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Perry Central staff and students describe early-college and dual-credit alignment to boost credentials
Summary
Guidance counselor Dana Harris and staff said Perry Central's early college program exposes students to careers, certifications and stackable credentials; staff credited SEL at UND and accreditation work for shifting dual credit toward pathway alignment.
Dana Harris, guidance counselor at Perry Central Junior Senior High School, said the district's early college program "gives our students so many opportunities to be exposed to different careers" and to earn hands-on experience and certifications. Harris said dual credit has long been available at the school but that the district has worked to make dual credits lead to meaningful credentials tied to career pathways.
A staff member who spoke later described dual credit at Perry Central "all the way back into the late eighties" and said the district moved from offering many standalone dual-credit classes to aligning credits with Career and Technical Education pathways after working with SEL at UND and the early college accreditation process. The staff member said the change was intended to ensure students graduate with credentials that can be stacked with additional certifications after leaving high school.
Kendra Bekauskas, a registered nurse who teaches the health science program, described program components that connect dual credit to workplace experience. "For medical terminology, my students go and job shadow," Bekauskas said, and CNA students complete rotations at long-term care facilities and hospitals for hands-on clinical experience.
Students and staff framed the shift as particularly important for first-generation college students and those from low-income backgrounds. The staff member said dual credit often serves as a "bridge" for students who otherwise might not have an early college experience, allowing them to gain exposure to college coursework in a supported high-school setting.
The presentation did not record any formal votes or motions; speakers described program operations, partnerships and student outcomes. Details about enrollment numbers, funding levels, or formal next steps for program expansion were not specified during the remarks.
