May 5, 2005
West Oso Seniors Applying for College as Part of Graduation Requirements
Area ISDs partner with Del Mar College’s New Program, College Connections,
to provide campus services directly to high school seniors before graduation
Del Mar College is taking steps to get high school seniors to complete the institution’s
admissions process before they graduate. A new program called College Connections
takes DMC student services directly to high school campuses to ensure that seniors
apply for college by completing applications for admissions and financial aid,
testing, career counseling, and general advising.
For seniors at three of the five pilot schools–including West Oso High
School–completing the program is a graduation requirement.
What does that mean for graduating seniors? Graduates will not only receive
their high school diploma but also a Del Mar College letter of acceptance during
commencement this year.
“Requiring graduating seniors to complete the enrollment process while
in school will result in a higher number of students opting to continue their
education in the immediate future,” says Dr. Crawford Helms, Superintendent
of West Oso Independent School District. “Because students will have completed
the registration process, they will have no excuse to delay entering college
courses or certification programs offered through Del Mar College.”
On Monday, May 9, West Oso Independent School District and Del Mar College
representatives will discuss the program during a news conference set for 10
a.m. in the West Oso High School Library (5202 Bear Lane). Staff from the
College’s Counseling Office are scheduled to complete the second phase
of the program throughout the day by providing West Oso students with testing
evaluations, career counseling and general advising. Other DMC staff from Financial
Aid Services will help about 10 seniors complete their Free Application for
Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) online during the news conference. Students will
be available to talk about the program and their plans after graduating from
West Oso High School.
Del Mar College piloted the program at West Oso, Sinton, Robstown, Moody and
Miller High Schools not just to get students to apply for college but also to
remove any barriers they may face in completing the process.
Del Mar patterned its program after the College Connections initiative that
Austin Community College (ACC) implemented in 2004. The ACC program received
coverage by The Washington Post and The Seattle Times as a model program for
other colleges and independent school districts across the country to follow.
Del Mar’s program encompasses three phases, which incorporates services
and staff from the College’s Division of Workforce, Economic and Community
Development and the Division of Student Development. Those phases include:
Phase I
• Students sit through orientations about admissions and financial aid
as well as complete applications for both processes, including how to input
financial aid information online.
• Students take the Texas Higher Education Assessment Quick Test (or Quick
THEA) to measure their skills in reading, writing and mathematics to determine
course placement.
Phase II
• Students’ testing is evaluated and College staff provide counseling
and advising. Career counseling is also available.
• High schools can schedule a campus tour.
• College representatives present an orientation covering student support
services offered through the DMC Division of Student Development.
Phase III
• Seniors receive their letters of acceptance during their commencement
ceremony.
• Graduates register for credit courses either online or during arena-style
registration.
Of the 108 seniors at West Oso High School, 75 have completed Phase I of the
College Connections program, including testing. The week of May 9, they will
participate in Phase II.
“College Connections makes college entrance a lot easier for our students
to understand and helps them work through the process,” says Dr. Denise
Hutchinson, principal of West Oso High School. “They’re eager to apply
for college and know what to expect.”
West Oso Independent School District is among the five ISDs within the College’s
taxing district, which qualifies their graduating seniors for DMC in-district
tuition and fees. In 2003, West Oso High School graduated 85 students. However,
only 28 students, or 33 percent, enrolled at a university or college immediately
following graduation, according figures provided by the Texas Higher Education
Coordinating Board. The other 67 percent, or 57 students, were listed as not
enrolled in Texas higher education, either because they did not enroll at a
college or university at all or enrolled out-of-state.
Dr. Hutchinson adds, “The program’s value for our students is an easy
transition from high school to college. They’ll walk out of our high school’s
doors and through Del Mar College’s doors without any complications.”
The Texas Education Agency reported earlier this year that Del Mar College is
the number one choice of high school graduates from Nueces, Aransas, San Patricio
and Kleberg Counties who attend college. Additionally, U.S. Department of Labor
statistics show that 70% of the fastest growing jobs in the nation will require
more than just a high school diploma.
“College Connections allows the College and partner school districts to
encourage students who traditionally have not pursued any type of skill training
or thought about higher education to obtain skills that will make them valuable
assets to employers in the Coastal Bend,” says Bud Harris, Dean of the
College’s Division of Workforce, Economic and Community Development. “By
getting these students to complete the admissions process and enroll at Del
Mar College, the consensus is our area will have a more skilled workforce for
the business community and an improved quality of life for the students upon
completing their higher education.”
So how does College Connections fit in with West Oso graduates this year?
“We want these seniors to know they’re ready to enroll in Del Mar
College courses upon graduation because they have completed the whole admissions
process,” adds Harris. “The College is open to every student who wants
a higher education–no matter where they attend high school. College Connections
is providing students with the resources to make that dream happen.”
Dr. Helms agrees. “Education and continuing education is a key factor in
being independent and successful in the world that our students are entering
into. A higher education will allow them to obtain their dreams.”
Contacts: Bud Harris, Dean of DMC's Division of Workforce, Economic
and Community Development, at 361/698-1702
Dr. Crawford H. Helms, West Oso Independent School District Superintendent,
at 361/806-5960
Dr. Denise Hutchinson, Principal of West Oso High School, at 361/806-5960
Melinda Eddleman or Claudia Jackson, DMC College Relations, at 361/698-1247
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