As students’ desires for a head start in college grows, Westford Academy has set up a course of action to expand their sprawling Dual Enrollment (DE) program by offering more college-level courses in classrooms for the 2025 to 2026 school year. Eligible rising juniors and seniors had the opportunity last school year to enroll in the Public Speaking & Professional Presentation, Child Growth & Development, and Intro to Entrepreneurship courses that are outlined by Middlesex Community College (MCC) for college credit.
The DE program has been a part of WA’s curriculum since 2023, but it originally required students to travel to the respective community colleges to take the courses. This process was changed in 2023 when Money Matters DE was approved to be taught at WA and incorporated into students’ seven-course schedule. According to Intro to Entrepreneurship teacher Gina Mustoe, it quickly garnered popularity amongst the student population as it opened the door to an alternative path to college credit beyond AP courses, sparking interest in expanding DE offerings.
The baseline requirements to attend a DE course include submitting informational documents, such as transcripts, and having a GPA of 2.0 or higher. However, some courses require students to have taken introductory classes in the department the course is contained under. For example, in order to take DE Visual Art I, students must first take Digital Art I. According to Mustoe, these measures are put in place to ensure that students taking the course are best equipped for success in the fast-paced curriculum of a DE class.
Students will be able to earn 2.5 high school credits and one college credit through the DE program which are transferable to any state or UMass post-secondary institution. In addition, Mustoe reports they will hold the same weight as taking an AP class, but will not require students to take an AP exam.
Jozokos names a disadvantage of offering more DE courses.
According to Mustoe, the decision to offer certain classes at the DE level is based upon numerous factors, primarily regarding the course’s readiness to be adapted into a college-level course. Some courses were also able to replace their CP class to better reflect the course’s academic nature.
“The curriculum coordinators were looking at potential courses that they wanted to have be offered as Dual Enrollment and [Intro to Entrepreneurship] was a very obvious fit because it was already being taught at a higher level. Classes like Child Development and [Visual Art I] were seamless choices because of their curriculum as well,” Mustoe said.
According to Child Growth & Development teacher Melanie Jozokos, the rollout of additional DE courses benefits WA teachers and students alike. Teachers have the opportunity to explore teaching at the college level and serving as adjunct professors at MCC through their high school. Students are able to hone in on their interests that they want to pursue in higher education. They also are able to reduce their college workload a significant amount by earning credits in advance.
“I’ve always wanted to and thought about teaching at the college level, so this option helps me to dip my toes in the water a little bit. It is nice that I can do it right through here through WA,” Jozokos said. “[..] Integrating tests and having things be a bit more high stakes makes things a little bit more serious for me as a teacher and I enjoy that.”
Jozokos also mentions that taking one of these courses necessitates a more comprehensive curriculum course outline. Each unit will be discussed more in-depth and at a quicker pace, with frequent long-term projects, tests, and quizzes. Courses that have recently made the switch to DE must update their curriculum as the year progresses to meet college standards. According to Jozokos, this can be time-consuming for teachers as they do not have past college-level lesson plans to refer back to.
Jozokos shares the workload that is maintained in her DE class.
In order to teach the courses at WA, interested teachers had to submit their resume and proposed syllabus to the Dean of Academic Affairs at MCC to ensure that the class was aligned with the college’s standards, Mustoe said. No additional training was needed if their education was proven to be sufficient and geared towards that course’s field.
Mustoe discusses the process that went into establishing her DE course.
WA does not receive any financial aid from MCC for offering DE courses. Instead, the state funds the program through the Commonwealth Dual Enrollment Partnership to make courses free or discounted for students with financial difficulties. This can make a big difference as there is a mandatory fee of $126.00 per credit.
“I’m planning to major in nursing, so receiving college credit for course like this is one is especially helpful. The only challenge I have faced so far has been the fee for taking the class,” senior Natalie Bearfield said. “[Child Growth & Development] is about three credits, so it is about $380.00, which is definitely a lot of money during my senior year when there are a lot of other things that have to be paid for as well.”
