submitted by June 1 for fall enrollment and November 1 for winter enrollment. Students may submit one application per semester. Students should be mindful of these deadlines leaving sufficient time to complete the process prior to the deadline dates. Late applications will not be accepted and changes will not be made after the deadline. 
5. Counselor notifies the student regarding approval/denial.  If approved, the student completes the enrollment process with the college and registers for the course. If a student registers for a course without district approval, the district will deny the course for dual enrollment with the college and the student/family will be billed for all tuition and mandatory fees.
6. The student submits the college class schedule to the RHS Counseling Office as verification of enrollment. At that point, it will be added to the RHS schedule.
7. If the student fails or withdraws from the college class, the student/family will be responsible for reimbursing the district for the costs of tuition and any related fees.

Dual Enrollment Guidelines 

Student Eligibility

In order to be eligible, RHS high school students must meet the following criteria:

• A current student in grades 9-12 enrolled in at least one high school class, who is not a foreign exchange student, who has at least one parent who is a resident of the state of Michigan and who has not been enrolled in high school for more than four years.
• The student must provide current PSAT or SAT scores that determine their college readiness. Courses designated as remedial, certification or trade courses are not eligible for dual enrollment. You can find the “Qualifying Scores for Dual Enrollment” link under the Dual Enrollment page at the Michigan Department of Education website. 

Course Eligibility

In order to be eligible, the college course must meet the following criteria:

• The course is offered by an eligible postsecondary institution for postsecondary credit.
• The course must not be offered by the school district.
• The course must be academic in nature:
  •  Course must normally apply toward satisfaction of post-secondary degree requirements.
  •  Not ordinarily taken as an activity course.
  • Courses that are not a hobby, craft, or recreational course or a course that is in the areas of physical education, theology, divinity, or religious education.
•  The course cannot give the student more than full time enrollment.

Rockford HS follows the rules/criteria set by the State of Michigan for dual enrollment for all aspects of student eligibility, course eligibility, eligible charges and academic credit. 

Scheduling

The student must complete scheduling of all graduation requirements prior to being approved for dual enrollment. Students must maintain a full-time high school schedule (15 classes per year, 5 per trimester). When a dual enrolled course is added to the schedule, it will replace one high school class and cannot interfere with class time in the high school schedule.

Dual Enrollment and Dual Credit

Students who enroll in approved college courses may receive high school credit, college credit, or both. As part of the application process, the student must choose if the college class will be taken for a high school grade or high school credit only. If a student takes a course with a credit/no credit grade the final college grade will not be figured into the high school GPA nor can it be used toward academic honor awards.  If a student takes a course with a regular high school grade, ‘A’ through ‘F’, the college grade will count toward both academic honors and the final GPA.  Students may not change the grade option after the course begins.

Students should be aware that some colleges will not accept a college course for transfer credit if it appears on the high school transcript. Students should check with the college they plan to attend for specific transfer information for dual enrollment courses. Athletes interested in intercollegiate sports should be aware that the NCAA will not accept the credit option as part of the eligibility calculation.

Dual Enrollment in Unapproved Courses

Students may enroll in classes that are not approved by the high school. In this case, no high school credit will be awarded and the student will be responsible for all tuition, fees, and other expenses. The course will not be added to the student’s high school schedule or transcript. The student will still be required to take 15 classes in their high school schedule.

Final Grades and Academic Letter

Students are responsible for obtaining proof of their final grade from the college in the form of a report card or transcript.  A high school grade of “I” (incomplete) will be carried until proof is provided. This means that class rank, honor roll, and academic awards cannot be determined until grades are presented.

In order for students to qualify for an Academic Letter, a student must be enrolled in a minimum of 4 classes with a minimum of 4 letter grades plus CR. If a student takes a college course for college credit only, and has fewer than 4 graded instructional hours on the high school schedule, the student will not be eligible for an academic letter.

Tuition, Books, and Fees

Rockford Public Schools will pay the tuition and associated costs for books and mandatory fees up to the specific dollar amount set by the state funding formula. Expenses accrued beyond that specific amount are the responsibility of the student and their family. The student must turn in the receipt and the books when they submit their final grade for the class to the Counseling Office. The district will not pay for any tuition, books, or fees over the amount allowed by the state.

Withdrawing/Failing the Class

If a student decides to withdraw from a class, they must follow the policy of the college they are attending and notify their high school counselor immediately. Failure to follow the college’s withdrawal procedure may result in a failing grade appearing on both the high school and college transcript. If a student withdraws from or fails the college class, the student/family will be billed for the costs of tuition and any related fees by the district.

As everyone knows with the increase in technology and transportation, the world is definitely getting smaller.  As a result, it is more important than ever for our students to learn a second language.  This is why Rockford Public Schools offers a 4-year program in French, German, Spanish and Mandarin Chinese.  Additionally, we have a K-12th grade Spanish Immersion program located at Roguewood Elementary School.

The Rockford Public Schools district embraces online learning resources as a way to teach 21st Century skills to our students, combining the Common Core state standards with technology and communication skills. We provide students with the skills to be technologically literate, researching and improving opportunities for the infusion of new technology to enhance student achievement and instruction. We also provide training for teachers and staff to expand their use of technology, increase employee online training opportunities, and integrate technology to enhance alternative education program’s curriculum. 

Resources

My School @ Kent

Michigan Course Catalog