Great Hearts Arizona Responds to Feedback with New College Credit Options Facebook Twitter Email This Post Great Hearts Academies August 2, 2024 Great Hearts is pleased to announce three pathways for scholars to earn college credit while attending a Great Hearts Arizona academy through Dual Enrollment, Advanced Placement, and CLEP Testing. This initiative is in response to feedback from middle and high school students and parents we surveyed last year. Great Hearts leadership listened to the feedback, diligently worked with stakeholders and partners for a thoughtful solution, and is now ready to educate families on how to utilize the implemented improvements and resources. Mac Esau, Executive Director of Upper Schools in Arizona, along with Roslyn Fletcher, Director of College Counseling in Arizona, and Michael Austin, the National Director of Curriculum, recently hosted a virtual information session to present the pathways and answer questions about the new initiative. You can view the recorded session in its entirety below: “Something that we are becoming much more intentional about in the last couple of years is the evaluation and refinement of our high school program,” explained Esau. “First and foremost, we want to make sure that we are doing the work we profess to be doing to the best of our ability, and that is to cultivate the hearts and minds of all of our students in the pursuit of the True, the Good, and the Beautiful. Secondly, we want to make sure that as many students as possible are able to remain with us through the full training and graduate as seniors from all of our schools.” Esau explained that the primary barrier to providing college credit opportunities in the past had to do with the unwavering commitment to the current curriculum that is unique to Great Hearts. Parents have expressed that they don’t want to see this changed either. The challenge, according to Esau, was to find avenues to give families the benefit of earning college credits along the way without compromising the core purpose of cultivation and pursuit. Fletcher presented and explained in detail the three options now available for college credit: CLEP (College-Level Examination Program) Tests are available for all Great Hearts students in grades 9-12 at a cost and offered in 34 subjects. Pre-scheduled tests will be offered at Chandler Prep, Scottsdale Prep, and Trivium Prep. AP (Advanced Placement) Exams are available for all Great Hearts students in grades 9-12 at a cost and offered in 8 AP subjects. The exams will be offered at Scottsdale Prep in May of 2025. Specific dates and times will be announced by College Board. Dual Enrollment can be earned in 10th and 11th-grade math courses and 12th-grade Humane Letters through Southeastern University, while 10th and 12th-grade language courses can be earned through Arizona Christian University. See below for more information regarding these pathways. Fletcher strongly recommends that families contact their academy and discuss options with their college counselor. “We have 20 college counselors in our network who are eager to support you and your students as you make these decisions,” she said. “I would ask that you reach out to your college counselor either by phone or by email and schedule an in-person appointment to talk about the different options that might be best for your student. It’s the academic history of your student along with your student’s future college goals that are important to discuss when deciding which of these options is the best fit for your student.” For more information about how to earn college credits at Great Hearts, visit https://arizona.greatheartsamerica.org/collegecredit/. These improvements aim to provide students and their families with a more supportive and enriching educational experience, encouraging them to stay with Great Hearts through their senior year to fully benefit from the unique curriculum. Do you have a story or know of a story that you would like to see featured at Great Hearts? Please contact jason.moore@greathearts.org.
