Lakeville South students, teacher highlight College Now AP Chemistry concurrent-enrollment course and annual science show

Lakeville South High School chemistry teacher Jason Just and students presented the annual science show and described the school’s College Now AP Chemistry concurrent-enrollment course at the Lakeville Area School Board meeting on April 22. The students said the course follows the AP Chemistry curriculum while carrying Minnesota State University credits that transfer to students’ postsecondary transcripts without a separate college exam.

The presentation argued the course gives students a head start on college-level credits and career preparation. “This concurrent course is a strategic investment that gives us some significant return,” Jason Just said, adding that students can earn nine semester credits through the course sequence. Student Carter Windorf described the program’s public demonstrations and said the class presented a theme of “bat mole beetle” during the recent science show. Student Lily Launzbach said the course is “challenging in an engaging and fun way” and noted that the partnership with the Minnesota State College and University (Minnesota State) system guarantees college credit without students needing to take a placement exam.

Board members asked how the concurrent enrollment fits with the district’s new science sequencing. Just explained that freshmen will take earth science, sophomores biology, and juniors will choose chemistry or physics; the concurrent course is one of several junior-year options. When asked about transferability and transcript entries, Just said the courses mirror Minnesota State course numbers (for example, CHEM 231/231L and CHEM 232/232L) and students receive a student-accessible transcript from Southwest Minnesota State (a Minnesota State institution) showing the courses, grades and credit.

Board members also asked whether the course is available to students at Lakeville North; Just said North students may travel to South to take the concurrent class. Questions about instruction and faculty credentials were answered in part: Just said teachers must meet higher education credentialing requirements in the content area to teach concurrent-enrollment sections.

The presentation included a short video of the science show and a live in-meeting demonstration explaining density using sealed soda cans; students demonstrated how aspartame versus sugar affects can density. The board applauded the students’ demonstration and the district’s concurrent-enrollment offerings. No formal board action was taken on the program at the meeting.

The district’s materials for the presentation list the course as part of the College Now program through Minnesota State and emphasize the potential for students to transfer credits to the institution of their choosing.