Soda Students can start earning college credits

The School of Dreams Academy will begin concurrent college courses this spring, Principal Mike Ogas said at the governing council meeting Dec. 7.

The school's charter includes concurrent college course work and has from the beginning, but because their highest grade level is currently only sophomores, students aren't eligible for most college courses.

However, because of the school's digital arts program, students are eligible to take Web page design, flash animation and digital arts college courses, each worth three credit hours.

Ogas approached the University of New Mexico last October to re-sign the agreement to offer dual-credit courses.

"They'll be taught by Mr. Nesbitt here on campus," Ogas said. "So as the kids take the courses here, he'll also be meeting the standards for the hours required by the university and they'll be getting high school credit and college credit at the same time."

School Council President Kenneth Griego said it will be feasible for a student to graduate from high school with a high school diploma and an associates degree.

UNM staffers have been to the school to give students an orientation, and they will visit again before second semester to enroll them.

"Another thing we're doing," said Ogas, "We're downloading — they (UNM) are allowing us to utilize their COMPASS assessment, so our students will be able to go through the COMPASS (placement test) assessment to see if they might be eligible to take things like English 101 or some of the other courses that are normally offered at higher grade levels, based upon how they score."

Students are starting with digital arts and will add classes such as college algebra as they are eligible.

"What's cool is that, since we have the digital arts capabilities here as part of our core program," Ogas said. "We're able to get a jump on some of those (college) credits."