During his last years as governor of North Carolina, Jim Hunt, often called the “education governor,” provided generous grants for the University of North Carolina at Greensboro’s I-School program. Evolving out of the “Fast Forward” concept, I-School allowed high school students to earn college credits in core subjects such as Western Civilization and Psychology 101. Significant benefits impacted rural school districts that could not afford to hire teachers credentialed to teach upper level courses like the Advanced Placement. College preparation for North Carolina students weakened, however, when the current State Assembly defunded the program.
From Fast Forward to I-School
I-School, short for internet school, began as Fast Forward, a highly innovative program pioneered by UNC-Greensboro in the late 1990’s. The university appointed qualifying high school faculty to serve as adjunct instructors, teaching freshman and sophomore college courses at their high schools. There was no salary compensation.
Interested students enrolled at their high schools with each new semester, in some cases earning 24 credits of college work or more before their high school graduations. A modest tuition fee made the program affordable and UNC-Greensboro refunded any tuition payments in cases where a college refused to accept the transfer credit. This refund policy applied to state universities as well as non-public universities and colleges. Credits were accepted for transfer credit at N.C. schools like Elon University and High Point University as well as out-of-state institutions like Vanderbilt.
Students in the program were considered college freshmen by UNC-Greensboro and issued student ID cards. They had complete access to the university library as well as any other university benefits. Transfer credit was awarded as long as students received a “C” for the course, or better. This made Fast Forward courses more popular with many students than the AP courses that generally require a score of 4 or 5 for college credit.
Additionally, in a Fast Forward class, students had greater grade opportunities than the AP which is based on one test score received on the final, annual May assessment.
The I-School Concept Replaces Fast Forward
By 2006, internet courses were slowly replacing the traditional face-to-face classes. Qualified instructors were difficult to find and through the efforts of Governor Hunt, enough state money was allocated to fund thousands of students. As the governor said in a television commercial just before leaving office, there was no excuse for students to set aside ideas of attending college. Along with Early College programs, I-School enabled even the poorest students to earn college credit at no cost.
The I-School program permitted far more students across the state to earn college credit rather than through AP courses. In many districts, the costs of taking the AP exam were prohibitive and there was no requirement to take the exam even if students were enrolled in the class. When the State Assembly defunded I-School, they deprived many students of superb educational opportunities leading to a college degree.
What Students are Hurt the Most?
Defunding I-School hurt public school students in rural districts that are strapped for funds and cannot offer AP or Early College programs. Larger districts like Winston Salem Forsyth County Schools or the Guilford County system have “career centers” in place as well as Early College programs tied to either Community Colleges or private institutions like Guilford College.
Additionally, rural school districts are not close enough to state university campuses in order to allow qualifying students opportunities to avail themselves of early college course work.
Students attending non-public high schools that are tuition based usually have greater access to upper level courses as well as the financial means to pay for such programs. Some schools, for example, are tied to an internet AP program sponsored by the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill.
This raises the accusation that the Republicans in the State Assembly are classists, opposed to public education, and supportive of expensive private high school or home school educations. Notable exceptions to non-public schools, it should be mentioned, are the charter schools which receive state funding.
Impact on Job Creation in North Carolina
Eliminating I-School creates a noticeable vacuum in the educational process in North Carolina and state legislators would be well-advised to revisit the issue and assess the dangerous impact. Job creation, the mantra of the new Republican majority in the State Assembly, can only be accomplished through a well-educated workforce. I-School represented an affordable program that enabled high school students to earn college credits for core courses, permitting them to focus more quickly on career specialty programs once in college.
In North Carolina, education cuts were accomplished by allowing a penny in state sales tax to expire. That one cent made all the difference not only to the I-School program, but to other programs like the North Carolina Governor’s School, another nationally acclaimed program that gave unparalleled summer learning opportunities to high school students regardless of their socio-economic backgrounds. If actions still speak louder than words, the North Carolina State Assembly has set back educational progress, dooming the very goal claimed to be the state priority: jobs creation.
References:
- “Online College Classes for High School Students – Learn and Earn Online”
- Allison Kilkenny, “Give a Penny, Save a Teacher,” The Nation, May 4, 2011
- Gary D. Robertson, “Penny on sales tax focus of North Carolina schools coalition,” WWAY News Channel 3, May 6, 2011
- Claudio Sanchez, “Education Cuts Squeeze N.C. Teachers,” NPR, July 31, 2011
- E-mail correspondence with Dr. Bev Boyett, UNC-Greensboro I-School director, July 8, 2011
- Telephone conversation with Ms. Nora Reynolds, UNC-Greensboro Office of Continuing Education, July 8, 2011
[The writer was a UNC-G Fast Forward/I-School Adjunct for five years teaching history]
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