GREENFIELD — Executive Director Salah Khelfaoui is pleased to announce that the Greater Commonwealth Virtual School has partnered with Greenfield Community College (GCC) to create a completely tuition- and fee-free online dual enrollment program available to GCVS students.
The dual enrollment program, which began at the start of the 2019 school year, gives motivated GCVS high school students the opportunity to earn college credit while completing their high school MassCore requirements.
GCVS students may take classes at no cost at GCC as long as they meet the specific class requirements — which may mean passing a placement test, prior completion of specific college-level courses, or a certain level of performance on AP exams.
“We are thrilled to be able to offer this new collaborative initiative with Greenfield Community College for our high school-aged students,” Executive Director Khelfaoui said. “We have students from across the state who rely on virtual schooling for a variety of reasons, and for those who are ready and willing to take their education to the next level, we knew it was imperative to be able to offer that option. It is a testament to the number of highly-motivated and independent GCVS students that we are able to launch a program such as this, and offer it tuition-free for all who qualify.”
The program saw enrollment jump from just nine students in 2019 to 35 in the fall of 2020, and to as many as 48 by the spring of 2021.
The Greater Commonwealth Virtual School is a public school of choice serving K-12 students from across all of Massachusetts. GCVS students who participate in the dual enrollment program complete college-level courses through GCC and receive college credit as well as credit that can be used to satisfy high school graduation requirements. These credits can be applied toward an associate’s degree at Greenfield Community College (while in high school or after graduation). They may also be eligible as transfer credits to another college or university.
Dual enrollment students follow the same grading policies that all Greenfield Community College students follow, and Greenfield Community College gives GCVS dual enrollment students access to student support services. In addition, GCVS dual enrollment students can participate fully in the college’s co-curricular and extra-curricular activities.
Family Involvement a Critical Component
GCVS encourages parents, guardians or other designated adults to be Learning Coaches for their children. A Learning Coach works in conjunction with the school’s online classroom teachers to assist students in their learning, and the role is especially beneficial for students in the dual enrollment program.
“So much of what we do is preparing students for the next phase of their lives, whatever that may be, and a major component of that must come from home,” said GCVS Director of Enrollment and Recruitment Michelle Morrissey. “The dual enrollment program could not work without the help of our Learning Coaches, who do such a tremendous job in offering an added layer of support to make sure our students have the tools they need to succeed.”
Sylvia Callan’s son Nathan is a junior at GCVS. She said she was hesitant at first to make the shift to the online-only school, but quickly saw the benefit.
“He’s a highly independent and ambitious learner, so I knew he could handle the virtual environment,” Callan said. “So when we learned of the dual enrollment option we knew it would be the right fit. We worked closely with the GCVS coordinator and GCC liaison, and Nathan is thriving in the program.”
Callan said her role as a Learning Coach is primarily to be a guide for her son, and to keep him on track when needed.
“I am there with him during the virtual classes, but am not hand-holding him in any way,” she said. “That goes along with the GCVS mission, which is to be there for support. He picks his own classes and does all the work, and when he needs help I am there for him, as are his instructors. The program has done wonders preparing him to be an independent and hard-working adult who is more comfortable making longer-term decisions in his life, and what parent doesn’t want that for their child?”
Callan added that as her son has now gotten a jump on earning college credits, he has become more focused on taking classes in the areas of study he is interested in pursuing upon graduation.
Dual Enrollment Eligibility
To be eligible for the dual enrollment program with GCVS and GCC, students must:
- Be enrolled in high school at GCVS
- Be a Massachusetts resident
- Not already have earned a high school diploma, GED or HiSET
- Meet all GCC course prerequisites
- Show ability to succeed based on college placement test scores and/or high school guidance recommendation
- Fill out the form on this page or email info@gcvs.org or call 413-475-3879 for more information.
To learn more about the program, click here.
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