Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Dual Credit topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Santa Fe ISD introduces University of Texas OnRamps dual-credit courses; district to share first-year cost
Summary
The board was briefed on an OnRamps dual-credit program allowing high-school students to earn UT credit in advanced chemistry and algebra II without a TSI requirement; 40–45 students per course have opted in and the district will cover half of the $149 per-student fee for the first year.
Santa Fe ISD trustees heard a presentation on July 20 about a new dual-credit offering through the University of Texas OnRamps program that will be available to qualifying high-school students starting this school year.
Christy Click, who leads CTE and dual-credit coordination, described two OnRamps courses the district plans to offer: college chemistry I with lab paired to advanced chemistry and a college algebra paired to advanced algebra II. Click said OnRamps allows students to enroll alongside their matched high-school course without needing to meet the TSI (Texas Success Initiative) test threshold. She told the board there were between 40 and 45 students who had opted into each course, which would translate to two sections or class periods per day for each course.
Click explained students participate in a UT online component while sitting in a Santa Fe High School classroom with an experienced district teacher; at semester’s end students may choose whether to have the UT coursework transcripted to protect GPA concerns, but passing with a D or higher still qualifies the student for a CCMR accountability point at the district level. To limit teacher burden, OnRamps students will be placed in dedicated class sections; students may request to ‘‘level down’’ (move to a non-OnRamps section) about six weeks into the term if the workload is excessive.
On cost, Click said the UT OnRamps fee is $149 per student; UT evaluates students for a scholarship that could make the course free for qualifying students. For this first year the district will split the $149 fee 50/50 with students.
The board thanked staff for expanding dual-credit pathways and asked staff to monitor teacher workload and student retention; no vote was required for this informational program rollout.
