Western Connecticut State University

Overview

The Pre-Collegiate and Access Programs at Western Connecticut State University offers students going into their Junior and Senior year in high school the opportunity to participate in our Dual-Enrollment program for the preparation of an education or computer science degree.

Programming and Partnerships

Danbury Teaching Fellows Pipeline

The Danbury Teaching Fellow Pipeline offers students supervised field-based opportunities for learning about, observing, applying, and reflecting on instructional methods and materials used to support English Language Learners in English as a Second Language (ESL) and bilingual classrooms at the elementary and secondary levels.

Accepted candidates, referred to as Teaching Fellows, will take a two-semester college course, TESOL/ Bilingual Introductory Practicum, at Western Connecticut State University. This course will be taught during summer (ED 103) and fall (ED 104). Danbury Teaching Fellows who successfully complete each semester will earn a total of three (3) college credits (2 credits for the summer and 1 for the fall), which can be transferred to any university of their choice.

Computer Science Pipeline

The Computer Science Pipeline offers students the opportunity to use problem-solving based approaches. Accepted students during the summer will be enrolled in CS 110 Website Production where they will be introduced to the various aspects of website production including problem specification, requirements analysis, image, video, audio, HTML and programming using a scripting language such as JavaScript. Through the use of interactive, hands-on sessions, students will be able to construct a website that satisfies a specific set of requirements. Once completing the course, students will earn 3 free college credits that can be transferred to other institutions.

In addition to earning 3 college credits, students who submit an official transcript to Dr. Martins at Danbury High School will be eligible to receive elective high school credit towards graduation. Successful completion includes attending all scheduled course classes and field teaching/observation assignments.

These dual enrollment opportunities are a collaboration between:

• Pre-Collegiate and Access Programs at Western Connecticut State University;
• Education and Educational Psychology at Western Connecticut State University;
• Computer Science Department at Western Connecticut State University; and
• Danbury Public Schools

Student Eligibility

For both Dual-Enrollment programs, students need to be enrolled in Danbury High School and be a rising Junior or Senior. Students need to have a 3.0 GPA.

The Computer Science Pipeline: students should have taken Algebra 2 and received a C+ or better.

Additionally, for the Danbury Teaching Fellows Pipeline, students need to come from a minority and/or bilingual background. Students need to be available to take the course during the summer and fall semesters.

Instructor Credentials for Concurrent Enrollment Courses

Currently, all instructors are full-time professors or adjuncts at Western Connecticut State University. One of the recommendations was that they had experience working with high school students.

Registration and Fees

Enrollment Process:

• Students apply for the program by filling out an interest survey.
• Students participate in a group interview.
• Students/ Families attend an orientation meeting to sign and fill out any registration paperwork.
• Registration forms are sent to the registrar’s office to enroll the students in the courses.

Once the program is completed, students can apply for an official transcript to transfer credits to other institutions. Students have been able to count the credits toward their majors or as elective credits.

There is no cost for the students. Per an MOA, the academic departments cover the cost for professors and the Pre-Collegiate and Access Programs department cover the tuition at an AP course rate. The Danbury Public Schools cover the fees for the high school transcripts.

Since there is no cost for the students, no fee waivers are needed.

Supports for Multilingual Families

Our department has bilingual staff who are fluent in Spanish and Portuguese. Translation of documents and at meetings is also provided.

Contact Information

Becky Hall
ECE Coordinator
hallb@wcsu.edu
(203) 837-9363