Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Dual Concurrent Enrollment topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
District reports jump in dual/concurrent enrollment, expands CTE and internships; Reed student earns UNR scholarship
Summary
Washoe County School District presented progress on Goal 5 (empowering all learners): concurrent enrollment at Reed High and other schools has expanded, district funding reduced student costs for concurrent courses, CTE programs and internships are growing rapidly, and Reed student Kaylana Wallace reported earning a UNR presidential scholarship.
Washoe County School District officials told trustees Feb. 25 that dual‑credit and concurrent‑enrollment opportunities are growing across high schools, with measurable gains in access for underrepresented students and a rapid expansion of internships and career‑technical education (CTE) programs.
Reed High School example: Josh Rosenblum, Reed High School principal, and student Kaylana Wallace outlined the school’s concurrent‑enrollment program. Rosenblum said Reed now offers 17 concurrent‑enrollment courses serving roughly 400 students and 17 teachers. He reported high success rates: roughly 95% of Reed students enrolled in concurrent classes were passing those college‑level courses.
Student story: Kaylana Wallace described taking multiple dual‑credit courses and said she will have completed seven college courses by the end of the year. She told trustees she plans to attend the University of Nevada, Reno, and said she had won a UNR presidential scholarship that morning.
Districtwide figures and funding: Kendra Fox, director of secondary curriculum and instruction, said district strategic funds supported growth in concurrent enrollment and that the district planned to spend about $1,060,000 this school year on the strategy. District policy covers concurrent‑enrollment fees — $75 per course — and pays for textbooks and associated costs to reduce barriers for students; counselors work with families about transferability of credits.
AP, equity and participation: Fox said that while AP enrollment declined districtwide from 2019 to 2024, AP pass rates rose nearly nine points; AP Spanish pass rate was 79% the last year cited. At the same time, district data shows proportional growth in Hispanic student participation and increases among free/reduced‑price lunch, special education and English‑learner populations taking dual credit.
CTE expansion and internships: Josh Hartzog, director of CTE, said the district is adding programs (forensic science, additional business and multimedia programs) and new program starts next year — including Aviation Tech and Law Enforcement at ACT and Practical Nursing and CNA at Debbie Smith. Internship participation grew from 16 students last year to about 90 this year, with a projection of 200 students next year. The district recently hired an internship coordinator who clarified compliance paperwork, trained principals and counselors, and is building a central web portal for internship opportunities (washoeschools.net/internships).
Why it matters: expanded concurrent enrollment and CTE can reduce college costs for families, accelerate students’ progress toward degrees and provide hands‑on pathways to local careers. Trustees praised the programs and asked staff to scale access for schools with fewer offerings.
Next steps: staff will continue to grow concurrent and CTE offerings, coordinate with higher‑education partners (UNR, TMCC, WNC) to reduce administrative friction, and expand internship pipelines with local employers.
