4 Kentucky High Schools Join UK’s Innovative Dual Credit Program
LEXINGTON, Ky. (March 23, 2021) — The University of Kentucky’s dual credit program is growing to include additional high schools across the state. The program allows high school juniors and seniors to simultaneously earn high school and college credits in courses taught by both high school teachers and UK instructors.
The latest schools to offer dual credit courses with UK are Lincoln County High School, Allen County-Scottsville High School, Larry A. Ryle High School in Boone County and Frankfort Independent High School.
“In many dual credit programs, a high school instructor teaches the college material. Our program is unique in that UK instructors partner with high school teachers and teach courses via interactive video,” said Justin Bathon, co-director of the UK Center for Next Generation Leadership and an associate professor of Educational Leadership Studies at the UK College of Education.
The program launched in early 2020 with four high schools serving as pilot sites: Paris Independent High School, Marshall County High School, Elkhorn Crossing School in Scott County and STEAM Academy in Fayette County. The following semester, Fleming County High School, Lawrence County High School, Somerset Independent High School, Logan County High School, Bardstown High School and Trimble County High School came on board.
“Over the course of the past three years, Frankfort High has made tremendous strides in our dual credit participation through partnerships with Kentucky State University and Bluegrass Community and Technical College,” said Tyler Reed, principal of Frankfort Independent High School. “We are thrilled to extend our partnership to the University of Kentucky and not only show our students they have the potential to be successful at the college level, but have the potential to be successful anywhere they would like to go, including at our state’s flagship university. The network partnerships that UK Next Gen offers is one aspect we are the most thrilled about. Being connected to great schools around the state will allow our students to see beyond the lens of their own community and connect with students they otherwise may not be able to. We as a school are also excited to grow and learn from other partner schools, and hopefully share some of the innovative strides we have tried to bring to education.”
For the 14 participating high schools, the dual credit program is an extension of their districts’ participation in programs offered by the Center for Next Generation Leadership, based at the UK College of Education. The center has helped establish a network of schools committed to upgrading educational systems to deepen the learner experience for every student.
“School leaders are implementing innovative practices across the Commonwealth in an effort to better meet the needs of all learners. Our innovative dual-credit program has become a logical extension of that work,” said Lu Young, clinical associate professor in the Department of Educational Leadership Studies and executive director of the Center for Next Generation Leadership at the UK College of Education.
The high school juniors and seniors who enroll in the dual credit program are known as “UK Next Generation Scholars.” They are provided an advisor from the UK Center for Next Generation Leadership who checks in on their progress, helps with college applications and supporting materials and promotes a successful transition to college.
"Next Gen Scholars is a way to let students access the University of Kentucky while still in high school and consider whether our bachelor’s degree options might be right for them. It is particularly encouraging that working with our high school partners we can make this a tool of opportunity to reach more students who might not have considered themselves college-going in the past," said Christine Harper, associate vice president for enrollment management at UK.
Next Gen Scholars apply for admission to UK as non-degree seeking students. They can take up to a maximum of 10 UK courses while in high school. The UK courses are delivered both online and by high school teachers who have been trained by UK faculty to teach the curricula. Tuition for courses in the dual credit program, in alignment with state determined dual credit rates, may be paid by either the school or the student, as determined by each district’s policy. Districts are expected to provide tuition support to qualifying free or reduced lunch students, a Council on Postsecondary Education policy.
UK dual credit courses are developed and offered primarily by UK academic departments with the support of local high school staff.
UK colleges contributing to the available courses include:
- College of Arts and Sciences
- College of Communication and Information
- College of Design
- College of Education
Additional information about UK’s dual credit program can be found at https://www.uky.edu/sal/dual-credit.
As the state’s flagship, land-grant institution, the University of Kentucky exists to advance the Commonwealth. We do that by preparing the next generation of leaders — placing students at the heart of everything we do — and transforming the lives of Kentuckians through education, research and creative work, service and health care. We pride ourselves on being a catalyst for breakthroughs and a force for healing, a place where ingenuity unfolds. It's all made possible by our people — visionaries, disruptors and pioneers — who make up 200 academic programs, a $476.5 million research and development enterprise and a world-class medical center, all on one campus.
In 2022, UK was ranked by Forbes as one of the “Best Employers for New Grads” and named a “Diversity Champion” by INSIGHT into Diversity, a testament to our commitment to advance Kentucky and create a community of belonging for everyone. While our mission looks different in many ways than it did in 1865, the vision of service to our Commonwealth and the world remains the same. We are the University for Kentucky.