TSTC, Cameron ISD team up for dual enrollment classes

Students at Yoe High School recently ended their first semester taking dual enrollment classes through Texas State Technical College. Twelve students completed the Principles of Accounting I class as part of the Business Management Technology certificate. More than 30 students took the online Medical Terminology class under the Medical Office Specialist certificate. This is the first year that technical dual enrollment classes have been offered at the high school. “We had always offered dual credit, but it was academic and not career and technical education dual credit,” said Kenneth Driska, Cameron ISD’s career and technical education director. Driska said a high school teacher was credentialed by TSTC in West Texas to teach the accounting classes. The school district built on its existing medical career tracks to branch into offering medical office specialist classes. “Health science has been something that kids in our district seem to show a lot of interest in,” Driska said. “Part of it is our proximity to Scott & White in Temple. It’s about a 30-minute drive. There is an opportunity there for jobs.” Megan Redmond, a dual enrollment advisor at TSTC in Williamson County, worked with Cameron ISD to make the classes available. “The counselors I work with are incredible,” Redmond said. “They are super responsive, and they get everything to me on time. Their students are very receptive. They get their forms turned in on time, and a lot of them are making A’s and B’s this semester.” Students passing the courses are able to earn college credit hours and meet Texas high school diploma requirements. High school students taking certificate courses have the opportunity to earn up to 12 credit hours. Driska said some of the school district’s college-going culture is driven by local scholarship opportunities from the Callaway Foundation and the Cameron ISD Foundation. “We have high expectations for our kids in Cameron,” Driska said.