By: Daniel Montano, Staff Reporter
A new dual-credit high school, aiming to have graduates leave with both a high school diploma and a college certificate or associate degree, will open on CNM’s main campus fall 2013, Katherine Winograd, CNM president, said.
Winograd held a joint press conference with the heads of APS and the New Mexico Public Education Department on Friday May 10, announcing the yet to be named high school, saying the school will be the first of its kind in Albuquerque.
The 5050 model of this new program will require students to attend classes taught by APS teachers for half of the school day and spend the other half in college-level courses, according to APS’s website.
“It’s going to allow more students to get on a faster, cost-effective track to achieving their college and career dreams. We’re going to help them pursue their passions by providing educational pathways that lead to higher educational credentials and high quality careers,” Winograd said.
The school will operate on CNM property and follow CNM’s trimester schedule, but will provide free textbooks and tuition for college classes, according to APS’s website.
Three years of tuition and books at CNM for a typical 18-year-old living with parents adds up to about $6,800, according to CNM’s cost of attendance calculator.
“Because there is no cost to students and their families, this system puts students ahead financially as well as academically. It makes success in education that much more accessible, we will be changing the lives of students and building a community,” Winograd said.
The new school will work closely with a local business advisory board which will help identify proper educational paths in order to help students get jobs that are needed in the Albuquerque community, she said.
“The businesses are going to provide mentorship. They are going to provide internships and co-ops for the students, and they’re also going to help teach the classes,” Winograd said.
CNM will keep its existing dual-credit program, which is currently available for any APS high school student, but the new school will provide a framework for students seeking success, Winograd said.
Gov. Susana Martinez, who spoke at the press conference, said, “These students will be able to take positive steps on their journey to gain a quality education and realize their dreams,” Martinez said.
It is important that high school graduates are properly prepared for the career world and life in college and this new school will provide students with the experience they need to become accomplished, she said.
The school, located in S building on Main campus, will consist of 10 classrooms and one auditorium for up to 400 students from tenth through twelfth-grade, according to APS’s website.
For more information, including how to enroll, go to aps. edu/aps-cnm or call 855-9040.