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College Credit for K12 Educators

ACCESS

This section contains resources for k12 educators to help you understand college credit in high school options, and  tools to support you as you help students access their first college credit in high school class.

Explore participation rates at your school, district, or ESD, and create an action plan for closing opportunity gaps

The Oregon Department of Education and Education Northwest partnered to create two data dashboards. Through these tools and related trainings, Oregon educators can explore data and identify differences in participation by student characteristics. Using this information, educators can begin identifying how to increase access to and participation in CTE and accelerated learning, particularly among students who are underrepresented in these courses. Ultimately, this will help set students on a path to achieve their college and career goals.

The Accelerated Learning and CTE Dashboards are available now and newly updated with data through 2025. On this website you will find the updated dashboards, and self-paced learning modules to help you access and analyze the data, and then use that data to create an action plan for closing opportunity gaps.

Strengthen and connect career and college education

Career Education, which includes Career Connected Learning, is required for all Oregon students. When students are engaged in this learning, include discussions of how college credit in high school can support their academic and career goals.

Schools should implement strategies to ensure all students, especially those historically underrepresented in college-level coursework enrollment, are aware of and prepared to take advantage of college credit in high school opportunities.

  • Recruitment should begin as early as middle school. Counselors and educators can use the Education Plan and Profile, career connected learning, and family engagement strategies in grades 6-8 to introduce dual enrollment as a future opportunity. Planting this awareness early helps students and families make informed decisions when selecting high school courses that prepare them for college credit in high school participation.
  • Actively recruit qualified students from all academic, cultural, and socioeconomic backgrounds.
  • Highlight multiple entry points to college credit – such as individual transferable courses and classes that are part of CTE pathways – to help students begin at the level that matches their readiness and goals.
  • Support regular collaboration between middle and high school counselors to maintain consistent messaging.
  • Use multiple data sources (grades, growth, teacher recommendations) to identify potential college credit in high school students, and reach out to these students directly.
  • Host college credit in high school information sessions with inclusive language and accessible materials for students and families. This can include offering sessions in multiple languages and/or providing interpreters.  College partners will ikely have resources in multiple languages they can share.
  • When possible, co-develop outreach plans with community-based organizations, family advisory committees, or other organizations representing the cultural group you are trying to reach.

  • Develop targeted communication strategies that meet students and families where they are (e.g., social media, parent nights, community events, newsletters).
  • Provide comprehensive information about early postsecondary programs early and often to all students and families, including information on course offerings, course requirements, credit transfer or articulation, the benefits and responsibilities of taking courses, fee waivers, and the process used to assign students to courses.
  • Ensure all communications are offered in multiple forms and languages whenever possible to guarantee everyone has equal access to the information.
  • Build relationships among students, families, and staff at local middle schools, high schools and/or postsecondary institutions to share knowledge early and often about the value of early postsecondary opportunities and how to enroll.
  • Engage local community leaders, such as coaches and civic/religious leaders, to promote awareness and understanding of early postsecondary opportunities.​​

  • Nontraditional Career Preparation The goal of Nontraditi​onal Career Preparation is to assist​ you in recruiting and retaining more students into nontraditional careers through the most effective means possible. This chart provides a “quick find" to the research and is intended as a summary. Online and downloadable versions of the complete document are available on the NAPE website at www.napequity.org/root.
  • AVID is a program that helps schools bridge the gap between students' aspirations and their readiness for college and careers, including targeted programs to support multilingual students achieve their college and career goals.
  • Advanced Placement Outreach  Materials to help you communicate with your community about your school's AP program. Use these materials to build awareness of AP, announce new AP courses, and welcome students and parents to AP. Resources include support for students, parents and school leaders.
  • International Baccalaureate Information Learn about the process of becoming an International Baccalaureate (IB) World School.
  • OSAC Outreach OSAC staff support students, families, and educators statewide with tailored presentations and workshops on career and college readiness.
  • Frequently Asked Questions: International Baccalaureate Program Completion and Oregon Diploma Credit Requirements Any student who completes all the requirements, as described by the International Baccalaureate Organization, for an International Baccalaureate Diploma Program or an International Baccalaureate Career-Related Program are considered to have met all the credit requirements for an Oregon Diploma except .5 credit of Personal Financial Education (PFE) and .5 credit of Higher Education and Career Path Skills (HECPS).
  • Oregon TRIO ​Oregon TRIO Association (OTA) connects federal TRIO programs to communities in need and supports all TRIO programs statewide.

PLAN

This section contains resources for k12 educators to help you design high school college credit in high school pathways with clear connections to postsecondary destinations, and to advise students on how to travel those pathways to postsecondary success.

  • Local workforce development boards
    Local workforce development boards are a good resource for schools looking to understand local conditions and build partnerships for career and technical education.
  • ​​ Team Oregon Build (TOB)
    TOB was selected as the 2025 Workforce Program of the Year by the National Association of Workforce Development Professionals (NAWDP).
    TOB engages, educates, and empowers youth through hands-on Career Connected Learning   experiences in construction, manufacturing, emergency management, and other high-demand industries. Through partnerships with schools, industry, and community organizations, students develop technical, leadership, and employability skills while applying their learning to authentic projects that benefit Oregon communities
  • Worksource Oregon
  • Oregon workforce partnership​

The Care​er Conversations Starters provide a guide for working with students, families and community members to address the ASCA Student Standards: Mindsets & Behaviors for Student Success. The questions can be used to work with individuals and groups of students, families and community members.