Greeley-Evans School District 6 reports sharp increase in concurrent enrollment, CTE participation under Innovation 2030

Anthony Alspis, the district'019s assistant superintendent for secondary and K-8 leadership and postsecondary readiness, told the Board of Education that concurrent enrollment and CTE participation have grown substantially under the district'019s Innovation 2030 plan.

Alspis said the work is funded by the district—s mill levy override and is intended to expand access and reduce financial barriers to higher education. "Concurrent enrollment allows our students to earn college credit at no cost to them, making college more accessible," he said.

District staff presented multiple data points: 3,720 high school students participated in a career pathway this year (an increase of more than 1,000 from the prior year); 1,219 high school students enrolled in postsecondary coursework for the 2024-25 school year; District 6 students enrolled in 4,001 individual college courses this year, averaging about three credits each, yielding roughly 12,000 college credits to date. Staff also said the first cohort of CNA students at Greeley Central achieved a 90% certification pass rate, above the cited state average of 75%.

Jenny Schilling, director of career and technical education, and Jordan Karlberg, career pathway specialist, described program details and partnerships. The district—s top concurrent-enrollment courses for math and English were Aims Community College—s College Algebra and the University of Northern Colorado—s English Composition; long-standing postsecondary partners include Aims Community College and the University of Northern Colorado, with expanded partnerships involving Morgan Community College, Front Range Community College and Northeastern Junior College.

Students and alumni described the programs' effects. Ashley Mejia, a Greeley Central junior enrolled in the district—s CNA program through Morgan Community College, said, "Concurrent enrollment allows me to obtain college credit and get a head start on classes required for my health science degree." Diego Guzman, a recent P-TECH graduate, said participating helped him graduate early and accumulate transferable credits toward a university architecture degree. Titus Jenkins, a current Greeley West senior in P-TECH, said the program—s no-cost college credits and internships changed his motivation and achievement: "The fact that I will be halfway through my college career at no cost to me is invaluable."

Staff described three extended programs under the concurrent-enrollment umbrella: Ascent (a fifth-year program that lets eligible seniors take an additional year of college classes at no tuition cost; 13 students used it this year and continuation depends on future funding), TREP (Teacher Recruitment, Education and Preparation, created by state legislation and currently serving students taking educator-pathway courses), and P-TECH (Pathways in Technology Early College High School, offering an associate of applied science alongside a high school diploma in certain pathways).

Board members asked about capacity and delivery. Staff said many concurrent-enrollment sections are taught on District 6 campuses by district instructors vetted by partner colleges; some postsecondary instructors also teach on district campuses. Staff said well over half of participants take concurrent-enrollment courses on a District 6 campus, while others attend partner college campuses when schedules permit. For some technical pathways, district CTE instructors have been credentialed by partner colleges to offer courses locally.

Schilling and Karlberg said next steps include continued outreach to families, use of the district—s discovery lab and smart labs to recruit younger students, and ongoing efforts to expand partnerships so more students can access college credit and industry certificates.

The presentation did not include board action items or votes on new policies; it was an update and request for continued community support of existing funding.